A simple story from this last 7 days in my life.

I had my Vet Neuter, Clean his teeth, Revaccinate, Deworm, Revolution used for Ear Mite/Flea control, freshly groomed......................perhaps the greatest little 7 year old male Shih Tzu that ever walked the face of the earth.  Yes, Mr. Higgins was going to a new home.  I had interviewed dozens of potential Adopters for Mr. Higgins before choosing this semi retired couple about two hours from my farm.

 

The initial greeting with this fine couple went very well between Mr. Higgins and these folks here on my farm.  I went through my usual Questions and Answers with Potential New Dog Owners again and again.  I stated firmly that it takes up to  30 days for an adult dog to accept going to a new home.  That they miss their old TERRITORY as much as me, their present owner.

  And to not, DO NOT LET THIS DOG GET AWAY FROM YOU BY JUMPING OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE OR DARTING PAST YOUR LEGS FROM YOUR PREMISES FOR UP 30 DAYS FROM ADOPTION..................... as he may run away, perhaps try to come home.....................

 

YUP, they got home and opened up their vehicle door and let him jump out as they had not listened to me..........................

 

Mr. Higgins was gone like a shot...............running across a farmers field, full out..................gone...............and the darkness of night fell swiftly.

 

In a country area known for not just a couple of coyotes but packs of them who at this time of year are newly mated and very Territorial.   In a strange world to him where many large breed farm dogs dispose of trespassing dogs and cats to protect their property.  Where some farmers/ranchers feel it is the kindest thing to simply shoot Trespassing dogs as in most do not want them around.  In an area where speeding vehicles would not even see a little dog on a country road as his pale Golden Tan coloring would not stand out enough.

 

Gone.............LOST..............a little Shih Tzu dog on the run.................. unlike a larger breed who could perhaps catch a few mice or eat/digest garbage or eat/digest found Carrion.............who stood a chance against coyotes..................who stood a chance against a big farm dog protecting it's territory..............or could easily be seen on a country road.................

 

Below your going to see the Guidelines from my Website on finding a lost dog......................I did all of them within 24 hours of knowing my little one was gone............I drove the 2 hours there and until sunset, worked a Grid Pattern to hit as many farms as I could, handing out my name and number with REWARD (live or dead) in big writing.  Farms where no one was home, I taped my message to back doors..................................

 

ALIVE OR DEAD, you ask..............yes, even if dead, for the CLOSURE I would desperately need to Forgive myself for something that was not my fault, but I would need CLOSURE as all of us do when losing  a LOVED one (human or animal).

 

The call came late on the 5th day.  Mr. Higgins had been spotted at an abandoned farm yard..........................anyone approaching him and he was gone like a shot...................a friend who Mr. Higgins also trusted came with me.  We arrived long after dark.  Armed with food and flashlights we began to call his name and inspect each lonely, fallen down building.  Wet from the rain, cold, we continued to search...................

 

And he came to us...............thin, weak, terribly exhausted, he crawled on his belly to us...........................both of us burst into tears..................

 

Mr. Higgins is back home here.  All he does is sleep.  The Vet says he will be okay with much Tender Care.  So below is a document you must keep for Help in recovering your precious four legged friend..  NOTE:  There is a far more intensive document under the OUR ARCHIVES section of my website on recovering an Immature Puppy.  If your dog who goes missing is a very young pup, please note that PUPPY document.

Looking for a Lost Dog

MYTH: I boarded my 5 year old, female, large breed dog in a neighboring small town while I was going to be gone for a few days? The first night they had her, they left a gate open and she escaped. Because she is a super friendly dog, who will go to anyone, someone is probably already keeping her against her will? What should I do?  

FACT: Super friendly or not, the dog will not be as trusting as you may think of strangers in this situation. She is probably on the move, trying to get home, to get to Somewhere or to Someone she recognizes. She may approach humans, then slink away. She may approach humans for food or water, one wrong move on that human’s part and she is gone like a shot. She may hang around within a certain radius looking for her home or may light out and travel. Often, they do travel roughly in the right direction, their 6^th sense helping them.

NOW, get a picture of her laser printed on LOST posters and get them hung up near Gas stations, schools, stores, wherever the general public will see it. Hang these posters up at the location she was lost, her hometown and also surrounding towns. Contact the SPCA, the Police Department (if a small or rural community), all Vet clinics, all animal shelters and YES, the local radio station and put ads in the local Newspapers. And contact the SPCA, the Police (if a small or rural community), Vets, Animal shelters each and every day. EVERY DAY, without fail. Don't ever forget, that if picked up, she may only (AS A STRAY) have a couple of days to live in animal shelters, pounds, etc.

She is probably on the move. Lost, lonely and scared. If not buddied up with a kind and caring person or at least having access to food and shelter, she is on the move.  NOTE: Many dogs and cats will stay in close proximity to where they escaped!!!

Always offer a REWARD on the posters, over the radio, in the newspapers, etc. Even if someone is keeping her on their property, usually they will respond to a person’s efforts to get the dog returned to them. No posters, no ads, nothing, then they may very well think no one cares about the dog and keep it for sure or worse case scenario, have it destroyed as unwanted because they can’t keep it.