Has anyone dealt with...

Wworm · 11-02-2011, 01:55 PM

... dog going missing?

trying to help someone who's dog got out (it's a long story). they've taken all the steps to look for it, so are on top of that.

but i wonder how difficult it must be to go through something like that? whole family very sad, almost as if the dog died. it's only the first few days right now, so it may turn up still. but right now, everyone's devastated.

how did people cope with something like this? (or if u know someone who went through this) and has anyone dealt with the worst-case scenario of never seeing their dog again...?

does taking time off work for a week sound excessive?
--Worm

Annie714 · 11-02-2011, 02:08 PM

Oh sad

We have no experience with this.

But I don't think taking time off of work to look for a family member is excessive. I'm sure some people would see it that way though.

Kirska · 11-02-2011, 02:15 PM

Have they contacted every animal shelter in the radius of a couple hours? Dogs can travel far. It's not unheard of to slip a worker a $20 bill to be on the look out.

Should also call every vet in the same radius, post on craigslist and petfinder, flyers at dog parks, pet supply stores, etc.

Our boxer growing up used to disappear for up to two weeks at a time. Eventually he would just show up on the doorstep again.

I don't know about taking off work for a week (depends on the boss/company), but I would say a week missing is way too short to give up hope and declare the dog permanently lost.

Kirska · 11-02-2011, 02:20 PM

Also clearly advertise and offer a substantial reward. Many honest folks will refuse to take it anyway.

Barney'spal · 11-02-2011, 02:21 PM

I've often said that the worst thing to happen would be to have a child kidnapped....it's the not knowing and the mental pictures that must go through your head that tears you to shreds. My heart goes out to the people. Dogs are more self-reliant than a child and hopefully he'll be found..What kind of dog is it? Male or female? Neutered? What's the neighborhood like? city or rural? Has it gotten out before? Hopefully, there will be a happy ending to this. A week off work?....everyone has to do things in their own way.

houndmomma · 11-02-2011, 02:46 PM

Oh NO! I’m so sorry for them. I’ve had to deal with it twice in my lifetime – both as a kid and I’m sorry to say I remember both like it was yesterday. And both times someone took our dog.

The first one was a Cockapoo – that we let out do go potty and someone took. Someone saw the car stop by our house and saw Ginger with the person. Even that said for weeks I remember combing through the neighborhood looking for her. She was a great dog that I always remember with fondness – and always have hoped that if they went through the trouble they did to steal her from us – I hoped that they gave her a great live.

The second dog was a German Shepherd that a neighborhood kid took out of our yard. He was the neighborhood troublemaker so it was easy to figure out who took him and I tracked him down to a friend’s house and believe it or not knocked the door down and took my dog back. Needless to say he wasn’t much of a guard dog – just 100lbs of loving.

It’s funny where we live here – I think they’re have been four times that dogs have gotten loose – and people that live in our subdivision have all brought them to our house when they find them wondering the street. And so far we’ve been lucky that all have been reunited with their owners. I guess they all figure since everyone knew Flash – Lucy and Rickie and now Mabel – that we would know whose dog belonged where.

But to answer your question – how do you cope – personally as with Ginger, you just have to imagine the best case outcome – or living with it is hell. And again personally, I wouldn’t think twice about taking the time off – I had a cat once that I took a leave from work because when he was coming close to the end every time I would leave the house he would pull his hair out – so I guess it’s what they can afford and how understanding their boss is. To me it’s the worst when a dog is missing as your imagination can make you go crazy.

Sending out prayers that they find their little guy sooner than later…

Jen~

Soundtrack · 11-02-2011, 04:36 PM

Action as soon as it's determined that the pet is gone is your best bet for getting it back. Think of it as an advertising campaign, you want to make as many people as possible aware of your "product" (missing dog) and wanting to "buy" (keep an eye open and report sightings to you). Posters/flyers with a clear picture and description should be posted/circulated everywhere possible. Offer a reward "for information leading to the return of". Don't just call shelters/pounds, check them out in person - all areas. Notify vets, postal carriers, school bus drivers, anyone you can think of that might see the dog. Kids are often very enthusiastic about lost pets (and the reward) so schools are a good place too.

I've been fortunate that every time I've lost a dog it's also been found. Not knowing what happened would be even worse. Time off work would be warranted in my opinion.

In August Leila and Vina escaped from the yard of a friend where they were visiting for the day. I immediately left work to look for them, and was off the next day as well. We recovered Vina fairly quickly, but Leila was missing for over 24 hours and my imagination was conjuring up all kinds of horrible things.

Boomer's Mom · 11-02-2011, 06:10 PM

When I was in high school, we had a dog that used to run off, and once took off for a month. We searched high and low for him, and because mom was a single parent, she couldn't take time off from work, but us kids would look for him. Would check the local vet, too.

