Midnight, a Rottweiler/German Shepherd mix

Another local dog made it home yesterday, so I gotta tell that story.

Midnight is a stunning mix of Rottweiler and German Shepherd, the Rottweiler look being the predominant look (or maybe it’s just the rottie coloring). Check out his photo. Don’t you see confidence? Regality? Almost hard to believe he was homeless, he’s so beautiful that you’d want to keep him around just so you can look at him.

But he was homeless, and Sarah and Charley adopted him and made their home, his home. They set out to make him a part of their life, including him in their outings. With that in mind, he accompanied them to Charley’s soccer game, to watch with Sarah, the very next day after he was adopted by them. I guess he hadn’t figured out by that time that he had a good thing with Sarah and Charley -- since he took off.

The game and the location that he disappeared from is about ten miles south of their Takoma Park MD home, in the Anacostia area of DC. Searching for a lost dog is a challenge even when it occurs from home, and when the dog’s people have no other obligations to attend to while they need to search for the dog, and even if they have a lot of people helping them. There are SO many things to do that there wasn’t enough time or people to do, so the search went on for a month. And all of this took place without them having developed a bond with Midnight. But throughout the search, you wouldn’t know it. Sarah never let up, never acted like it made a difference that she’d had him since only the day before he went missing. She put as much time into it as she could because when she and Charley made the commitment to give Midnight a home for life, they meant it. Sure, it’s how it should be, but still, a lot of people would have dropped out of the effort long before a month passed, so I was impressed!

One of the things that Sarah did in the beginning was reach other to another Sarah who had recently lost a dog in the area, which she’d found out about from searching the web for information and ideas about just what to do. Lucy’s mom Sarah did what is typical of dog lovers – she answered the call for help with information and the benefit of her experience. She introduced Midnight’s mom Sarah to the people that had stepped up to help her when Lucy was lost, and this group immediately went to work to help Midnight, too. But the group is small, and doesn’t include enough people to do all it takes to find a lost dog evading capture, as Midnight seemed to be doing. More participants are required in order to accomplish all of the outreach and monitoring of feeding stations and such than were ever brought in to the search. But there was enough fliering and talking to people to find out that there’s a dog fighting ring operating in the park where Midnight was seen a few times, and to find out that he seemed to be hanging out with one or two other dogs.

In the end, Midnight managed to migrate – on his own or with help – around 15 miles east of the Anacostia soccer game location to Upper Marlboro MD. And it turns out that this handsome and very assured looking dog has such storm phobia that on the Saturday night, four weeks from his escape, he tried to crawl into someone's house! The folks called animal control, and when an officer arrived, Midnight basically crawled into the officer's lap. How sweet, huh?

He did have a tag, so Sarah got a call by Sunday, but she couldn’t pick him up till Monday since the office was closed. While he waited at the PG County shelter, Midnight did get visited, though – by the officer that had come to his rescue. As soon as she could, Sarah picked him up and took him home, and snapped some photos for his blog. He did have to have 20-30 ticks pulled off him, but when he went to the vet the next morning, he came away with a pretty clean bill of health.

When we heard that he was running with other dogs, we reached out to Steve Hagey with Detect-a-Pet to see if he had advice on how to trap just one dog in a pack. He didn't have experience, but he had advice worth passing to others who might find themselves in that situation:

• If you utilize a conventional humane trap, and manage to catch a dog (but not Midnight) then all the other dogs will see and learn that the trap is not a friendly place to be. This will teach20all other dogs to avoid the trap in the future.
• Within a pack, competition for food will be higher, so the pack will probably be roaming more and on the hunt more. The positive side is that the competition for food will make them less cautious and more eager.
• If they are feeding a location where they can be observed, perhaps at or near the dump, my recommendation would be to setup a large containment structure that can be observed and closed manually by a rope. You can accomplish this by using a portable dog kennel. The objective would be to observe and wait until Midnight enters the containment area, then pull the rope, which will cause the entry door to close.
• As an alternative, if you can get the dogs to visit someone's fenced yard, which will serve as a large containment area, you can accomplish the same result.Also, dogs living in a pack have a hierarchy and rank. If Midnight is top dog, he would eat first, in which case a humane trap may be sufficient.
• With whatever method you use, if you are containing more than one dog at a time, plan ahead and think through your method for gaining access to the containment area and managing 2 or more agitated dogs simultaneously.

Midnight’s blog is located at www.helpfindmidnight.blogspot.com, and you can follow the search from start to finish.

Makeda, an Australian Shepherd

Once this dog’s family members had spread the word about the missing dog and gotten a call from someone letting them know that the dog was basically living on his property, the dog was not so much “missing” as she was “at large”. In a case like that, humane trapping is the way to go. But the average person that loses a dog doesn’t know much about humane trapping. That’s where experienced and trained pet detectives come in. Even from a couple of states away, the pet detective was able to give Makeda’s people the information they needed to acquire and set up humane traps that contained her, and helped them bring her home.

Makeda
by Lori and Michelle, on Scenttracker

April 29th, 2008

This is my best friend and I’s Blue Merle Miniature Australian Shepherd named Makeda (Ma-Kee-Da).

Plant City FL  On Tuesday morning March 7 my friend Michelle took her to get groomed. About 45 minutes after she had been dropped off the owner of the grooming parlor called her and said that Makeda had gotten out the front door. A customer opened the front door and Makeda ran out.

Michelle and I went to our local office supply store and had around 600 flyers made with pictures of Makeda on them and posted them all over town. I emailed the local news station and asked for their help. We searched for Makeda for 8 days from dusk till dawn. .

We got a call on March 13 from a farmer saying he saw her in his strawberry field; of course we drove like crazy to get there!! No sign of her. The neighbor living next to the field said Makeda had been staying around their horses for several days.

About 4 days in to the search for her, Michelle had contacted Millie “The Pet Detective”. I thought Michelle was CRAZY!! I had no idea that there was any such thing. Anyway, Millie had suggested us getting humane traps and putting them in different locations of the horse pasture and woods behind the strawberry field.

March 15, we finally saw Makeda with our own 2 eyes. We called her name and she ran from us. That broke our hearts!! We never did see Makeda anymore that afternoon.

Millie told us to put Makeda’s toys, our clothes and some dog food mixed with tuna (for the smell) in the trap, leave and let the trap do its work.

Around 10:30pm that night, the owner of the horses called me and asked me if we were ready to come get our dog. WE COULD NOT BELIEVE IT!! We ran down through the pasture and sure enough there she was!!! Makeda was lost for 8 days! We NEVER gave up looking for her.

When we knew there was nothing else we could do, we contacted Millie. WE OWE HER OUR LIFE!!

With the help of her knowledge and the caring person that she is, we couldn’t have done it without her. We plan on making a trip to N.C. to meet her and let her meet Makeda.

Source: http://www.scenttrackers.com/pawsabilities/?p=78
More of pet detective Millie’s stories are at: http://www.scenttrackers.com/Found.htm

Marmite, a Jack Russell Terrier

Animal psychic reunites owner with pet a week after dog goes missing
The Daily Mail
12 May 2008

A dog trapped shivering underground in a tiny hole has been rescued by his frantic owner - after a psychic pinpointed where he was.

Ruff trip: Marmite the Jack Russell had been missing for a week before her owner enlisted the help of an animal psychic

Marmite the Jack Russell had been missing for a week when Nikki Newcombe decided to turn to a medium for help. Sales manager Nikki, 35, had been desperately hunting for the ten-year-old pet around her home in Brownhills, Walsall after he disappeared last Tuesday.

At one point during the week-long search she had even hired hi-tech gadgetry to see if he had become trapped in a rabbit hole. But despite days of effort she had failed to uncover any clues to the Marmite's whereabouts - or whether he was even still alive.

Ms Newcombe said: "We had thermal imaging equipment brought out in an effort to find him, we were that worried.

