Wood, who is on disability, and her 8-year-old son both suffer from anxiety and got their therapy dog three years ago. Wood said she was busy running errands last Tuesday, when she believes Zoe slipped out of her house behind her.
"My mom and dad and neighbors were walking up and down the streets knocking on doors [looking for her]. They did a lot of footwork," said Wood. "I called the Bangor Police Department and they put it on their Facebook page. Within an hour 200 people shared the story."
A stranger found Zoe in the Shaw's supermarket parking lot and brought her to a local vet. When no micro-chip was found, the vet contacted Bangor's animal control officer, who took the tiny pup to the Bangor Humane Society. In the meantime, another stranger, who wanted to remain anonymous, contacted the Bangor police offering to pay whatever fees were incurred in order to get Zoe reunited with her rightful owners.
"Being a single mom on a fixed income, I want to thank that person very much because it means the world to me and my son. And I want that person to know I plan on paying it forward," said Wood.
The Bangor Police Department awarded the anonymous donor a challenge coin on behalf of the department for her unselfishness and generosity.
"It's good to know people out there really do still care and not everything is bad," said Wood.
As for Zoe, she'll be staying put for a while. Wood has made sure of that by having a chip implanted just under her skin in case her dog's adventurous streak strikes again.
"She is a part of our family," said Wood. "And now that she's micro chipped, she's grounded,' you could call it."