One day, a friend of my mom's saw him, and got him to get in her car and she brought him home to us. He was hungry and skinny, and he never ran away again after that.

He wasn't neutered, so we used to wonder how many little Flash's were running around our town.

bubbad · 11-02-2011, 06:58 PM

Go to neighbors or the closest homes, knock on doors ,give out the flyers.You have to ask people because may see him/her but don't think anything of it.Our first basset Cinnamon,escaped our yard in a nano-second,she was about two,we got reports of the way she was traveling for two days,till she ended up at a little park about four blocks from our house.We figured out she followed the scent of the girls walking to school and walking back from school,ended up at the park because the kids played there sometimes, by that time she was bushed ,once home she slept for two whole days. I also had a rescue dog a couple years ago take off from my fenced yard.He was picked up on the streets of Oklahoma,running all on his own.No one knew how long he had been out there but he was very use to fending for himself.He was not use to people but instead of getting aggressive he would freeze.When I could get him in the house I practially had to force myself on him to give him attention,he never wanted it wiillingly.I had for about a month ,on Feb.4th his adoptive parents were coming to get him,except,the night before my sister-in-law didn't have her key to get in the house so she and her friend went to the back , came in the gate and the friend didn't close the gate. they got in the house by the sunroom sliding door,my SIL never checked the gate knowing full well we had three dogs here. Next morning I'm up to put the dogs out,no reason for me to check the gate ,no one uses it,I let the three dogs out and go back to the bathroom ,come out look out the kitchen window and my heart dropped to my stomach when I saw the gate open and no dogs in the yard. Vinny and Esa are great I called them and they came right to me,they were too busy sniffing to go very far,Buddy,on the other hand saw a big flashing sign that said FREEDOM and took off. I had to tell these people that came for him I didn't have him.We live on a mountain with lots of homes spread out.Long story short,Buddy found territory he liked about a mile away on the other side of the mountain.A huge mansion with several hundred acres of land that could only be reached by driving about 5 miles around the mountain up a private lane.From our area you had to go almost to the top of the mountain and walk through some folks back yards to the land butted up against theirs. Either way it wasn't so easy to get to,and this dog was not going to come to anyone,he didn't know his name,he ran if you got semi-close to him,and the thing was he could live in this environment for quite sometime since he was use to being on his own.We had several ice storms that Feb. he knew how to find shelter,food,etc. We could find his paw prints in the muck but only once got a glimse of him.We,the rescue owner,mansion owner and a neighbor and myself were walking down a trail and before you could say shhh,Buddy had been coming towards us,turned tail and was gone in a flash. We set baited traps for him,the cage kind,he was too smart for that but we did catch a opossium and a cat. People in White Rock Acres,where we live on the mountain would see Buddy from time to time and call me but he was always gone before I got to where he was seen,some people would try to get him to come to them,ahh no.Buddy had no use for people,he could do it all himself. Finally after two months of chasing this dog all over this confounded mountain,he was caught in a maze like trap set buy a dog private eye in April.He is now living with the the adopters.I have not had a rescue since then.

Lightning&Stomps · 11-02-2011, 07:37 PM

Sadly, I've experienced this a couple of times. Once was when I was just a kid, and my family's beloved dog disappeared. We made up flyers, and we mentioned on the flyer that she needed medication (which she did). The man who returned her said he liked her so much that he only returned her because of the fact that she needed medication.

SO...many years later when my beloved Chablis got lost while following me on a trail ride, I immediately plastered the area with flyers saying that she needed medication. She was gone for several days, and I was fearing the worst. Luckily, she had gone to the first house she found, and the woman took her in. I think the woman was a little challenged in the common sense area, because it didn't occur to her to contact the pound, vets, etc. to find her home, although she said she could tell that Chablis was someone's pet (don't ask me why she didn't have dogtags on!). But the woman went for a job interview at a vet's office and saw the flyer! She called me and I was reunited with my sweet girl that afternoon. I've never been so grateful in my life. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't gotten Chablis back. On top of the devastation of losing her would be the guilt of knowing that it was my fault she'd gotten lost. I don't know how I would have lived with that. I really hope your friends find their dog.

