A Mayerthorpe woman has been reunited with her Boston Terrier after he ran off following a collision near Whitecourt several weeks ago.

Abby McKillop told CTV News she got the good news when her mother showed up at her door on Friday morning.

“I was in shock at first. I just thought ‘Don’t get your hopes up until you visibly see her.’

“It turns out the Alberta Newsprint Employees found Zoe wandering around their plant area and picked her up during the evening and took care of her for the night.

“She had just been wandering around just making her way towards Whitecourt area and ended up at the plant.”

Zoe had run off after being thrown from a truck during a collision on September 22.

McKillop said when she saw Zoe again for the first time she broke down in tears.

“She is very dehydrated and malnourished right now. But her face looks the same and her reaction to things is the same. She is extremely strong.”

Zoe was checked out at the Mayerthorpe Vet Clinic and veterinarian Claire Ainsworth said she expected a full recovery within weeks.

“At this point she seems pretty lucky. She’s got an eye infection and some scabbing on her nose and she is skinny. But, we did blood work and other tests and everything seems to be okay.”

Zoe has lost about two kilos and Ainsworth said the biggest part of recovery will be getting her system re-adjusted to proper food and water.

“You can’t take these dogs that have been starving and just give them a bowl full of food. They just don’t tolerate it. So we have to feed her enough to slowly increase her tolerance until we can get her back on full feed.”

She also credited McKillop's love of Zoe for such a great outcome.

“Abby really puts her heart and soul into her pets.

“I think that is kind of the love that brings these guys home.”

McKillop said the community had been very supportive.

“It was just a group effort by strangers and friends and family trying to help me find Zoe.

“To me any type of animal is a family member.”

With files from Amanda Anderson