RaeLynn: 'miracle from Jesus' that lost dog was found

Country singer RaeLynn’s New Year’s Eve wish has already come true – her dog Dolly has been found safe.

The “Lonely Call” singer was headlining a New Year’s Eve event at The Island in Pigeon Forge when her Chihuahua Dolly escaped her bus during fireworks, darted across several busy lanes of traffic and disappeared into the night.

The team at the Island at Pigeon Forge along with the American Eagle Foundation teamed up to get Dolly while she was in the AEF's parking lot Wednesday afternoon, according to Caitlin Gouge, social media and communications director for the Island in Pigeon Forge.

RaeLynn said the dog's rescue is "literally a miracle from Jesus."

"This was an unfamiliar place to Dolly, three-and-a-half hours from home," she said while driving to pick Dolly up Wednesday night.  "And it’s so cold. That’s what really freaked me out. And there’s so many main roads around where The Island is. It was a scary three days."

An anonymous call

Gouge said an anonymous caller provided a tip at 1:53 p.m. Wednesday through the Island's ticket center saying that Dolly was in the parking lot. Five people from the Island's team and three to four from the AEF cornered Dolly and made her feel safe enough to trust them so she wouldn't run away.

They called RaeLynn, who spoke to Dolly over the phone, repeatedly saying her name and telling her she was going to be fine. When the Chihuahua heard her owner's voice, she stopped barking at the rescue team. 

"That was the problem getting her before," said Gouge. "We had spotted her before multiple times, but she was just really scared I'm sure not being around her owner and being somewhere she wasn't familiar with, so she would run when she would see people so it took a while to build that trust and catch her. She's quick."

Healthy and scared

After the team captured Dolly at 2:45 p.m., members wrapped her in a blanket RaeLynn had brought from her Nashville home on Tuesday. The pint-sized canine immediately calmed down. Gouge said she seemed scared but healthy.

RaeLynn's friend reality star Todd Chrisley had offered a $5,000 reward for Dolly's return. However, the Island team said they didn't want the money -- they were just happy the dog was found healthy. 

RaeLynn thanks those who helped

A close friend of the singer's lives in nearby Sevierville, picked Dolly up and drove her to meet RaeLynn in Cookeville Wednesday night. The singer couldn't be more thankful. 

"My HEROS. Matt, Caitlin, Amy, Josh and not pictured Chrissy also Cassie who spotted her in front of her store. Thank you to @theislandpf for having the best group of people! They didn’t want the 5k reward they were just looking out of the kindness of their hearts. The first of many miracles in 2018. Dolly survived 3 nights in single digit weather. She is a fighter and my little badass. Mommy is on her way baby," RaeLynn said in an Instagram post.

As the singer's car sped east Wednesday night, she added: "I owe the world to those amazing people that found her today. I have never seen such a community come together like Sevierville and Pigeon Forge. They are a dog-loving community."

Gouge said social media helped find Dolly.

"Well social media played a big part in it," said Gouge. "We just kind of spread the news across our social media pages and then obviously RaeLynn's social media pages and just a couple of hours, maybe just an hour before we found her, Dolly Parton actually retweeted RayLynn and asked people to be on the lookout, so that helped too of course."

The Facebook post said Woodward was so happy and thankful.

"Talk about a fairytale ending! With the help of our new friends at the American Eagle Foundation, The Island team found sweet Dolly! RaeLynn was so happy and thankful! Thank you to everyone for their tips and prayers!" the post said.

Dolly was seen in Pigeon Forge a couple of times on Tuesday, according to an Instagram post from Woodward. 

In the post, Woodward also said she traveled to Pigeon Forge from Nashville at 3 p.m. Tuesday to put out some of Dolly's beds and blankets from home. 

"The last time she was spotted was this morning cuddled up in a blanket on someone’s porch in pigeon forge," the post said. "When they went to grab her she bolted. Someone again saw her around 11:30am. I got here around 3pm from Nashville to lay out her beds and blankets from home. I am so thankful she is still alive and praying that she will be attracted from the scent of her bed. @theislandpf sent out there amazing team to help. It’s been a long day of ups and downs. Please keep praying for her return."