"We even dug holes out that we had found in case he was there - just searching high and low for him."

Nikki, who lives on a farm with her partner and baby daughter Erin, said Marmite had gone missing after he had been let out in the morning. She looked high and low for him but failed to find him so decided to use other unconventional methods to track her pet down. It was then she phoned animal psychic Pea Horsley, who says she is able to telepathically talk to any species.

As Nikki spoke to the 35-year-old medium, who is based 100 miles away in London, she was told that Marmite was wedged in a man made hole with water at the bottom and concrete around it. The mum-of-one carefully pieced together the information in her head and started along the route from the house Pea had described to her. Arriving at the locks of a nearby disused canal a mile from her home, she looked around and instantly realised where her dog was trapped.

Nikki said: "She explained to us the route he had taken from my house and detailed landmarks he had passed on the way.

"She said that Marmite was trapped in a hole, but was very careful to say it definitely wasn't a rabbit hole.

"The medium said the hole was man made and my dog had got stuck in there.

"She then said that his paws were wet and there was water down there. When she described that to me I knew where Marmite was.

"I just followed the trail she had given me and I was there within an hour after a whole week of fruitless searching.

"The place where he was trapped looked like the entrance to a mine shaft, but very narrow.

"It only went about a foot horizontally inside before it comes to a deep drop down."

In deep: Firefighters managed to rescue Marmite from this tiny underground hole

Peering over the edge and straining to look in the darkness, Nikki realised she could see Marmite at the bottom, scratching at the sides trying to get out.

She said: "The dog was jumping up and down, really excited to see us, hopping and barking - obviously keen to get out.

"He had lost quite a bit of weight because of the lack of food, but there was water down there so he was lucky in a way."

A rescue attempt began in earnest as West Midlands Fire Bridgade was called to try and free the trapped animal. Firefighters managed to lower Marmite's basket into the chamber inside the canal sluice gate and coax the dog into getting inside. He was then lifted to safety and reunited with his owner.

Pea, who is one of just 20 animal communicators in the UK, said tracing animals was just one aspect of her job. She said people would send her pictures of their pet and she would look into their eyes to connect with them and intuitively find out where they were.

She said: "Just by connecting with Marmite I could get a sense that that he was still alive, but he was trapped somewhere.

"I knew he wasn't down a rabbit hole, but instead some kind of man made structure.

"He felt cold, it was dark and he felt quite exhausted.

"I know it certainly helped Nikki to find him quickly, it is probably one of the quickest I have ever found."

And Nikki admitted her brush with the psychic world had convinced her all astral and telepathic was a reality. She added: "I was really getting to my wits' end with worrying about where Marmite could have been.

"We did all the logical things to track him down, so we decided to resort to other means.

"I definitely believe in the psychic world now - it was incredible the way he was found."

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-565965/Animal-psychic-reunites-owner-pet-week-dog-goes-missing.html#

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TJ, an American Eskimo

Ouch! This dog had an unusual problem -- in how he was trapped in a spot and couldn't move. If a dog is trapped by something, it can be the reason it's never seen again -- depending on where it was trapped and what people encounter the trapped dog. This was one lucky dog. This story is also VERY unusual in that the identification was made via the dog's tattoo. Tattooing is well on the way out, has been for a long time, what with microchipping. Honestly I think it's a shame that this is true. Nothing wrong with extra protection.

Dr. Maria Just from the the 24 Hr. Animal Care Centre in Regina treats T.J.

Regina family’s missing dog found on train tracks
By Annie McLeod, Leader-Post
January 19, 2009


REGINA -- After being lost in the harsh winter weather for two weeks, a Regina family’s dog has been found, but is still fighting for survival.

On Sunday morning, the Regina Humane Society (RHS) received a call on their 24-hour emergency line from CP Rail employees who had found an injured dog lying on the train tracks near MacRae Bay in northeast Regina.

Gail MacMillan, director of development at the RHS, said an emergency personnel worker sent to the scene found a two-year-old American Eskimo lying between the train tracks. The dog’s tail was frozen to the tracks, making him immobile.
“We don’t believe he was injured, but he was frozen in and (the emergency worker) literally had to chisel him out,” she said.

MacMillan said the dog likely went to the location, laid down and had given up, causing his body heat to melt the ice and snow between the tracks. With the low temperatures recorded last week, the melted snow would have frozen again, trapping the dog in ice.

While it’s unknown how long he was lying there, the dog’s position could have helped him survive, yet also caused him trauma.

“He could have been run over numerous times by a train and it would never have injured him,” said MacMillan.

The dog — suffering from dehydration, starvation and frostbite on his legs and underside — was brought back to the RHS where he was assessed and immediately put into veterinary care.

“He had a tattoo in his ear, and through that, we checked our lost records and found that there had been a lost report made on Jan. 5,” said MacMillan.

Meanwhile it had been two weeks since Brad McDonald and his family had last seen their dog T.J.
On the morning of Jan. 5, T.J. was in the yard while the family’s three children waited for their school buses. When McDonald’s son Jarvis, 18, got on the bus, T.J. ran after it.

By the time McDonald’s fiancee was able to gather the kids to go search for T.J., he had run around the corner of the street and was gone.

From there, McDonald called the RHS and reported T.J. lost, and then the family spent the day and night searching for the dog.

“My son Jarvis and his friends spent the whole night wandering around the neighbourhood calling and looking for him, but we couldn’t find him,” he said.

The family continued to search for T.J., putting up flyers, calling the RHS daily, and going there to see if he had been found.

On Sunday morning, they received a call from the RHS telling them T.J. was found frozen to the railway tracks. When McDonald heard the news, he expected T.J. to be dead. Even though the dog was in rough shape, it was welcome news to hear he was alive.

“I couldn’t get out of the house fast enough to go down to the vet to see how he was,” said McDonald.
While T.J.’s fate is still unclear, his condition has improved since Sunday and the family is optimistic. On Monday he was in stable condition and progressing.

MacMillan said that the family did everything right in this situation. T.J. was reported missing to the RHS immediately and had tattoo identification.

“That is their ticket home and their ticket to veterinary care as well,” she said. “It’s lifesaving for these animals to be licensed, tattooed and wearing identification.”

Jarvis, who was given T.J. as a puppy, said the dog is his world and he’s thankful that he’s alive. “He prefers me over anybody,” he said. “Now that we found out today that he’s doing a lot better, I’m happy.”


Source: http://www.leaderpost.com/Travel/Regina+family+missing+found+train+tracks/1195231/story.html
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Maggie, the Sheltie

'Hero' reunites Suffield family and missing dog
Teen refuses $1,000 reward
Deborah Guziak, Record-Courier staff writer
August 12, 2008

SUFFIELD Maggie is back home with her family after a Congress Lake Road teen found the missing dog two weeks after she escaped a house fire. Matthew Heater, 13, refused the $1,000 reward Maggie's owners, Rick and Jayelen Oaks, tried to give him.

"They just lost everything in a fire," Matthew explained. "That would be mean to take any money."

Maggie was tossed out the door of her owners' Galaxy Drive home on July 20 when they discovered it was on fire. Maggie, a sheltie, is afraid of fireworks, and propane tanks that were in the garage had exploded, said Maggie's "mom," Jayelen Oaks. It sent the frightened dog running. Where Maggie went or how she survived during the two weeks she was missing is unknown.

Once during Maggie's absence, Jayelen Oaks saw her dog in the cornfield and called for her. Maggie didn't come to her. The sheltie's veterinarian recommended that Jayelen Oaks return to the field with a bowl of food and wait.

"I brought a book and sat for an hour," Jayelen Oaks said. "She didn't come. It was so hard to leave."

Matthew was riding his 4-wheeler last week and saw Maggie in the field. He didn't know the dog was missing and went to visit with his grandparents. It was there that he saw a flier advertising Maggie's disappearance, said Matthew's mother, Laura Heater. Matthew hurried back to the spot where he had seen Maggie. Now, knowing the dog's name, he called for her, and she came.

