Can anyone give me advice?

kiowababy2010 · 02-12-2010, 07:54 PM

I think this is the right area to post this, if it's not please let me know and I will post it where it belongs. After reading about the Hollow Hounds, I thought I might post this here. Just a little story, let me know if you have any advice for me. In November, I attended a wedding as maid of honor. Between the ceremony and the reception I came home to check on my hound and my retreiver let them out potty make sure they had water etc. Everything was fine at the house. I locked my door and proceeded to go to the reception which was to be between 8 pm and 11pm. When I returned home, I noticed that my window was broken, my door was ajar, and my back gate was wide open.I called the MP's (I love on a military base) because I was afraid someone might still be in my house. They came in and cleared the property, no one was there anymore, but both of my dogs were gone. My golden retreiver is almost 100 lbs and is protective of my house from strangers. I thought that they may have chased the intruder out, and my hound had followed since they are inseperable. I made a report at the MP station, and looked all around our neighborhood for them. No luck. I called the Humane Society first thing in the morning and reported them lost/taken and their microchip numbers.About an hour after the Humane Society officially opened, the volunteer desk clerk who I had originally spoke to called and said she thought they had them there. I immediatley got into my car and drove over there. After I told them the dogs I was looking for, a woman who works for the humane society told me she would go and look for them. She didn't return for almost an hour. She told me that she believed she had my Golden but not my hound, which seemed odd to me since they are always together. She led me past the adoption cages (which were very well kept) and back to a "holding" area. the area was horrible. All of the dogs were wet,and barking, no food or water was present, they were dirty and it smelled horrible.I walked down the kennels, where I found my retreiver, with another retreiver who was very old, and could hardly stand. there was a 1/4 inch of standing water in the kennel. The woman tried to tell me that BOTH of the retreivers were my dogs, when I informed her that NO that only one was and my other dog is a hound, she told me I could look up and down the kennels but there were no Basset Hounds there.(This after she told me to give her a description of what a basset hound looked like) I looked up and down the kennels and sure enough she wasn't there. As I walked out of that area with my golden, I asked what was behind the other gate that was down the hall. She said that is the area tat unadoptable dogs or dogs who hadn't been adopted go before being euthanized. As I walked past all of the barking, I heard the unmistakable sound of a hound bay.I asked her if I could go back there and look for her she said NO, it was for employees only.My golden was tugging at the leash toward the door as well, so I proceeded to push my way past the humane society worker, and go behind the doors. The baying kept going, and as I ran down the kennel lines, there my hound was sitting in the last kennel, with a tag on the door that said, "reserved" and listed her breed as a "terrier" I demanded the woman open the kennel and when she refused I took liberty to do it myself. She claimed that MY dog belonged to the manager, and there was no microchip on her and my dog must be another one they didn't have. Now, I KNOW my dog, not to mention hounds are VERY scarce where I live,and I know many people dying to get their hands on one.I put her on the leash and proceeded to walk out when I was stopped by an officer. I then proceeded to tell them what happened, and I asked for them to scan for a microchip and the license number that was on her tag(they had never removed her collar that had my NAME AND PHONE listed on it) The officer agreed since I could prove the phone number was mine on her collar, by showing him my out of state cell phone number on my cell.Sure enough everything matched up and the officer released her to me. I am sure someone at the humane society decided they wanted her and put her in the back thinking I wouldn't find her.2 questions... 1. How do I go about getting the humane society to clean up their act with the kennels being horrible, and 2. How can I make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else??? I already contacted local breeders of all different breeds(whom most emailed me back), and wrote letters to a few different places, without a return from them, including the humane society. It is the only humane society in Oahu. Please let me know if you have any ideas, or information that may help! Thanks

vb3 · 02-13-2010, 09:09 AM

Is the Humane Society branch on the base where you live? If so, I would begin operation Raise Hell with every superior officer you come across. Even if it isn't you can use the base's public relations office to your advantage, and I would start contacting every news agency in your area. I'd also give them the names of the Humane Society employee and officer, and maybe even file a police report. As for the Humane Society maybe check their national web site and see if there is a way to report this? At the least I wouldn't be leaving my hound alone anymore.

murraysmom · 02-13-2010, 02:43 PM

I'd call your local t.v station and newspapers- taking your story to a public forum would not only inform folks about what happened, but could lead to an investigation if there is enough public outcry.

