Together again: Wandering Wally returns

COEUR d'ALENE — Wally the dog looked a bit sheepish as he rolled belly up and solicited a scratch from his owner, Eric Wiksten.

"You can tell he's very happy to be back," Wiksten said Monday afternoon. "He's settled into his old routine."

Wandering Wally was returned to Wiksten Saturday after a Feb. 3 Press article announced the canine had gone missing from Wiksten's friend's house in Rose Lake. Wiksten said a man on the Hiawatha Trail noticed a friendly black dog running around and playing with people, then the dog found himself at the home of Dave Smith Motors President and CEO Ken Smith.

Wiksten said Smith gave Wally to one of his salesmen, Ray Flaherty of Hayden, who brought the dog to the Humane Society to check if he was microchipped. Flaherty and his daughter saw a poster with Wally's picture, then contacted Wiksten.

"Wally was in heaven because Ray’s house is right on the lake and they have a golden retriever," Wiksten said. "They treated him like gold."

Flaherty said it was their pleasure to host Wally and to be able to return him to his rightful owner.

"It feels great," he said. "We’re dog people. We’re just happy to help somebody, especially someone who cares about their dog so much."

Wiksten, who just returned home from an emergency medical procedure in California, said he received several calls after the article ran. His neighbors even formed a search party and took ATVs to the Rose Lake area to try to find Wally, who ran off early last week.

"I’d like to thank The Press for the story; it’s a great hometown newspaper," Wiksten said, adding how thankful he is to the Flahertys and Smiths for taking such good care of his dog.