Lost – and found – pug draws community together

Hala Helstien holds her 4-year-old pug-beagle mix, Kenai, during a welcome home celebration for Kenai at Hala’s Paws in Ladera Ranch on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 after he was lost for 11 days until he was found by a hiker in the nearby trails. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

UPDATED: April 18, 2023 at 7:01 p.m.

When little pug Kenai went missing, many in the Ladera Ranch community joined the mission to reunite Hala Helstien, the local pet shop owner, with her 4-year-old fur baby, taking to social media to spread the word and plastering the town with flyers.

And when Helstien slept in the store with the doors open in case Kenai found his way back, residents stopped by at night to leave her food and share words of support.

Now Helstien is thanking the community for its support during the 11 days Kenai was missing, which she says were some the hardest in her life. Helstien, her family and members of the local community celebrated Kenai’s return home with a party Tuesday, April 18, at Hala’s Paws.

They celebrated Kenai being found alive and well on a trail by some hikers, nearly two weeks after he slipped out the door of the pet shop.

Hala Helstien, right, holds her 4-year-old pug-beagle mix, Kenai, as Lisa and Jon Mayer pet him during a “Welcome Home Kenai” celebration at Hala’s Paws in Ladera Ranch on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 after Kenai was lost for 11 days until he was found by a hiker in the nearby trails. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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Lily Bennett, a local resident and regular customer at Hala’s Paws, said it was heartwarming to see the community band together to find the beloved pug. Bennett was among the neighbors who stopped by the store to show Helstien support.

“Everyone was looking for him. Ladera Ranch really came together,” Bennett said. “So many people were just rooting for her. I drove around, all my friends drove around. Everybody was looking for them, praying for them.”

Helstien rescued Kenai and his brother, Colter, when they were just 8 weeks old. Since then, the three have been inseparable. The two pugs would always join her in the pet store and had never run out before.

“This one day, I guess (Kenai) got spooked and took off running,” Helstien said. “And all these people, the whole town really just came to me and were helping spread the word and passing out flyers. I was just so grateful for everybody.”

Helstien even tried leaving her clothes in various trees for Kenai to smell and follow the trail to find his way back to his family.

Bennett said Helstien and her two pugs have become a big part of Ladera Ranch thanks to the family owned pet store.

“And when news broke that he was found alive, people were just crying and sending messages to Hala telling her congratulations,” Bennett said.

Helstien has run Hala’s Paws for nearly 12 years, after working in the pet industry for more than 22 years.

“There’s no other pet store in Ladera Ranch. It’s a pretty small community (and) there’s tons of families and tons of pets,” Helstien said. “It’s been so fun. I host events and I do photography on the side, so for every holiday I set up a little photography studio in my tiny store and I would take portraits of all the dogs.”

Helstien and her family decided to host the “welcome home” celebration to thank the town for its support during the tough time.

“Just the way everyone came together, I just wanted to thank them,” Helstien said. “People are just so happy and everyone was looking for him and it was just it was so sweet and amazing to hear all that outpour of people supporting me. I was very overwhelmed.”