I'm glad you got your dogs back. Please keep us posted.

kiowababy2010 · 02-13-2010, 04:48 PM

Hey guys, Thanks for the responses! No, the Humane society is not on the base, and I am actually afraid that if I was to take it to the news, well it would get pushed aside. I live in Hawaii, and I am in the military. It seems alot of times, things that happen like that don't get the attention they deserve because we are military, and the ONLY humane society here, is going to have all of the local backers and it will be a military vs. hawaii problem again. There are a TON of local people here that I love and who are great supporters, and are good friends of mine. There is also alot of people that can't stand that the military is in Hawaii, and want nothing more than to kick us out, and become their own nation again, and not part of the United States. I'm just worried should I bring it to local news stations that it will turn into another hawaii vs military, and not what it should be, it should be taking care of the dogs that are there, and making sure this NEVER happens to anyone else again!

vb3 · 02-13-2010, 06:52 PM

So to be clear: was anything stolen or just a break-in and missing dogs? Was there anything worth stealing, like big-screen tvs?

As for the Hawaii vs. military thing, I would still try the news agencies. I'm doing my PhD research on an Air Force base in Oklahoma, and while we enjoy a really good relationship with the surrounding community, we still were very careful to craft our interactions with media outlets to make sure we stayed on topic and emphasized the important information. If you do end up going to the media make sure they video your dogs - I mean c'mon, who doesn't love a basset? And make it clear to any reporter that you aren't trying to make a big deal out of it from a military perspective - your dogs were basically stolen from you, and the only reason you got them back is because you were damn persistent about it.

I'd also ask your base's animal control officers - if they have any - if they got any reports on your dogs. They might've been the ones who were called in to pick them up and take them to the Humane Society. That happens a lot on our base, I see people's dogs running around all the time and let the USDA-APHIS guys know about it. They would be in the environmental management office, or its equivalent. The MP might also have a way to contact the right people.

Good luck and keep that girl safe!

kiowababy2010 · 02-14-2010, 11:41 PM

there were a few small things from outside of the housse that had been taken, there are big screens and expensive things in my home, but they are in the front part of the house, they broke in through the back door,into the kitchen area my dogs were sleeping just to the side of the kitchen area, probably heard the commotion, and woke up and proceeded to protect the house, lol. There were no reports made to the MP's about my dogs that night, and we have a horrible problem here in Hawaii with people stealing dogs. There is a TON of backyard breeding and puppy milling here, and there are NO basset breeders on the island anymore. My back gate also had a dead bolt lock on it and is a 7 foot privacy fence. My neighbor had told the police that he had seen some people milling around there earlier around my driveway in the back, but thought they were part of the wedding party, since multiple families from the neighborhood were attending the wedding.I was told that my dogs were brought in by a woman and dropped off, so I'm not sure exactly what to do at this point or if there is anything I can do!!!

Lightning&Stomps · 02-16-2010, 01:25 PM

I'm glad you got your dogs back. I would go to the media. The worst that can happen is that they don't cover it. And why do you even have to mention (initially at least) that you live on the military base? This is about how the pound dealt with you and your dogs, not the initial robbery. I wouldn't even mention that in your letter or voicemail to the local papers, radio stations, etc.

BassetLover7 · 02-20-2010, 09:28 PM

Phew.... thank goodness you didn't take no for an answer and got your beloved hound back as well as your retriever!!!

ChelseaBraelynn · 02-22-2010, 08:14 PM

I agree with everyone else, as far as contacting everyone and their Mom, over this. I would go on dog web sites/chat boards, write letters and make phone calls. That manager and employee need to be FIRED.

ChelseaBraelynn · 02-22-2010, 08:17 PM

Oh, and to VB3..just curious..but how the heck does one go about never leaving their dog alone again? I guess doggie day care, and pay a babysitter $10.00 an hour to sit with your dog for a few hours everytime you attend an appt or event? Wow. lol.