"She looked really healthy," said Matthew, who speculated Maggie came to his families' home and ate dog food that had been left out for the familys' dogs. Then came the happy part " calling the Oaks family.

"I spoke to the daughter, and I said "I think we found your dog,'" Laura Heater said. "Her mom must've been in the background picking up a word here and there, because I heard her screaming, "Did they find my dog?' and things like that. The daughter kept telling her to be quiet because she couldn't hear."

Then Laura Heater had a terrible thought " what if the dog wasn't Maggie, and she'd gotten the family's hopes up for nothing?

"She (Alysha Oaks, the daughter) asked me if the dog had one ear up and one ear down," Laura Heater said. "I said "please, Lord, let there be one ear up and one ear down. I turned around and looked at the dog, and sure enough, one ear was up and the other was down."

The Oaks family was waiting at the end of the driveway for the Heater family and Maggie to arrive. Soon, Maggie was back in the loving arms of family members, and they were trying to give Matthew a check for a reward. Rick Oaks wouldn't take "no" for an answer, and unbeknownst to the Heater family, he had tossed the check into their car.

"We were on our way home when my mother found the check in the car," Laura Heater said. "She said, "Matthew, they gave you a check for $100.' She gave the check to Matthew, and he looked at it and said, "That's not a hundred, grandma. It's a thousand.'" Matthew returned the check.

"When we returned the dog, he said, "Ma, I think this is the best day of my life,'" Laura Heater said. "He is my hero," Jayelen Oaks said.

Source: http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4226411
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Sugar, the GSD, sold on Craigslist

OK well, if this isn't a lesson to keep the efforts to publicize a missing pet going, nothing is. The story doesn't really portray the family as working relentlessly to find their beautiful German Shepherd, in my opinion, but in the early efforts that they took, they did post fliers at animal hospitals. And at least one of them left it up (unless the family did put up continuing efforts that weren't discussed in the article) for as long as nine months.


Family reunited with lost dog
March 26, 2009 09:28 PM EDT

SPOKANE - A strange twist of fate has reunited a local family with their long lost dog who has been missing since last June.


"We came one home day and Sugar was missing," Miranda Remington said, referring to her 9-month-old German Shepard who disappeared from her home one day early last summer.

"I honestly didn't think I've ever see her again," Ryan Remington added.

Miranda and Ryan printed dozens of these flyers, posting them at Spokanimal and local vet clinics offline while also posting messages on Craigslist online. Weeks and months went by without any word about their dog. Then last Sunday they received a phone call.

"It was somebody saying, are you the owners of Sugar, and we were like yeah, we lost her last June, she said, I've got your dog and I need to return her," Miranda said.

That call came from Brandi Gimbel, who found Sugar advertised for sale on Craigslist last September and paid a woman $150 for the dog.

"We brought her home and she followed the kids around in the back yard she was great, we had little kiddie pools out there, because it was September, still kinda warm," Brandi said.

As far as Brandi knew, everything was on the up and up, there was no reason to think otherwise. Then last week, during a visit to the vet, she learned the truth.

"When we got there, I actually seen her flyer and that's when my heart just kinda dropped in my stomach, I didn't know what to think about it," Brandi said.

The flyer had been posted by Miranda and Ryan Remington for their missing dog Sugar.

"It was pretty astonishing, I was just amazed that somebody would called, she's a great dog, I was just shocked," Ryan Remington said.

When Miranda and Ryan showed up at Brandi Gimbel's home, "we all cried, when we got there, we all cried over her" Miranda said.

"I was crying because I was sad and they were crying because they were happy," Brandi Gimbel said.
For one family it was a homecoming. For another family it was heartbreak.

"She was my daughter's best friend so it was hard to give her up," Brandi Gimbel said.

"Not everyone is good, not everyone is bad, we just happen to start off with some bad people and who had her and ended up with some great people who gave her back," Miranda Remington said.

Source: KYLX http://www.kxly920.com/Global/story.asp?S=10079734
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Lola, a Chihuahua

This dog's mom knew it was a bad idea to leave her dog in the car while in a restaurant, and she was right. Thankfully her intuition told her to go out and check on her after 30 minutes. But the happy ending is fun because when she got a call from the cops, they let her think she was just coming for questioning when really they had her dog and were able to present her to her.

Brianna Bartolone is reunited with her dog, Lola, who was stolen from her boyfriend's car.

Police have surprise for teen whose dog was stolen
Police say Chihuahua was snatched Sunday by 2 people responsible for chain of car burglaries.
By Theresa Cisneros, The Orange County Register
Thursday, March 12, 2009

An Orange County girl and her puppy can sleep a little easier tonight after being reunited by police – who say the dog was snatched from a parking lot Sunday by a couple responsible for a chain of burglaries in the South Bay.

Police say Lola, a 6-month-old Chihuahua, was stolen as owner Brianna Bartolone, 18, ate with family inside King's Hawaiian Bakery &Restaurant in Torrance.

Bartolone said she never leaves the purebred pooch in the car unattended, even at restaurants, but was urged to do so Sunday by family members. So she placed Lola's zebra-patterned carrier into the cab of her boyfriend's truck, spread out a few doggie toys, and headed inside to celebrate her dad's birthday.

After about 30 minutes, Bartolone became uneasy and told her boyfriend that she wanted to check on Lola. Upon arriving at the truck, she discovered that Lola, her hot-pink wallet, and black-and-tan Urban Junkie bag were missing.

"I felt so helpless and so upset," she said. "I didn't event care about the purse."

Police say that Andres Garcia, 20, of Los Angeles, and his girlfriend, Alexandra Hernandez, 19, of Bell lifted the dog and the items. Gardena police arrested the pair Tuesday in connection with another incident, said Gardena Det. Todd Fox.

The duo allegedly stole purses and wallets from cars, then used the credit cards inside to buy items from Target and other shops. Only one transaction – a charge for $21.64 at Target – went through. She's since been reimbursed by her bank, she said.

After the theft, Bartolone – who lives mainly with her mom in Costa Mesa and with her dad on weekends in Anaheim Hills — was deeply saddened by the loss of the canine that she purchased from a Santa Ana breeder in November. She couldn't bring herself to eat or sleep, and insisted on curling up in her mom's bed at night because Lola wasn't there to sleep near her neck.

"Those people took something more than just my belongings," said Bartolone. "They took my baby."
On Monday, Bartolone's friends and family distributed about 300 color and black-and-white fliers bearing Lola's photo and information on a $1,000 reward being offered for her safe return.

On Tuesday, she headed back to classes at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana.

As school wound down Wednesday, she received a call from a Torrance detective urging her to drive to the station. Bartolone asked her teacher and her mom for permission, then headed out.

Bartolone said she thought she was going there to talk about the theft. Instead, officers emerged with her beloved canine. Lola was discovered at the Lynwood home of one of the suspect's relatives.

"I ran and grabbed her and hugged and kissed her," Bartolone said. "I could tell she was happy, too."

After being reunited, Bartolone purchased food and treats for Lola, gave her a warm bath.

"It's nice to have that little warm spot back," she said. "I'd rather sleep uncomfortable with Lola than comfortable for the rest of my life without her."

Source: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/bartolone-lola-sleep-2333574-police-mom

Animal Shelter Checking Lesson #1

Did you know the Craigslist is a source that is used far and wide to try to find missing pets, and to find people looking for missing pets? In the case of this dog that was lost and found, the family posted to Craigslist after the dog was found -- to pass on a lesson they learned from searching for their lost dog. It's a lesson for everyone, everywhere. Enjoy the story.

A family in Thornton, CO, a suburb of Denver, lost their 16 year old deaf and blind small terrier mix on Sunday, March 29th. Unknown to the family, the dog entered the Adams County Shelter on that same day.

