ACTON — Have you been following the story of Ghost, the missing dog from Greene? 

Wondering how a beloved husky managed to cover 70 plus miles and end up in Acton? 

Hold on to your leashes, folks. There’s been a plot twist. 

James Ember, owner of the now-famous husky, posted Monday from Acton, where he has been camped out for the past week trying to corral his missing pet. 

The plot twist? The dog that searchers have been pursuing in Acton may not be Ghost at all. Instead, the white husky that’s been the focus of an intense, weeklong pursuit appears to be a female dog who has been running wild with a pair of mates. 

“We’ve been pursuing a girl that’s never had a name,” Ember wrote Monday afternoon on Facebook. “She lived with two other nameless huskies as well. She was discarded around the same time as my Ghost went missing two months ago. She still tries to go back to the only home she ever knew but she’s not welcome there.” 

Ember suggests that he has learned that the dog once believed to be his beloved Ghost, is essentially a wild husky who had been castaway and who has been living wild with other dogs. 

“Poor girl and the others have never been inside a house. Never shown love,” Ember wrote.  

On its face, it sounds like catastrophic news. For two months, thousands have been following the search for Ghost, Ember’s husky that vanished for his Greene home in mid-November.

A whole lot of people from Maine and beyond have followed the drama mainly through Facebook, on Ember’s page and through the popular Citizen’s of Greene community page. 

The disappearance of Ghost was disheartening to many in particular because James Ember had been through so much already — a carpenter and cabinetmaker, Ember lost his 23-year-old daughter in a car crash in 2021. It was a devastating loss that left Ember reeling. 

He has relied on his beloved dogs for company since and so the people of Greene wanted to see Ember and Ghost reunited as soon as possible.  

When news broke last week that Ghost had been spotted in Acton, fans of the dog went wild. Many offered to join the search. Others started fundraisers to raise money for the inevitable day when Ghost was brought back home. For those who had been following the caper, it was terrific news. 

“I’ve been following the story of Ghost since he first went missing,” Tina Barbour of Leeds said. “I check multiple times a day for any updates I can find. You just want to help so badly but you know that all you can do is wait and report any sightings.” 

Ember had help on the Acton side, as well. Town Animal Control Officer Jim Driscoll jumped in to assist in the search, for one thing. So did a lot of Acton residents, who offered things like garage space where traps could be set for Ghost. 

All weekend long, bits of information came trickling out. In one video, it appeared that Ghost was just a few feet away from the man holding the camera. The dog appeared healthy and vigorous, if a little shy. 

Now there’s a chance that may not have been Ghost at all. It ought to be a crushing blow to Ember and his many followers, but there IS an upside. 

While the search for Ghost continues — probably not in Acton this time — Ember has a potential new friend. 

“I still pray for finding my Ghosty Boy,” Ember wrote on Monday. “But in the meantime, my intent is to bring this wild husky home and show her love and kindness and adventures.” 

Later in the day Monday, the search was continuing on two-fronts. In Acton, Ember and his crew were still trying to make contact with the mystery dog.

Back in Greene, people were still awaiting the return of Ghost and trying to unravel such a dramatic twist in the narrative. 

On Facebook, the hordes of Ghost watchers were disappointed the dog’s return may not be as imminent as it once appeared. But they were still plenty invested in the story. 

“I’m sorry it wasn’t Ghost,” wrote Donna J. Conant, “and still pray he’ll return to you one day.” 

“What a remarkable ‘twist,” wrote Barbara Gabri, on the Citizens of Greene page. “The hand of God is all over this adventure, James, and look at all the new friends you have! He must have wanted to bless you with his extravagant love knowing you’ve been through so much these last couple of years.” 

Driscoll, the animal control officer in Acton, has worked more hours on the case than anyone can count. Like everybody else, he was moved by Ember’s plight.

On Monday afternoon, Driscoll posted an update of his own detailing the strange turns of event. But mostly, he lauded Ember for persevering so passionately to find his wayward pet.

“Hopefully James and Ghost will reunite somehow in the future,” Driscoll wrote. “James poured his heart into rescuing this dog, believing the dog was Ghost. He was determined to find his friend. I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone in Acton that helped in any way.”

Ember is wistful about the whole crazy affair. Ghost has not been found, it’s true, but as we’ve all learned from our childhood fairy tales, sometimes it’s all about the journey and the friends made along the way.

“This has been, and is extremely emotional for all of us that have worked around the clock for seven days straight to bring this dog to safety,” Ember writes. “This team that has come together are my friends for life. I love you for real!”

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