Lost puppy Carlito’s story is about a dog whose need brings together some unlikely collaborators – a superstar cellist, a world renowned conductor, a Berkshire’s valedictorian just starting college, and 13,924 concert goers.
I know Carlito and his humans, Mary and David. They have been students in my training classes. When they said they’d be missing class to go up to Tanglewood, I thought it was for a holiday. Little did I know David is a highly esteemed conductor who first led the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood in 1968 (shows what I know).
When the four-month-old Havanese puppy Carlito ran in fear from a smoke alarm that went off in the house where Mary and David were staying, everyone feared the worst.
How could the twelve-pound lost puppy Carlito avoid cars, coyotes, or getting hopelessly lost in the woods of Tanglewood?
Enter Yo-Yo Ma — for years a good friend and mentee of David Zinman (human of Carlito).
According to ‘The Berkshire Eagle,’ When Yo-Yo Ma appeared on stage after his concert, it was not for an encore, instead the famed cellist sought the help of the Tanglewood audience of 13,924 to find lost puppy Carlito.
Leaflets were printed searchers stopped anyone running, walking, or sitting on a front porch telling them to be on the lookout for lost puppy Carlito.
Grace Ellrodt (valedictorian) was one of those joggers who was alerted. Just before dusk, she spotted the little lost puppy in a busy intersection on Cliffwood Street. She grabbed him and returned him to Mary and David Zinman.
Carlito is a lucky little dog, who shared his luck with the Tanglewood community by bringing them together for a common cause.
While this story happened a few years ago. Its sentiment will never get old.