What's New?? Searching for a Lost Dog!

By E. Katie Gammill

    I write this article from experience. NOT a happy experience, it DID have a successful conclusion. Losing a dog is heart rendering. One can only imagine the devastation of searching for a child.

On Nov. 29, 2006 (Tuffy)  UKC Ch. I.C.Code Red “walked out” of a fenced yard. He was living with a friend in Mattoon, IL. (16 miles from me.) One fine day around noon, she left him in the yard (unknown to me) and went to work.  A weather front was on its way with rain, thunder, sleet and snow. She did not call until 9:00 P.M., hoping she could find him herself. This lost valuable time.

The following suggestions may assist in finding your dog if such an unfortunate incident occurs. The thing I want to most stress is: “If you have a fenced yard and there is NO LOCK on the gate, YOU DO NOT have a fenced yard! We never leave our dogs in the run yards if we leave our home. They are secure in kennels or downstairs in pens. During the summer, they are in the barn under fans or in the basement. DO NOT invite attention!

1. IMMEDIATELY take action. The first few hours are critical
2. Notify the police, sheriff, humane society, newspapers, and radio station. Call veterinaries in the area. Put poster in post office, and local businesses. Give posters to street departments, school children, oil companies, and electric companies.
3. Offer a substantial REWARD and follow up on it.
4. Note on poster! If a new dog shows up with people having no prior pet, or if you hear barking, please call the searchers.
5. Get the word out! Make large posters, BOLD print.
6. Make laminated signs in the winter.
7. Staple colored picture with dog’s color and identifiable markings on signs everywhere.
8. Go door to door handing out flyers. Make the loss visible.
9. Do not limit search to the immediate area.
10. Ask for sightings. Take all names and phone numbers of callers.
11. Visit these areas promptly if called. Do not chase, dog will leave area.
12. Take old clothing, familiar items, food, water, and crate to area immediately.
13. List several phone numbers for contacts. Revisit contacts.
14. Put flyers in Farm Supply businesses. Farmers drive the countryside.
15. Note if dog is micro-chipped or tattooed. 
16. If the animal is a victim of theft, note the “removal” of the dog and the fact he/she is identifiable. (Note: DOG NEEDS MEDICATION (might help.)
17. ADVISE ON POSTER. “DO NOT CHASE!  BELOVED CHILD’S PET!”   
18. A timid dog will hide until hunger takes over. Over time, they become feral.
19. If dog is sighted, beg, borrow, or steal a “humane trap.”
20. Remember!  Everyone is a stranger!
21. YOU MUST PHYSICALLY CHECK THE ANIMAL CONTROL FACILITY PERIODICALLY.
22. Lost dogs may be in immediate area, but some DO RANGE.
23. Drive all areas, early morning and early evening. Look for them at mealtime.
24. Consider taking another dog with you.
25. If not found, for each day extend your search a few miles.
26. Friends are invaluable. Look where dogs would seek shelter: barns, and sheds, under porches, beneath equipment.
27. WHEN YOU FIND THE DOG, ADVISE THE PUBLIC AND THANK THEM!

After being out a few days, especially in adverse weather, dogs will go into “flight mode”. At this time, another dog may scare them off, unless it is a kennel mate. If a stranger locates your dog, have them call someone familiar to retrieve the dog. Get down on the dogs level with hotdogs, bait, (Kentucky Fried Chicken works) and gently call. The lower you are to the ground, the more apt the dog is to approach you. No quick movements.

We worried about roads, coyotes, strangers, starvation, injury, and  other possibilities that kept us up at night. A network of friends is invaluable. A friend refusing to give up found Tuffy. He was out five days. The second day of his journey, Tuffy approached a child on a farm. She fed and watered him. SHE earned $100.00 reward. They advised us Tuffy is a great "house dog". ( We knew that! )
Thus, as we walked in frigid weather calling, he was on the couch with his new friend watching TV.  This search may go on for weeks. Be diligent and determined in the recovery of your dog. After initial newspaper ad runs, continue to run ads bi-weekly and keep his disappearance visible.  We were lucky. Tuffy is home, safe and sound, and happy to be there. The friend finding Tuffy has 4 notches on her belt for finding lost shelties for several people.

