KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
January 14, 2025
By Natalie Cook Clark
A Katy dog is happy to be back with his family after he ran for miles but was safely found thanks to social media and community efforts. While preventing pets from getting out in katy, the Katy area has a great network to help families and a community that cares.
Enzo, a 2-year-old German Shepherd mix was reunited with his family on Friday after he escaped his backyard in Williamsburg Settlement. He managed to run all the way to Morton Ranch High School where he was found on the football field.
“He had been outside for ten minutes when we realized he was gone says,” Jennifer Blandino. Enzo is her son’s dog so he and his sister both got in their cars to go out to search while Jennifer stayed home, in case he returned, and posted on several social media pages.
In less than an hour, the Blandinos received news on the Williamsburg Settlement Facebook page that someone had spotted Enzo at Morton Ranch High School. He had run over two miles. What was most concerning is that Enzo had crossed busy streets like Franz and Mason.
Trevor Blandino immediately went there where we was greeted by a MRHS resource officer who had been radioing about Enzo. Together they worked to find Enzo, who then was spotted at the football practice field, where he had gotten himself trapped inside the fence. Thankfully the resource officer was able to unlock the gate and reunite Trevor with Enzo.
“That muddy boy was happy to see Trevor,” says Jennifer.
Both Jennifer and her husband Roman grew up in Katy and graduated from Katy High School. They know how supportive this community is, but this was just another example of how Katy families work together to help others.
“We love Katy so much and are so grateful for the way our community stepped up to help us find Enzo,” says Jennifer. “Our church, The Waters Church was praying with us and several members offered to help us search.”
As Katy continues to grow, more and more families with pets are moving here. It’s important to avoid a pet getting out, but even with prevention measures life happens. This is why it is important to ensure that pets have collars on with identification and updated microchips.
Loss Prevention Education is Key
There are things that people can do to help protect their pets.
Microchip and register
Collar and ID (Owner’s name, address, two phone numbers, pets name.)
Restrict access to backyard with padlocks
Walk fence regularly
Katy is rapidly growing. We see it in the addition of new schools, new master-planned communities, and businesses. While this growth is wonderful in many ways for our community, it’s not good when it comes to local pets.
Social Media Helps to Reunite and Educate Pet Families
Many Katy neighborhoods have turned to social media to work together to protect pets. One of the largest local lost and found groups continues to help families reunite but to also educate families on loss prevention. Cinco Ranch Area Lost & Found Pet Network has been helping local dogs, cats and other animals for over a decade. They have even helped with the reunion of families with birds and a donkey. The Blandino family posted on this page when Enzo was missing.
In 2012 Paige Holsapple started working with Houston area rescue centers and wanted to find a way to help Katy area pets. Her passion for helping animals led her to meet Donna Hutchins and the two of them started Cinco Ranch Area Lost & Found Pet Network.
“I saw that I could to start helping reunite pets in the FB County shelter system and the Harris County shelter system,” says Holsapple. “Those pets that were picked up from the Katy area, could be saved if someone helped their families find them—and social media was the most expedient answer—if we had a dedicated Facebook page.”
Cinco Ranch Area Lost & Found Pet Network is the largest Katy neighborhood pet page and is for more than just families that live the Cinco Ranch subdivisions.
The Katy Pet Safe Guide
Holsapple and Hutchins wanted to stay ahead of the growth and share what they have learned as a way to help people, especially newcomers. They created a pet safe guide (look at the files section on the Facebook page) to help educate the families moving to the greater Katy area.
“By doing this, we had hope that we could prevent a lot of unnecessary loss and broken hearts,” says Holsapple. “And we had seen a lot of unnecessary heartbreaks over the past decade, but we have made a difference in the prevention of what we hope would many, many more, too. “
Katy continues to grow but so does its love for pets.
“We live in Katy because even in all the growth it’s still our small town that is riddled with people who look out for one another,” says Jennifer.
The Blandino family is grateful for everyone who helped to bring Enzo home last week.