Elusive dog finally captured after 559-day team effort

A Vermont dog who was the subject of a 559-day search after being spooked by a car accident is finally back home with his owners.

Murphy the golden retriever had resisted the efforts of dozens of volunteers to find him. But he finally walked into a backyard trap in Waterbury set for the very purpose of capturing the cagey canine.

Murphy had been missing since his owner — 25-year-old Kirstin Campbell of Morrisville — went off the road and struck a tree in Stowe June 29, 2014. The stunned dog ran off when he got out of the car.

There have been sightings of Murphy in Waterbury Center and game cameras captured his image, but it wasn't until Saturday night that the pooch was caught and reunited with Campbell.