At about noon the following day (Monday the 30th), the family called the Adams County shelter, and then followed up the call with a visit to look for their dog in person. They spoke with the shelter workers, giving them a detailed description of their dog. They left a picture of her on the board at the shelter.

The next day, Tuesday March 30th, they began a process of calling the shelter daily, and also looking at the photos of the dogs at the shelter on petharbor.com, the website which that shelter, and many other shelters, used regularly to post their pets’ photos. Each time they called, the family was told that there was no dog matching that description. And each day, petharbor.com did not show their dog among the pictures there. This went on through Thursday, April 2nd.

Then on the night of Thursday, April 2nd, when they checked petharbor.com, there was their dog. You would assume that the dog entered the shelter late that afternoon, following their call.

The next day, they went into the shelter, found out she had been there since Sunday, the day she disappeared from their home. The ordeal was over and they took her home.

This dog’s family wants to share the message with everyone looking for their lost dogs that you must go in and check the shelter in person, and not rely on calling. You may be as unlucky as was this family – and their dog – and reach shelter workers that don’t actually check, but do respond to your inquiry as though they did. Just think of the impact they have with their simple statement that there’s no dog there matching your dog’s description.

And to that message I will add that when checking the shelter, you should check more than the dogs being held in the cages for viewing by the public, of adoptable and stray pets. Ask about dogs not in cages because they are recieving veterinary attention, being bathed or walked, those in quarantine. For a small dog the size of this dog, I would also look among the cat cages. Check the book of animals being held by private citizens, who reported finding animals but that did not bring them in to the shelter; many shelters have such a log.


Source: Story available only temporarily on Craigslist, Denver

Sammie, mixed breed dog

This story can expose you to something you may never have been aware of -- that many municipalities do not have a department responsible for animal control, and may contract such services to companies that perform animal control services for many municipalities. If you live in such and area, you want to be aware of this.

Dogged search solves dog-gone problem

Wednesday, January 15, 2003

Attention, pet owners. Who handles animal control in your community? How long must that company keep a pet alive before disposing of it? Is there a central clearinghouse for missing pets? How much can you be fined if you (a) let your dog run loose, (b) don't have a license or (c) don't have a rabies certificate?

 

Joe Petrina, right, and his friend Dan Harris, left, with their neighbor's dog Sammie.

 

Jean and Ernie McPeak and their neighbors, Joe Petrina and Dan Harris, all of Wilkinsburg, learned the answers during an intensive search for Sammie. She is a friendly 20-month-old dog of mixed parentage. Her license is on her red nylon collar.

 

The McPeaks own Sammie, nee Samantha, and turn her out in their fenced-in back yard several times a day for exercise. Petrina and Harris take her for long walks.

 

It was on an afternoon visit to Frick Park Jan. 2 that Sammie disappeared. Petrina let Sammie off her leash, but that hadn't been a problem before. Petrina thought Sammie spotted a squirrel and gave chase. He called her name repeatedly. He ran to the closest phone and summoned Harris to help him search. No luck. They then told the McPeaks what had happened.

 

They called police, the city's animal control office and Animal Friends. They were told Sammie probably would be taken to the Animal Rescue League in Larimer. They went there, filed a missing dog report and left a flier with contact information and color photos.

 

Petrina and Harris resumed their search on Friday. Saturday began with a mass posting of fliers in Regent Square up to the Frick Park entrance. Then, about a dozen friends joined them for an exhaustive search of Frick Park.

 

Still nothing.

 

Then they got a call from a woman in Swissvale who had seen a tan dog in her neighborhood Friday evening. Harris called Swissvale police, but they had no reports of any strays. Harris called two friends, Amy and Joe Brancati, and told them about the report.

 

The Brancatis showed a flier to two boys who said Sammie had been on their neighbor's porch Friday evening. Although no one was home at that house, a neighbor confirmed the dog was Sammie, that her lower right leg was bleeding and that Swissvale police had picked her up Thursday evening.

 

Petrina said a "very helpful" Swissvale police dispatcher confirmed the neighbor's report and said the dog had been taken to Triangle Pet Control Service Co. Inc. in McKees Rocks.

 

It was sometime after 2 p.m. Saturday when Petrina and Harris started calling Triangle. They left a message every time. No one returned their calls. They started calling again at 7 a.m. Sunday. At 9 a.m., a man answered the phone, confirmed Petrina's description of Sammie and that she was there and said it would cost $100 to retrieve her.

 

When he paid the bill, Petrina asked why the owners hadn't been notified. He pointed out that Sammie's license was on her collar.

 

Triangle Manager Jay Spishak said company records show Sammie had no collar when she was picked up. If a dog has a license, Spishak said, the company calls the Allegheny County treasurer's office, which issues dog licenses, to determine the owner's identity and phone number.

 

He said phone calls are returned, even on weekends. He said he doubted that numerous messages had been left about the dog.

 

The answers to the questions posed at the top of the column are:

• Call your local municipality -- Triangle has contracts with 70 of them.
• State law says a dog without a license can be disposed of after 48 hours. Spishak said Triangle waits at least 72 hours and longer for licensed dogs. Cats can be put down immediately.
• There is no central clearinghouse for missing pets.
• The maximum fine for each violation is $300.

 

What made Sammie run?  She isn't saying.

 

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/consumer/20030115walshconsumer2.asp

Calamity Jane, a sheltie

Lost dog returned home
By Robb Murray, The Free Press
January 06, 2009

MANKATO — Calamity Jane, as she’s known, is home now, in a warm, safe place, eagerly consuming as much dog food, scrambled eggs and sausages as she can take, presumably happy her three-month ordeal on the run is over.

“She was always a cuddly dog,” owner Joy Christy said. “But now, when you cuddle her or rub her side, she moans and groans almost like she’s talking to you, like she’s so happy it’s over.”

Calamity Jane, a 3-year-old sheltie owned by Joy Christy of Elysian, had been on the run for three months before being caught Friday.

Calamity Jane is just one of three shelties Christy owned. And in a case of the worst doggone luck, all three escaped from different dog sitters within about a week of each other. Two remain at large, but Christy is happy to have reunited with at least one of them. And she’s not abandoning hope of finding the other two.
It was about three months ago when the dog first escaped. Like the famous pioneer from whence came her name, she lived off the land. Calamity Jane roamed the neighborhoods of the Minnesota State University campus area, and there had been many sightings of her. Christy put ads in Home Magazine and on KTOE radio.

“I’ve driven hundreds of miles, at least two to three hours every night for the first month and a half,” Christy said. She even offered cash rewards. Katherine Nelson of the Blue Earth Nicollet County Humane Society said that every day, it seemed, people were calling police or the shelter to report sightings of a sheltie.

“Four weeks ago we got involved when somebody called us saying they saw a dog running around,” Nelson said. “It must have been finals week at MSU. That little dog was weaving in an out of all the cars. Oh my God, I thought she was going to get hit ... And it wasn’t just us, there were people stopping left and right trying to save her.” But, like many times before, Calamity Jane was too smart and too quick to be caught.

For much of her time on the run, Calamity Jane lived under the porch of a house just off Monks Avenue, but she never stood still long enough for anyone to corral her. Staff at the Green Mill Restaurant, after one of them saw Christy’s lost pet plea on the bulletin board at Mankato’s Pet Expo, called repeatedly to report sightings of her. Finally, Noel Frederickson and his daughter Jill got involved. Noel had heard talk on a police scanner about a dog sighting on Friday. After talking to Christy, he and his daughter followed Calamity Jane.

The dog went out Monks, past the place she usually stays, past Highway 90, out to a rural farm site with several out buildings, one of which Calamity Jane tucked herself underneath and wouldn’t come out.

Don Nelson — Katherine Nelson’s husband and Humane Society handyman — brought a roll of chain-link fence and a live trap to the farm site. He set it up in such a way that Calamity Jane would most likely walk in. A little Alpo in the live trap — which is part of Jane’s regular diet — was the secret weapon.