02-12-2010, 07:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
kiowababy2010 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 6	Can anyone give me advice? I think this is the right area to post this, if it's not please let me know and I will post it where it belongs. After reading about the Hollow Hounds, I thought I might post this here. Just a little story, let me know if you have any advice for me. In November, I attended a wedding as maid of honor. Between the ceremony and the reception I came home to check on my hound and my retreiver let them out potty make sure they had water etc. Everything was fine at the house. I locked my door and proceeded to go to the reception which was to be between 8 pm and 11pm. When I returned home, I noticed that my window was broken, my door was ajar, and my back gate was wide open.I called the MP's (I love on a military base) because I was afraid someone might still be in my house. They came in and cleared the property, no one was there anymore, but both of my dogs were gone. My golden retreiver is almost 100 lbs and is protective of my house from strangers. I thought that they may have chased the intruder out, and my hound had followed since they are inseperable. I made a report at the MP station, and looked all around our neighborhood for them. No luck. I called the Humane Society first thing in the morning and reported them lost/taken and their microchip numbers.About an hour after the Humane Society officially opened, the volunteer desk clerk who I had originally spoke to called and said she thought they had them there. I immediatley got into my car and drove over there. After I told them the dogs I was looking for, a woman who works for the humane society told me she would go and look for them. She didn't return for almost an hour. She told me that she believed she had my Golden but not my hound, which seemed odd to me since they are always together. She led me past the adoption cages (which were very well kept) and back to a "holding" area. the area was horrible. All of the dogs were wet,and barking, no food or water was present, they were dirty and it smelled horrible.I walked down the kennels, where I found my retreiver, with another retreiver who was very old, and could hardly stand. there was a 1/4 inch of standing water in the kennel. The woman tried to tell me that BOTH of the retreivers were my dogs, when I informed her that NO that only one was and my other dog is a hound, she told me I could look up and down the kennels but there were no Basset Hounds there.(This after she told me to give her a description of what a basset hound looked like) I looked up and down the kennels and sure enough she wasn't there. As I walked out of that area with my golden, I asked what was behind the other gate that was down the hall. She said that is the area tat unadoptable dogs or dogs who hadn't been adopted go before being euthanized. As I walked past all of the barking, I heard the unmistakable sound of a hound bay.I asked her if I could go back there and look for her she said NO, it was for employees only.My golden was tugging at the leash toward the door as well, so I proceeded to push my way past the humane society worker, and go behind the doors. The baying kept going, and as I ran down the kennel lines, there my hound was sitting in the last kennel, with a tag on the door that said, "reserved" and listed her breed as a "terrier" I demanded the woman open the kennel and when she refused I took liberty to do it myself. She claimed that MY dog belonged to the manager, and there was no microchip on her and my dog must be another one they didn't have. Now, I KNOW my dog, not to mention hounds are VERY scarce where I live,and I know many people dying to get their hands on one.I put her on the leash and proceeded to walk out when I was stopped by an officer. I then proceeded to tell them what happened, and I asked for them to scan for a microchip and the license number that was on her tag(they had never removed her collar that had my NAME AND PHONE listed on it) The officer agreed since I could prove the phone number was mine on her collar, by showing him my out of state cell phone number on my cell.Sure enough everything matched up and the officer released her to me. I am sure someone at the humane society decided they wanted her and put her in the back thinking I wouldn't find her.2 questions... 1. How do I go about getting the humane society to clean up their act with the kennels being horrible, and 2. How can I make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else??? I already contacted local breeders of all different breeds(whom most emailed me back), and wrote letters to a few different places, without a return from them, including the humane society. It is the only humane society in Oahu. Please let me know if you have any ideas, or information that may help! Thanks __________________ In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." - Edward Hoagland Loving mom one female drool-slinger, and one very rambunctious and a bit crazy male Golden.

02-13-2010, 04:48 PM	#4 (permalink)
kiowababy2010 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 6	Hey guys, Thanks for the responses! No, the Humane society is not on the base, and I am actually afraid that if I was to take it to the news, well it would get pushed aside. I live in Hawaii, and I am in the military. It seems alot of times, things that happen like that don't get the attention they deserve because we are military, and the ONLY humane society here, is going to have all of the local backers and it will be a military vs. hawaii problem again. There are a TON of local people here that I love and who are great supporters, and are good friends of mine. There is also alot of people that can't stand that the military is in Hawaii, and want nothing more than to kick us out, and become their own nation again, and not part of the United States. I'm just worried should I bring it to local news stations that it will turn into another hawaii vs military, and not what it should be, it should be taking care of the dogs that are there, and making sure this NEVER happens to anyone else again! __________________ In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." - Edward Hoagland Loving mom one female drool-slinger, and one very rambunctious and a bit crazy male Golden.

