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Hi,I volunteer for a really wonderful dog rescue group. A senior dog who spent her life as a breeder (very scared, unsocialized) escaped from her foster family about 9-10 days ago in an area surrounded by agricultural fields and just hills, streams, ponds, etc., etc. There are constant search parties out there looking for her. All of the neighbors know about her - there are signs and everyone has a flier. There have been a couple of recent sightings - now 3-4 days old. But, even if anyone gets close, she just takes off. We've even had one volunteer fly his private plane overhead. A couple of nights ago I was trying to see if I could find any live satellite data online (nope, it's all a couple of years old). How in the world can my rescue find her? Does anyone have any thoughts that I could pass along? Otherwise, and I'm not a heady religious person, but please pray for her to be found! I think about her all the time ...
The only thing I can think of is to get a couple of live traps, bait them with food, and put them where she's been seen. She must be starving by now, so she'll probably seek out food. It may take a while, since she's skittish, and you may have to start by not putting the food all of the way in although since she was a breeder she's probably not shy of going into a crate or enclosure. Hope you catch her.
Last edited by leorah; 08-18-2008 at 03:43 PM..
Reason: added info
Location: Visitation between Wal-Mart & Home Depot
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leorah
The only thing I can think of is to get a couple of live traps, bait them with food, and put them where she's been seen. She must be starving by now, so she'll probably seek out food. It may take a while, since she's skittish, and you may have to start by not putting the food all of the way in although since she was a breeder she's probably not shy of going into a crate or enclosure. Hope you catch her.
Agreed. I don't think you'll do much better than a large have-a-heart trap. Poor dog. She'll probably stay relatively close to people where she can rummage through garbage and something really fragrant like partially turned meat or bad cheese will be irresistable. In the event she's caught, I certainly don't envy you the monumental task of rehabing a dog with that history but please let us know how this turns out.
Poor critter is frightened to tears. Where do you live? If available, could you try tracking dogs, or would that be even more traumatic for her? I know that the dogs have to be trained for certain scents, and I know several people here (in the Pacific Northwest/Portland/Vancouver areas) who train tracking dogs for several different purposes (cadaver, fear-scent, urban tracks, dogs specifically trained to track children).
I wish you all the luck in finding her. Please do let everyone know how it turns out.
Best of luck...
If she was a caged Breeder, I'm thinking she does not have the street smarts of alot of feral dogs. Poor thing is probably scared to death. I agree, an trap is most likely the best bet. Keeping my fingers crossed the outcome is a good one! Keep us posted!
Thanks everybody ... we're in KY - she's about 20 miles east of Louisville. The farmers are mad about all of the rummaging through their fields (threatening to shoot the volunteers, sob). I'm not the coordinator of the search - we've been out there twice (it's 50 miles away for us) and we get updates by email. I have heard mention of traps and one day a tracker dog was there but lost her scent. She wasn't doing well in the foster home prior to escaping (someone dropped her leash accidentally on a walk ...). When we were out there a couple of days ago we saw some birds circling and tried to follow them. But there were birds circling in several places far apart, so I guess it could be anything.
edit: fyi she's on our website, Moderator cut: deleted website link I'm fostering another of the dogs who is doing fine when she's not making me crazy chasing my cats!
Last edited by leorah; 08-18-2008 at 06:08 PM..
Reason: advertising
This dog needed to be in the hands of a very responsible person. All areas had to be covered to keep her safe from escaping...first thing tag and phone#. Fenced in yard is a must for her...no kids in the home...doors watched critically when opened....even if it means putting her in a crate when doors are opened alot. I understand mistakes happen but in this case, it cannot. My Jenny is quick at the door so when I go in and out she is either in the bedroom with a gate or in her cage. If I am in a rush I back myself out the door. I hope she is found....will say a prayer for her! Yikes, this is terrrible.
I hope the have-a-heart trap works, it may b/c she's basically only known cages and that's been the source of her food etc. There's an outside chance she may jump in a car (given the option), have heard of that happening w/ a confused lost dog but given the circumstances, that everything is so new to her, it might be difficult. Would get some old unwashed clothes from the foster family and put them along w/ the food (something tasty and smelly, not just kibble) in the crate, it may help. Also offering a reward and posting in local papers (some ads are free), on craigslist (pet section as well as lost/found) would help too. HOpefully she's microchipped. Hoping for a happy ending soon.
Yes, she is microchipped and she has a collar with a 1-800 number on it. She was on a leash - I think I mentioned someone dropped it - but she chewed it off! I was emailing the search coordinators last night and they said they set two traps about a week ago, nothing was touched, *and* the land owner was angry about the traps, even though they were just in a non-agricultural (unmanaged) area. There are of course multiple land owners involved - even some high density residential communities. I'm sure someone would allow traps. I think I mentioned that a farmer called yesterday and said he would shoot anyone on his land. I feel badly giving this state bad press - there are a lot of nice, wonderful people here. Something like this brings out the best and the worst.
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, I'm thinking she does not have the street smarts of alot of feral dogs. Poor thing is probably scared to death. I agree, an trap is most likely the best bet. Keeping my fingers crossed the outcome is a good one! Keep us posted!