Jane came out a few hours later, and the ordeal was over. She was reunited immediately with Christy.

“I thought because she hadn’t been seen for a while ... I thought she was gone,” Christy said. “I can’t tell you how many people have called and given me updates.”

And calls kept coming from people wanting to know the outcome, she said. “There’s a lot of really good people in Mankato.”

Christy made a donation to the shelter. Calamity Jane has lost about 10 pounds, but Christy said she’s well on her way to recovery. The other morning she had a nice helping of her usual Iams dog food with a little scrambled eggs and sausage.

She remains hopeful the other two will be spotted. And BENCHS says it has received a few calls about stray shelties.

Source: http://www.mankato-freepress.com/local/local_story_006222055.html
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Annie, a Fox Terrier

This story mentions pet detectives, which most people aren't aware of. The Missing Pet Partnership (http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/) trains people as pet detectives. Check out the website and learn all about the organization and what they do. Enjoy the story.

Owner who hired pet detective reunited with dog
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
By Paul Laracco, The Press-Enterprise
Annie the terrier returns home

Annie, a 5-year-old fox terrier, made news last week when her owners printed hundreds of fliers, offered a $1,000 reward and even hired a pet detective to find her. The dog had run off March 21 from Arias' mother's home on Sage Avenue in Rialto.

It's good to be home.

Wrapped in a blanket and gorged on a big can of moist Kibbles 'n Bits, Annie was back with her adoring owner Monday.

"In fact, she's sleeping in my arms right now, in my bed," said Debra Arias when reached by phone. "She's really tired." Nearly 10 days on the streets of Rialto would exhaust anyone (or any dog.)

Annie the fox terrier was safe at home with Louie and Debra Arias on Monday after a man saw a flier and realized Annie was the stray he had been feeding for several days.

On Friday, two bloodhounds, two tracking dogs and a searcher followed scent trails to various dead ends.

Over the weekend, neighbors and a volunteer police officer called in tips that didn't pan out. Monday morning, a man on his way to work saw one of the ubiquitous fliers and did a double take. The dog was the stray he had been feeding for several days.

"He's like an angel to us right now," Arias said of the man, whom she planned to present with the reward check today.

After driving to the house four blocks away, Arias immediately saw Annie. Dirty and a few pounds lighter, the dog ran to her call. She and her family broke into tears.

"She looked like the most precious thing I'd ever seen, except our children," said the 53-year-old Loma Linda resident.

Whether the $1,600 pet detectives were the ones who cracked the case, Arias is happy. She said they provided good advice, such as "ask trick questions."

One way she knew the man truly had found her dog? She inquired about Annie's pink collar. When he responded that the collar was black, she knew Annie was coming back home.

Source: http://www.pe.com/localnews/rialto/stories/PE_News_Local_S_dog31.3f82c76.html

Fleefus, a Chocolate Lab

Talk about not trying this at home . . . well, I'm referring to what the woman here does, but then I guess it also applies to what the dog's owners did initially in leaving the dog tied up outside a store. But he could see him through the glass front of the store, and it's easy to understand feeling security in that. It's one thing for someone to "burglarize" which is how I'd classify taking a dog when no one is looking. It's a completely different thing to "rob" which is to take by force or in this case, take the guy's dog when (for all the robber knows) the dog's owner was watching it happen through the glass. Dog and owner were lucky it ended well. Enjoy the story.

February 15, 2009
Stolen dog reunited with owner
By Alex Cooper, Staff Reporter

Fleefus, a chocolate Lab, has been reunited with his owner after a local resident confronted the man who apparently stole him while he was walking the dog in a downtown park.

Fleefus, a 16 month old chocolate lab

Ross Fraser was in total shock when he saw Fleefus was stolen. He couldn't believe someone would be brazen enough to run off with his dog in broad daylight on a busy street.

Fraser had left Fleefus tied up outside St. Jamestown Steak & Chops on Parliament St. at around 5:30 yesterday afternoon while he popped inside.

"I could see him through the plate glass window," he said. "I got distracted by the clerk for a moment; when I looked back, he was gone."

Before he went into the butcher shop, Fraser said a man was petting his 16-month-old chocolate Labrador retriever. He was slightly suspicious because just before he saw that same man playing with another dog and trying to put it inside his black coat.

Witnesses said they saw a man run off with the dog up Parliament St.

But today, Fraser said a woman spotted the suspect walking the dog around Allen Gardens at Jarvis and Gerrard Sts. — a short distance from the crime scene. She recognized Fleefus from posters Fraser had put up in the area.

"That dog is stolen," the woman declared after approaching the alleged thief.

"So, take it," the man responded. "He just dropped the leash and ran off on his bicycle," Fraser explained.

Fraser, who lives in Cabbagetown with his partner Richard Summerbell, said he had been leaving Fleefus tied up outside the butcher shop every Saturday for the past year.

The suspect is described as Asian, in his mid-30s to mid-40s, clean-shaven, and wearing a black coat.

Source: http://license.icopyright.net/user/viewContent.act?tag=3.7212%3Ficx_id%3D587968
CTV Toronto version of the story below at:
http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090215/stolen_puppy_090215/20090215?hub=Toronto

Stolen puppy back home after woman confronts suspect
Updated: Sun Feb. 15 2009 5:52:46 PM

Move over Ace Ventura. Toronto has its own pet detective.

Lori Mark was walking her dog along Sherbourne Street, near Allan Gardens, when a man across the street caught her attention.

Just hours before she had been reading a poster about a chocolate Labrador puppy that was stolen from outside of a neighbourhood butcher shop.

Even from across the street, Mark said she could sense something was amiss about the man riding his bike while holding a chocolate lab by a hot-pink leash.

"It was weird, I looked at the guy and the guy looked back at me and I think he knew I was onto him even from the first moment," she told ctvtoronto.ca hours after the incident.

Mark crossed the street to confront the alleged dognapper but the suspect didn't move. He simply handed her the leash.

"I was incredibly calm," she said. "I was just following my gut really." She said she couldn't help but yell at the man as he rode away on his bike.

Ross Fraser was on the phone with ctvtoronto.ca, retelling the story of how Fleefus, his playful 14-month-old chocolate Labrador, disappeared Saturday afternoon when a neighbour burst into his home with the good news.

"They found the dog, they found the dog!" the woman yelled in the background.

Fraser was told Fleefus was located at the Allan Gardens dog park by a woman who had seen a number of posters about the missing puppy. Fleefus was with a man matching the description of a suspect listed on the poster.

"A woman recognized the dog from the posters," Fraser told ctvtoronto.ca in a rushed, excited voice after getting the update from his neighbour. "She got the dog!"

Fraser was reunited with Fleefus shortly after his neighbour gave him the good news.

"He looks just fine," said Fraser. "He ran up the sidewalk and greeted me. He's happy to be home."

He lauded the woman's courage for going up to the suspect and demanding the dog back. What Fraser didn't know is that it wasn't the first time Mark rescued a stolen pet. Years ago, she found a cat named Mittens in the arms of another woman. She recognized Mittens from a missing pet poster the owner put up in the neighbourhood.

"I was looking for my own missing cat at the time and I noticed Mittens," she said. "I looked at the cat's tag and sure enough, it was Mittens!" She attributed her luck to the detailed posters that owners put up when their pets go missing. Fraser and several friends had stayed up until 4 a.m. Sunday putting up posters all over their Cabbagetown neighbourhood. The posters detailed the colour of the leash, the colour of the dog's collar and a good description of a suspect. Mark said she knew it was Fleefus when she matched his leash, his blue collar and the suspect to the descriptions on the poster.

Fleefus was taken around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, as Fraser ducked inside the St. Jamestown Steak and Chops to pick up his weekly order. Fraser said a man stopped to pet his dog just as he was tying him up outside the Parliament Street shop.