Attached is a “letter to the editor” WE put in the paper to advise everyone of his recovery. I would not wish this situation on anyone. However, at the time, having no guidelines, this is what worked for us. We sincerely hope this will assist others SHOULD THIS DILEMMA OCCUR.

E. Katie Gammill and Tuffy
Indian Creek Shelties

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

MY NAME IS TUFFY. I AM LOST!

I am a miniature collie and my official name is “Shetland Sheepdog”. I have caused a lot of confusion this week. I left my back yard on Wednesday Nov. 29. in Mattoon. While I meandered toward Wal-Mart, my people were frantic. Laminated flyers were everywhere! I left as the bad weather was approaching. This made my situation worse.

    My people feared a car would hit me or I would starve while out in the open. I did approach the Lipke home near Charleston, but was afraid. However, I mooched my first meal there.  Admittedly, I am a pampered pet. I quickly realized this vagabond life was not to my liking.

On Thursday night, I made my way to the Dean Doty house north of the landfill and found myself a little girl named Kendall. Kendall fed and watered me. I spent time in the house with her and her father cut out all the burrs from my coat so I could sit down. My journey was extensive. As it became colder, my friends worried and the harder they searched. Family and friends drove through sub-divisions and walked many miles, devastated by my disappearance. They knew that many times it is weeks before a lost dog appears, IF IT DOES. I was located Sunday.

    My people wonder if I crossed Route 16, Route 316, Route 57 and the Lerna Road safely, OR if I simply crossed Route 16 and took a stroll down the bike path. They will never know, but they are thankful I arrived at a home where people cared about dogs.
They could tell someone loved me. 

    I want to thank all the people who diligently searched for me. Anna, Debbie and Mark, Gitana, Diana, and my people. They did not give up! My name was on the radio, in the newspaper, and the police had flyers. The mailmen and street department knew to look for me. The vets and humane society were alerted and you probably saw my picture in many stores. I became pretty well known in Mattoon and Charleston.

Since so many people were on the look out for a lost dog, I felt they might want to know I found my way home. All is well that ends well this Christmas Season. I am home now, safe and warm, playing with all my furry friends. A special thanks to everyone for all their help. Thank you for not giving up on me!

MY NAME IS TUFFY – I AM HOME .

Comments

[Lisa Rader]

My beloved baby and best friend, Deuce, a year old male Blue Heeler somehow ran out my front door during the ice storm we had 2 weeks ago. He had been out about 30 minutes when I discovered him and I was frantic to find him, it was brutally cold outside and he is basically an indoor dog. I live in a small town and figured he wouldn't go far as he had never wandered off before. We looked for hours the first night without sucess. I did exactly the things I just read in the article above, printed fliers and posted them,ad in the newspaper, notified the animal control, the vets, had friends searching for him daily. A lovely , kind woman called about 4 days after he disappeared and said she had seen him in a creek bed in a certain location. I was elated as it seemed he had dropped off the planet, no one had seen him or called the number on his tags. We drove to the location, my kids on foot with flashlights and I drove around in my truck....we found him about an hour later chasing a cat across a road!Tears of joy flowed.....even Deuce seemed to be crying with happiness. Several people have called since we found him to tell me they had seen him out in the cold and had tried to feed him and get close enough to read his tags but he wanted no part of them. He is such a loyal and wonderful friend, I cherish him all the more because my son gave him to me as a Christmas present. I just wanted to write this as encouragement to those who are searching for their lost pets, don't give up hope, keep looking and follow the suggestions on this page!
Lisa Rader
A Blue Heeler Mama in Oklahoma

[CAROLYN CARPENTER]

We have found a blue heeler with very distinct markings. He needs his family back. Very Sweet Pup. Must identify correctly. Will take him to our vet to see if he has a microchip. He's being taken very good care of till he gets home! Water St. area of Elmsprings, AR. Call 479-856-3423