ELLSWORTH – A black and white sheepdog found chasing a motor home down the road in Surry was reclaimed by its owner Wednesday, saving the pooch from what could have been a very long walk home.

Police initially thought the animal, which was wearing Canadian identification tags on its collar, had been left behind by campers staying in the area.

It was discovered in Surry late Tuesday morning by a motorist on Route 172 near Weymouth Point Road.

Blue Hill resident Jim Monroe said he found the dog running as fast as it could down the middle of the road, chasing a motor home that was driving away. But it was quickly outpaced by the vehicle.

“I think it thought that

it had been left behind,” Monroe said. “It was a very nice dog.”

He corralled the dog into his car and delivered it to the Ellsworth Police Department, where officers called two phone numbers listed on the tags but reached no one.

The dog spent a night at the Small Animal Clinic on High Street in Ellsworth before being reunited with its owner, who was identified as Anna Walsh of Canada, on Wednesday morning.

An employee at the clinic said the woman mentioned her pet had become lost after slipping out the door, but the worker was unsure whether the woman was referring to the door of her camper.