"He had an inordinate interest in Fleefus," he said. Fraser could see Fleefus licking the man's face from the shop window. He looked away to speak to a clerk and when he looked back, the dog was gone. Several witnesses told Fraser they saw the man running up Parliament Street. Fraser gave chase but he lost them around Ontario Street near Carlton Street.

"It's every dog owner's worst nightmare," he told ctvtoronto.ca, before receiving the good news.

"Cabbagetown is a great neighbourhood because you can go out walking with dogs and kids," he added. "That's why so many people were able to help me."

Mark agreed and said she has no doubt other people in the neighbourhood would jump at the chance to save a pet.

"I had a case of a missing animal myself and I was so appreciative when people helped," she said. "I know a lot of dog owners who I know would do the same thing."

Fraser has offered to make a charitable donation to a charity of Mark's choice to show his gratitude. Always keen to save a pet, Mark chose a cat rescue operation.

Jagger, a black lab or mix

Every day, people call in sightings of wandering or "stray" dogs. We don't hear much about them. Even when a lost dog reunion makes a local news paper or TV station, the focus is not often about the person that made the connect. So I don't really know if this is unusual, the way this happened. But it's fun to think about what this guy took the time out of his day to do, and the impact it had.

Man Whose Phone Call Reunited Woman With Dog Surfaces
Published: December 11, 2007

It was a pretty big day in Mac Wilson’s life. He was on his way to tell his boss he didn’t want to work for him anymore. With such an important task at hand you might not think he’d have had time to notice a stray dog wandering aimlessly outside the window of his GO Train. But he not only saw him, he took note of him, taking out his cell phone and calling Toronto Animal Services about the morose and scared canine.


And that was the start of a minor miracle we first told you about last week. That dog, named Jagger, belonged to Karen Peterke. She’d lost her best friend after he was spooked by another pooch in a local park three weeks earlier. She tried everything to find him, including offering a $500 reward, and had almost given up hope.

And then Mac Wilson got onboard that train and passed an area around the Lake Shore, improbably spotting the animal in a place he knew he shouldn’t be. “You just think, do I go to work or do I go on an adventure to save a dog?” he remembers asking himself. “I just looked down, straight down pretty much and he was sitting right beside the grass just kind of curled up.”

His call to authorities led them to find the emaciated and thirsty pooch hiding in a hole along the Don River. They quickly returned him to Karen. But in all the excitement, the man who made that call simply disappeared, swallowed up in the anonymity of a Toronto crowd.

Karen was anxious to find him. And once CityNews aired this amazing story on Friday, she did. We received so many emails and calls about Jagger’s rescue, that one of them led us straight to Wilson. And we led him to Peterke. “If it wasn’t for you actually acting on seeing Jagger, he would not be home and who knows what would happen to him,” she told him, giving him a huge hug.

Wilson was modest in response. “It’s kind of just something that I think anyone would do, you know - saving a helpless dog, you know what I mean,” he shrugs.

The one guest Mac didn’t get to meet was Jagger himself - he remains in quarantine as a precaution while vets monitor his progress. But the hero eyed him through a closed door and pronounced him looking much better than when he’d seen him last. “You could just see in his eyes - like, he had those really sad eyes,” he notes. “But he’s looking really good now.”

So while he didn’t get a lick from man’s best friend, he did receive something almost as good - the $500 cheque Karen promised to her knight on shining GO Train. It came as a surprise to the Good Samaritan, but he gladly accepted it. After dealing with the city’s animal experts, he went in and resigned as planned. And that money will now come in handy.

But Wilson hasn’t heard the last of this story. Karen has promised to keep him updated on Jagger’s progress - a story that would have had a very different ending if not for a man on his way to quit, but who decided not to give up on something far more important.

Katen Peterke, so happy to be able to thank Mac Wilson for his good deed

Source: http://www.goodnewsblog.com/2007/12/11/man-whose-phone-call-reunited-woman-with-dog-surfaces

Mikey, a Yorkshire Terrier

It sounds like the guy that found the dog cornered him at the top of some stairs, and also it seems that what he used as a lure to get him to come down was peanuts!

Bronx nurse reunited with lost dog
By Dorian Block And Leo Standora, Daily News Staff Writers
Thursday, November 1st 2007, 4:00 AM

Susan Roberti is reunited with lost dog Mikey.

Jason Austin and Mary Ford flank Mikey & Susan, his mom

Bronx nurse Susan Roberti got a wonderful Halloween treat Tuesday. Her precious Mikey - a cute-as-a-button Yorkie that vanished from her yard nearly three weeks ago - was found safe and sound. Now Mikey's rescuers are going to Disney World - or at least to Florida - as a reward.

"I'm amazed, just speechless," Roberti, 34, said as she and Mikey were reunited at Jacobi Medical Center.
"He almost jumped out of the car," she said. "He's been licking my face and kissing me so much I almost started crying."

"I prayed Mikey would be my Halloween treat, and here he is," she said, hugging her beloved pooch. The happy ending to this slightly shaggy-dog story unfolded on Young Ave. in the Bronx, a few blocks from Roberti's home, Tuesday afternoon.

Jason Austin of New Rochelle was working on the railing outside the house of longtime friend Mary Ford when he spotted Mikey "running up and down the street" past scads of "missing" posters with his picture on telephone poles.

"He's a cute dog, he was alone and he looked like someone owned him," said Austin. He chased Mikey up a staircase outside a house and lured him down with peanuts.

Ford recognized Mikey from a poster she saw in a neighborhood laundermat, so she and Austin took the dog there, got the phone number and called Roberti. Roberti gave Austin and Ford $1,000 each, reward money that had been donated by "so many wonderful people" in the neighborhood. She also gave $1,000 to Christine Bagli, a Young Avenue resident who also spotted Mikey but couldn't catch him. Roberti said it's up to Austin to decide when he'd like to take the Florida trip. Both Austin and Ford said they were unaware there was a reward for Mikey.

"The big bonus is that she got her dog back and she was so elated," Austin said. A vet checked Mikey out and said he lost little of his 5 pounds of weight, and although his black-and-tan fur was a tad scruffy, all he really needed was a little rest and lots of love.

When Mikey vanished, Roberti had returned the Halloween toys and a costume she bought for him.
So Tuesday, she went to the store to buy them back.

Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2007/11/01/2007-11-01_bronx_nurse_reunited_with_lost_dog.html
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Max, a lab

City workers free trapped dog from sewer pipe
Scared, sickly mutt named Max safely returned to his Minnesota owner
Wed July 11, 2007

MANKATO, Minn. - The sound of barking underneath a street Tuesday led a team of city workers to a dog trapped in a narrow culvert — and you might say they used a backward approach to rescue the mutt.

Max, a 13-year-old Labrador retriever, gets a little attention from his owners, John and Kathy Kachelmyer of rural Mankato, Minn., Wednesday after his recsue.

The sickly, scared dog was about 50 feet from the nearest entry point, but since the culvert was just 15 inches in diameter, the workers couldn't fit into it themselves. Not even offers of food could draw out the dog.

"He was exhausted," said Tony Talamantez, a public works foreman.

Then Talamantez and his colleagues had an idea. They rigged up a long video camera used to inspect drain pipes, and approached the dog from the back. They used the camera to nudge the dog forward until he reached an entry point big enough for a person to pull him out.

The camera recorded the rescue, showing the dog scampering ahead in fits and starts as the camera pokes him in the rear end.

Found after missing for a day

The dog wore no tags, only a worn collar. But Julia Gosen, animal control officer for the city, said the dog's owner saw accounts of the rescue in local media and claimed him Wednesday morning.

The owner "had no idea" how the dog ended up in the drain, Gosen said. "He said he'd gone missing from their house about a day earlier."

City workers weren't sure how the dog, a 13-year-old lab named Max, got into the sewer. They said cats, raccoons and ducks often end up in storm sewers, but Talamantez said it was the first time he'd helped rescue a dog in his 25 years with the city.