02-14-2010, 11:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
kiowababy2010 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 6	there were a few small things from outside of the housse that had been taken, there are big screens and expensive things in my home, but they are in the front part of the house, they broke in through the back door,into the kitchen area my dogs were sleeping just to the side of the kitchen area, probably heard the commotion, and woke up and proceeded to protect the house, lol. There were no reports made to the MP's about my dogs that night, and we have a horrible problem here in Hawaii with people stealing dogs. There is a TON of backyard breeding and puppy milling here, and there are NO basset breeders on the island anymore. My back gate also had a dead bolt lock on it and is a 7 foot privacy fence. My neighbor had told the police that he had seen some people milling around there earlier around my driveway in the back, but thought they were part of the wedding party, since multiple families from the neighborhood were attending the wedding.I was told that my dogs were brought in by a woman and dropped off, so I'm not sure exactly what to do at this point or if there is anything I can do!!! __________________ In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." - Edward Hoagland Loving mom one female drool-slinger, and one very rambunctious and a bit crazy male Golden.

02-22-2010, 08:14 PM	#9 (permalink)
ChelseaBraelynn Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 5	I agree with everyone else, as far as contacting everyone and their Mom, over this. I would go on dog web sites/chat boards, write letters and make phone calls. That manager and employee need to be FIRED. __________________ Donna Mommy to: Chelsea Braelynn (Basset, born 12/1/09) Shadow (Pug-Basset Mix, Born 10/15/98)

02-22-2010, 08:17 PM	#10 (permalink)
ChelseaBraelynn Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Newark, Delaware Posts: 5	Oh, and to VB3..just curious..but how the heck does one go about never leaving their dog alone again? I guess doggie day care, and pay a babysitter $10.00 an hour to sit with your dog for a few hours everytime you attend an appt or event? Wow. lol. __________________ Donna Mommy to: Chelsea Braelynn (Basset, born 12/1/09) Shadow (Pug-Basset Mix, Born 10/15/98)

02-13-2010, 09:09 AM	#2 (permalink)
vb3 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Missouri Posts: 474	Is the Humane Society branch on the base where you live? If so, I would begin operation Raise Hell with every superior officer you come across. Even if it isn't you can use the base's public relations office to your advantage, and I would start contacting every news agency in your area. I'd also give them the names of the Humane Society employee and officer, and maybe even file a police report. As for the Humane Society maybe check their national web site and see if there is a way to report this? At the least I wouldn't be leaving my hound alone anymore.

02-13-2010, 02:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
murraysmom Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: southcentral Pa. Posts: 2,215	I'd call your local t.v station and newspapers- taking your story to a public forum would not only inform folks about what happened, but could lead to an investigation if there is enough public outcry. I'm glad you got your dogs back. Please keep us posted.

02-13-2010, 06:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
vb3 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Missouri Posts: 474	So to be clear: was anything stolen or just a break-in and missing dogs? Was there anything worth stealing, like big-screen tvs? As for the Hawaii vs. military thing, I would still try the news agencies. I'm doing my PhD research on an Air Force base in Oklahoma, and while we enjoy a really good relationship with the surrounding community, we still were very careful to craft our interactions with media outlets to make sure we stayed on topic and emphasized the important information. If you do end up going to the media make sure they video your dogs - I mean c'mon, who doesn't love a basset? And make it clear to any reporter that you aren't trying to make a big deal out of it from a military perspective - your dogs were basically stolen from you, and the only reason you got them back is because you were damn persistent about it. I'd also ask your base's animal control officers - if they have any - if they got any reports on your dogs. They might've been the ones who were called in to pick them up and take them to the Humane Society. That happens a lot on our base, I see people's dogs running around all the time and let the USDA-APHIS guys know about it. They would be in the environmental management office, or its equivalent. The MP might also have a way to contact the right people. Good luck and keep that girl safe!

02-16-2010, 01:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
Lightning&Stomps Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Versailles, Ky. Posts: 1,075	I'm glad you got your dogs back. I would go to the media. The worst that can happen is that they don't cover it. And why do you even have to mention (initially at least) that you live on the military base? This is about how the pound dealt with you and your dogs, not the initial robbery. I wouldn't even mention that in your letter or voicemail to the local papers, radio stations, etc.

02-20-2010, 09:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
BassetLover7 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 4	Phew.... thank goodness you didn't take no for an answer and got your beloved hound back as well as your retriever!!!

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