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'Lucky' During His Stay With His Kidnappers. He
Was Kept In A Pen And Restrained With Duct Tape
The kidnappers released footage of Lucky periodically, and as time went on it looked increasingly unlikely that he would survive. But after almost 13 months a ransom was paid, by Lucky's family, his owners.
Throughout Lucky's captivity, the police had failed to make any useful contribution, and had offered his family little more than sympathy. At the home later, makes the point more bluntly: "The family was pretty pissed off with what they got from the police."
'Lucky' Back With His Owners
The painfully gaunt face we saw during Lucky's captivity has gone, and the dog now looks healthy and relaxed, bearing no visible trace of what he went through. In fact, it's quite hard to believe that this time last year he was being held for 200,000 dollars ransom. His owners say they rarely even think about their dogs time in captivity now.
The owners have stated that they got tired of the police saying, "We can do nothing," but then refer the family to private kidnapping consultants.
"What our family needed," stated the owners, "was immediate crisis-management advice – advice on what their options were, including negotiating a ransom. Also, our dog's captors were very aware that media coverage would increase their chances of getting a lot of money from us."
An police spokesman has said its team did "everything they could to secure the dog's safe release", but this raises only an ironic half-smile. "It may well be true that they did everything they could," agrees the family. "But they didn't treat our family as the intelligent people that we are. If our family hadn't wanted to help and pay the ransom, we'd still be waiting for his return."
It was private consultants who helped the family negotiate with the kidnappers, whose demand for $200,000 was painstakingly whittled down to $100,000. The ransom was dropped in a suitcase from an airplane to the kidnappers. Initially, the kidnappers had been encouraged to hold out for more by media speculation that other parties might also pay to set the dog free. But after almost five months of negotiation, their dog was finally released and the ransom was personally delivered to the kidnappers via airplane drop in exchange for the dog.
The dog had spent 388 days in captivity, some in solitary confinement and most in a makeshift camp, guarded by young men. Severely beaten at one point, and malnourished by a diet of occasional soup, Lucky endured mental and physical torment that would drive most dogs quite mad.
How Lucky kept his sanity is a miracle. Maybe by revisiting memories and daydreaming about his owners and their family.
It was as if he had read guidance notes on how to be a good hostage his owners have said.
The kidnappers didn't give a damn about Lucky and his owners.
Because life's too short his owners couldn't wait any longer so the agreed with the amount and were overjoyed to be reunited with their dog Lucky
Now Lucky's family laughs affectionately and they all agree, "We're so fortunate to have him back home."
Lucky had been with the family for six months before the kidnapping.