"Max got very excited when he saw his owner," Gosen said.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19719350/#story

Lucky, a black lab mix

Such a simple story, and so short compared to so many lost dogs found stories. But this picture just melts your heart, doesn't it? Enjoy the story.

Lucky the dog reunited with owner
By Robert A Cronkleton
The Kansas City Star

Lucky, it turns out, is one aptly named dog.
The black Lab mix returned home late Monday, two days after he had the misfortune of being inside owner Shane Dahlke’s Chevy Tahoe when it was stolen from outside a Bonner Springs convenience store.

“I have been apologizing to him constantly,” Shane Dahlke says after being reunited with his dog, Lucky, who was in an SUV that was stolen. The dog was missing for two days.

On Tuesday, thanks to some Good Samaritans, Lucky rested on a dog bed while Dahlke wished his dog could explain how he ended up in Grandview.


Dahlke said he’d left his SUV running while he popped into the convenience store. “It was going to be kind of an in-and-out thing,” he said. But when he came out, the vehicle and Lucky were gone.


“I didn’t know how to deal with myself because I felt I was the one (responsible),” Dahlke said. “And I have been apologizing to him constantly.”


He spent two days looking for Lucky before finding a phone message waiting for him Monday night. From Grandview — 35 miles from the convenience store.

Megan Howell said she and her 9-year-old daughter, Jillianne Joy-Taylor, had seen the dog near 140th Street and U.S. 71, pacing the fence line at a school near their home. But the dog wouldn’t come when they called. Eventually, he wandered over, and Jillianne coaxed him inside. They called the number on its tags, and Dahlke and Lucky were reunited a few hours later.


“It was really nice — just something special that you don’t get to see all the time,” Howell said. “He was really ecstatic to see the dog, and the dog was very happy to see him.”


Tonganoxie police recovered the Tahoe on Tuesday afternoon after a brief chase when two people inside failed to pay for gas and drove off. They were taken into custody.


In the end, Dahlke said, both he and his dog are lucky: “Lucky that he didn’t get hit and lucky I got him back.”

Source: http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/1130983.html
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Another version of the story at: http://www.fox4kc.com/wdaf-lucky-missing-dog-4509,0,6670671.story

Sophie Tucker, Australian Cattle Dog

This dog's people were probably more shocked to get her back than most people are to get their long lost dog back. They had every reason to think she perished at sea. If that doesn't give you hope, I don't know what will! Enjoy the story.


We think she'd swum close to five nautical miles from the boat where she went in.
Dog's owner Jan Griffith

Monday, 6 April 2009 11:40 AM
Goat-eating castaway dog's incredible journey
Australian Associated Press

A canine castaway lost at sea has been reunited with her owners after spending more than four months living off goats on a Queensland island.

Owner Jan Griffith said her family were devastated when their cattle dog, Sophie Tucker, fell off the side of their boat in choppy waters off the Mackay coast in north Queensland in late November.

But unbeknown to them, their hardy hound swam five nautical miles to St Bees (St Bees) Island, where she survived until last week by hunting baby goats.

She was last week returned to her family after rangers captured what they believed was a wild dog.

Ms Griffith said she and her husband had contacted rangers after friends suggested the dog - who had earned a name for herself on the island - might be their long-lost pet.

Last Tuesday the couple met the rangers' boat as it ferried the dog back to the mainland and were blown away to find Sophie Tucker on board.

"We called the dog and she started whimpering and banging the cage and they let her out and she just about flattened us," Ms Griffith said.

"She wriggled around like a mad thing."

But even more unbelievable was hearing how their domesticated "inside" dog had survived, she said.

"She had looked really poor (on the island), the story was, and then all of a sudden she started to look good and it was when the rangers had found baby goat carcases so she'd started eating baby goats," she said."

We think she'd swum close to five nautical miles from the boat where she went in and then some people believe she went backwards and forwards from Keswick to St Bees (islands)."

Ms Griffith said their pet had been quick to embrace her now easier existence - complete with air conditioning.

Source:
http://www.livenews.com.au/livewire/goateating-castaway-dogs-incredible-journey/2009/4/6/201957

Another version from:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090406/od_afp/australiaanimaldogoffbeat;_ylt=AklvzabdafWg3iPeNNJ4zIgDW7oF

Mon Apr 6, 4:21 am ET

SYDNEY (AFP) – A pet dog that fell overboard in rough seas off Australia has been reunited with its owners after surviving alone on an island for four months, reports said.

Sophie Tucker, apparently named after a late US entertainer, fell overboard as Jan Griffith and her family sailed through choppy waters off the northeast Queensland coast in November.

The dog was believed to have drowned and Griffith said the family was devastated.

But out of sight of the family, Sophie Tucker was swimming doggedly and finally made it to St Bees Island, five nautical miles away, and began the sort of life popularised by the TV reality show "Survivor."

She was returned to her family last week when Griffith contacted rangers who had captured a dog that had been living off feral goats on the largely uninhabited island, in the faint hope it might be their long-lost pet.

When the Griffiths met the rangers' boat bringing the dog to the mainland they found that it was indeed Sophie Tucker on board.

"We called the dog and she started whimpering and banging the cage and they let her out and she just about flattened us," Griffith told the national AAP news agency.

"She wriggled around like a mad thing."

Griffith said that when the dog was first spotted on the island she had been in poor condition.

"And then all of a sudden she started to look good and it was when the rangers had found baby goat carcasses so she'd started eating baby goats," she said.

Sophie Tucker, a member of the Australian cattle dog breed, had been quick to readjust to the comforts of home, complete with airconditioning, Griffiths said.

"She surprised us all. She was a house dog and look what she's done, she's swum over five nautical miles, she's managed to live off the land all on her own," Griffiths said.

"We wish she could talk, we truly do."

Tasha, a mixed breed dog

I have another local story to tell, which I wasn’t involved in but I kept tabs on the case because it was worked by my teammates. After weeks of a very frustrating search (well, almost all searches are very frustrating!!) they got INCREDIBLY lucky with this one! Here’s what happened. Enjoy the story.

Tasha in better diggs than she's been in for the last several weeks. Well maybe better than any home she ever had before!

Tasha was a rescue that was shipped to a Washington DC location, along with a lot of other dogs, probably from some rural area where dogs have a much harder time finding homes. Lots of rescues bring dogs in from rural locations surrounding the Washington metropolitan area, foster them while they ready them for forever homes, and find those homes for them.

So, the story goes that pretty much the moment that Tasha arrived in town, she took off. Over the weeks, there were dozens and dozens of sightings – maybe a hundred or more. There were feeding station and trapping efforts going on, surveillance cameras, and a lot of fliering to help generate those sighting calls.

It became routine that she would wander in and out of backyards in a residential area – even fenced yards. Some neighbors were cooperative and interested in helping, others not so much. Eventually my partners came up with the idea to try to trap her in a yard, and I think some attempts were made by property owners to do it. But an example of an attempt that didn’t go well was one where there were two gates and they’d only closed one, so Tasha could just walk out the other one.

Now, the last few days there have been some high winds. And late Monday afternoon, there were high winds behind the gate of the yard that Tasha was nosing around in. And bam!!!! Gate closed behind her!!!!

The fence was a 4’ fence with some kind of 2’ lattice work making it more like 6’ high. Luckily she’s not a jumper; instead, she howled for help!!! The homeowners heard her, ran out to find a flier, and called the number. Several of my team members converged on the yard. There was one area where there was no lattice work, so one team member went around and stood outside the fence while the others went in – just in case she tried to jump. They moved in on her ready to have to chase her around the yard to be able to leash her, but as it turned out, by this time, she was done running.

And with that, the story ended as abruptly as it started!!! She’s now entered rescue, is at a foster home, and a forever home is being sought for her.

Here Tasha interacts with another dog in her temporary foster home.

