Two Virginia Women Track Elusive Stray Dog Across Multiple Counties for Nearly a Year

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Two dedicated animal advocates have spent months tracking a wide-roaming stray dog across Virginia’s Roanoke Valley in an ongoing effort to safely capture him and provide a permanent home.

The multi-county search and tracking effort spans Buchanan, Moneta, and Woodbridge in Virginia, United States. Samantha Verrelli reported on the community search and tracking mapping initiative on October 19, 2026.

Stephanie Bowyer and Cera Wadsworth began coordinating their tracking efforts over the summer after noticing recurring social media reports of a black-and-white mixed-breed dog. Animal rights advocate Ariel Wardle named the dog “Bandit” due to his speed and rapid travel across Botetourt and Bedford counties. The group created a dedicated Facebook page, “Help Find ‘Bandit’ the Dog,” which has grown to over 200 members documenting 177 reported sightings dating back to October 2025.

Wadsworth, an experienced former shelter dog trainer, created a detailed tracking map logging the date, time, location, and direction of travel for each sighting. Advocates advise residents not to chase Bandit or call local animal control, as sudden pursuit causes him to flee further into unfamiliar areas. Instead, the group aims to establish reliable feeding stations to keep him in a single location long enough to deploy a humane trap.

Although daily phone calls and community sightings have quieted since late September, organizers remain hopeful about Bandit’s survival given his demonstrated resourcefulness, such as feeding at feral cat colonies and bird feeders. While searching for Bandit, the pair have also successfully rescued and rehomed several other abandoned dogs and cats throughout the Roanoke area.

My thoughts:

• Systematically logging community sightings on digital maps allows rescue teams to identify movement corridors and establish effective feeding zones.
• Chasing skittish stray dogs often triggers fight-or-flight responses, increasing the risk of vehicular accidents along busy highways.
• Building trust through calm, non-threatening food offerings is far more effective than forced capture attempts for long-term strays.
• Collaborative rescue networks leverage community social media groups to locate and secure high-risk wandering animals.
• Resourceful street dogs often adapt quickly by finding suburban food sources like feral cat stations and garden bird feeders.
• Ongoing community awareness campaigns ensure residents know who to contact when elusive rescue candidates reappear.

Source: Samantha Verrelli and The Roanoke Rambler