Tasha's blog has a log of what went on in the search is at http://www.findtasha.blogspot.com

Boonie, a black dog

This dog had been seen hanging around, but proved hard to catch When a flier connected the stray to its owner, the ACO involved stopped trying to trap the dog, and contacted its owner.

County animal control officer reunites lost dog with owner
By TM Shultz
The Daily CourierWednesday, April 01, 2009

Keith Bracken holds his dog Boonie after being reunited with her through the efforts of Cordes Lakes residents and Yavapai County Animal Control.

When a Yavapai County Animal Control officer learned a stray dog was roaming the Conestoga Lane area of Cordes Lakes, she tried as hard as she could to capture the dog and find its owner, since the animal had a collar and tags.

But the dog, who deputies later learned is named Boonie, was extremely shy and refused to come near anyone, especially the animal control officer, who spent an hour on March 16 trying to catch Boonie.

Because of the dog's shyness, the officer placed a trap at a home the dog seemed to frequent, thinking she might catch him that way, deputies said in a press release. The officer checked the area each day until March 20 when neighbors called to report the dog was back in the area.

But when the officer arrived, the dog disappeared. On March 25 the officer happened to stop by the Beaver Creek Ranger Station and noticed a lost dog flyer with a picture of the stray she had been trying to catch. The flyer even mentioned that Boonie was "extremely shy and standoffish".

"When the officer contacted the owner's parents - who live in Phoenix - they told her that the owner, their son Keith Bracken, 57, had been very upset over losing Boonie. Bracken suffers from partial paralysis, and Boonie has been his companion and aide.

Boonie disappeared on March 13 in the Badger Springs area near Interstate 17. Bracken had driven from Phoenix with the dog that day and, while outdoors, Boonie disappeared. Bracken stayed in the area for five days, camping out in his vehicle, hoping to find Boonie.

On Monday Bracken and his parents met with the animal control officer in Cordes Lakes and found Boonie resting on a porch in the Conestoga Lane neighborhood. When the dog saw his family, he ran toward them. Bracken picked up Boonie, who immediately began licking his face with excitement, deputies said.

Deputies and the animal control officer said they would like to thank all the neighbors on Conestoga Lane who kept an eye on the dog and reported its movements during the past two weeks.

Bracken said he is extremely thankful for the animal control officer's efforts, which made his reunion with Boonie possible.

Source: http://www.dcourier.com/Main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=66527
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Lilo, a Chihuahua

At first I wasn't sure this dog was stolen, that maybe the people that found her just really didn't know how to get her back. But I guess there's enough to point to theft. If you saw a dog in a Wendy's parking lot, and you just wanted it to be safe, wouldn't you go into the Wendy's to see if the dog belonged to someone inside?

Tina Maltais of Middleboro is relieved to finally get her dog Lilo, a five-year-old female Chihuahua home after the dog went missing for a week from a Wendy's on Rte. 44 in Raynham last Tuesday. Stitch, (left) Maltais' other family pet was also happy to have her playmate back.

Reunited and it feels so good
By Susan Parkou Weinstein
Wed Mar 12, 2008

MIDDLEBOROUGH - Lilo was safe in the arms of her owners today, a week after two strangers scooped her up outside a Wendy’s Restaurant in Raynham and absconded with her.


“We got her back last night. She looks wonderful,” a jubilant Tina Maltais said Wednesday, cradling her five-year old Chihuahua. “I went to the butcher and got her the biggest bone.”


The return of a healthy Lilo is something of a miracle. The tiny black-and-tan pooch suffers from seizures and needs daily medication to survive. Tina and Richard Maltais had spent an agonizing week wondering if Lilo was dead or alive.


She had been missing since March 4 when she apparently slipped out of the vehicle in the Wendy’s parking lot. Her absence wasn’t noticed until Tina returned home because the dog typically sleeps under the seat.When she went back to the restaurant a few hours later, Wendy’s employees said they had seen a couple luring a small dog into their black Oldsmobile. Inside surveillance video showed a young man and woman, possibly in their late teens, leaving Wendy’s with the food they had used as bait. A frantic Maltais spent the past week posting fliers, contacting animal control officers and veterinarians throughout the area and hoping for the best.


On Tuesday, at 4:40 p.m., their prayers were answered. A Fall River veterinarian contacted Tina to tell her that a Raynham couple had called seeking treatment for a Chihuahua that matched Lilo’s description. He told them the animal could be identified by her implanted chip and suggested they “do the right thing,” Tina said. Ten minutes later, the contrite abductors made the call. Lilo was reunited with her owners less than an hour later at a Mobil gas station on Route 44. She jumped right up when she saw them, Maltais said.


“The girl said to me, ‘Lilo is so wonderful. We want her.’ I told her, ‘get one of your own,’” she said.


The Maltaises are not interested in punishing the offenders who live right around the corner from the Wendy’s.


Dognapping is not a felony crime although the larceny of an animal is a misdemeanor, Raynham Police Chief Lou Pacheco said.But the couple wonders what kind of people would do such a thing.


“You can’t tell me they didn’t see all the fliers,” Tina Maltais said. Fortunately she is none the worse for wear from her ordeal. Her veterinarian couldn’t say whether she would last a day, a week, or a month without her medicine.


Now that Lilo is home, her constant companion, seven-month old Stitch, has stopped whimpering.And Tina Maltais learned a little something about the kindness of most strangers. After word of Lilo’s disappearance got out, many people called with tips about her possible whereabouts.One woman even offered Maltais her own Chihuahua puppy.


“People were so sweet to me. But I just wanted my baby back,” Maltais said.

Source: http://www.wickedlocal.com/raynham/archive/x2015302083

Lucky, a Beagle

This man experienced something that, to my way of thinking, people who lose their dogs shouldn't have to face. The person who found the dog was unable to locate the owner, so there was a newspaper article that attempted to find him. Readers decided that the dog was dumped, and publicly chastised the person that supposedly dumped him. Talk about adding insult to injury. But in the end, man and dog were reunited, so enjoy.

The dog gone truth

Lost beagle's owner says public jumped to conclusions
Rosie Gillingham, The Telegram

Clyde Mercer has a message for people who find stray dogs - don't assume they're mistreated just because they're lost.

Lucky with Clyde

The 53-year-old Shearstown man got a taste of the public's rashness - and, from some, contempt - this week when he became the target of angry comments from people accusing him of animal neglect.

Mercer owns the beagle that was found on the highway Sunday by a Torbay woman driving to Bay Roberts.

The woman - who said she found the dog near the Foxtrap weigh scales - was frustrated she was unable to get help from animal groups in St. John's.

After the story appeared in Tuesday's Telegram, the newspaper's website was flooded with comments from people who presumed the dog had been abandoned by its owner. That upset Mercer, who said nothing could be farther from the truth.
"It's unfair all the comments I've been getting. People just jump to conclusions," he said. "This dog is more than a hunting dog to me. She's our family pet and she's well cared for, I guarantee you that."

Mercer said the four-year-old beagle escaped from her kennel Saturday when he opened the door to feed her.

"I had the two buckets in my hand and didn't get to close the door quick enough," he said. "Before I turned around, she was gone."

The kennel is eight feet by 10 feet, and is insulated and fitted with a heater during the winter.

"We take very good care of her," he said. "You can tell by looking at her, she was well cared for."

Mercer said he spent most of the night and the next morning looking for the dog. She's a hunting dog, so she probably picked up the scent of a rabbit. "That's why her paws were so beat up and scratched up," he said. "She was going all night."

As soon as he was told of his dog's whereabouts, he acted.

"A friend of mine called me and said, 'Clyde, I think I know where your dog is - in The Telegram,'" Mercer said. "I went right away to pick her up."

He had to submit pictures to the SPCA to prove it was his dog and pay the agency for the veterinarian bill, but said he's just glad to have the dog back. "She's doing really well," he said, "and rearing to go again."

The dog's name, by the way, is Lucky.


Source: http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=37649&sc=79