11-02-2011, 01:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
Wworm Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Left Coast Posts: 1,972	Has anyone dealt with... ... dog going missing? trying to help someone who's dog got out (it's a long story). they've taken all the steps to look for it, so are on top of that. but i wonder how difficult it must be to go through something like that? whole family very sad, almost as if the dog died. it's only the first few days right now, so it may turn up still. but right now, everyone's devastated. how did people cope with something like this? (or if u know someone who went through this) and has anyone dealt with the worst-case scenario of never seeing their dog again...? does taking time off work for a week sound excessive? --Worm __________________ see what the Worm is up to: http://bassetworm.blogspot.com/

11-02-2011, 02:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
Annie714 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 1,164	Oh sad We have no experience with this. But I don't think taking time off of work to look for a family member is excessive. I'm sure some people would see it that way though. __________________ Blog about the antics of Annie and I. http://thechickandthehound.blogspot.com

11-02-2011, 02:15 PM	#3 (permalink)
Kirska Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 934	Have they contacted every animal shelter in the radius of a couple hours? Dogs can travel far. It's not unheard of to slip a worker a $20 bill to be on the look out. Should also call every vet in the same radius, post on craigslist and petfinder, flyers at dog parks, pet supply stores, etc. Our boxer growing up used to disappear for up to two weeks at a time. Eventually he would just show up on the doorstep again. I don't know about taking off work for a week (depends on the boss/company), but I would say a week missing is way too short to give up hope and declare the dog permanently lost. __________________ Mom to Anabelle and Lila, rescued ladies and Harley, Corgi/Beagle/Basset/?? mutt "Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

11-02-2011, 02:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
Kirska Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 934	Also clearly advertise and offer a substantial reward. Many honest folks will refuse to take it anyway. __________________ Mom to Anabelle and Lila, rescued ladies and Harley, Corgi/Beagle/Basset/?? mutt "Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

11-02-2011, 02:46 PM	#6 (permalink)
houndmomma Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Chicago Posts: 503	Oh NO! I’m so sorry for them. I’ve had to deal with it twice in my lifetime – both as a kid and I’m sorry to say I remember both like it was yesterday. And both times someone took our dog. The first one was a Cockapoo – that we let out do go potty and someone took. Someone saw the car stop by our house and saw Ginger with the person. Even that said for weeks I remember combing through the neighborhood looking for her. She was a great dog that I always remember with fondness – and always have hoped that if they went through the trouble they did to steal her from us – I hoped that they gave her a great live. The second dog was a German Shepherd that a neighborhood kid took out of our yard. He was the neighborhood troublemaker so it was easy to figure out who took him and I tracked him down to a friend’s house and believe it or not knocked the door down and took my dog back. Needless to say he wasn’t much of a guard dog – just 100lbs of loving. It’s funny where we live here – I think they’re have been four times that dogs have gotten loose – and people that live in our subdivision have all brought them to our house when they find them wondering the street. And so far we’ve been lucky that all have been reunited with their owners. I guess they all figure since everyone knew Flash – Lucy and Rickie and now Mabel – that we would know whose dog belonged where. But to answer your question – how do you cope – personally as with Ginger, you just have to imagine the best case outcome – or living with it is hell. And again personally, I wouldn’t think twice about taking the time off – I had a cat once that I took a leave from work because when he was coming close to the end every time I would leave the house he would pull his hair out – so I guess it’s what they can afford and how understanding their boss is. To me it’s the worst when a dog is missing as your imagination can make you go crazy. Sending out prayers that they find their little guy sooner than later… Jen~ __________________ Momma to Lucy age 12 ~ Basset Hound Momma to Rickie age 5 ~ Shi-Poo (don’t tell him though – he thinks he’s a hound dog) Momma to Mabel age -1 ~ Basset Hound Momma to Flash – RIP 2000 ~ 2011 – Gone in body but with me in spirit ~ You will live on forever in my heart baby ~ Je t'aime

11-02-2011, 02:21 PM	#5 (permalink)
Barney'spal Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: northern michigan Posts: 710	I've often said that the worst thing to happen would be to have a child kidnapped....it's the not knowing and the mental pictures that must go through your head that tears you to shreds. My heart goes out to the people. Dogs are more self-reliant than a child and hopefully he'll be found..What kind of dog is it? Male or female? Neutered? What's the neighborhood like? city or rural? Has it gotten out before? Hopefully, there will be a happy ending to this. A week off work?....everyone has to do things in their own way.

11-02-2011, 04:36 PM	#7 (permalink)
Soundtrack Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,582	Action as soon as it's determined that the pet is gone is your best bet for getting it back. Think of it as an advertising campaign, you want to make as many people as possible aware of your "product" (missing dog) and wanting to "buy" (keep an eye open and report sightings to you). Posters/flyers with a clear picture and description should be posted/circulated everywhere possible. Offer a reward "for information leading to the return of". Don't just call shelters/pounds, check them out in person - all areas. Notify vets, postal carriers, school bus drivers, anyone you can think of that might see the dog. Kids are often very enthusiastic about lost pets (and the reward) so schools are a good place too. I've been fortunate that every time I've lost a dog it's also been found. Not knowing what happened would be even worse. Time off work would be warranted in my opinion. In August Leila and Vina escaped from the yard of a friend where they were visiting for the day. I immediately left work to look for them, and was off the next day as well. We recovered Vina fairly quickly, but Leila was missing for over 24 hours and my imagination was conjuring up all kinds of horrible things. __________________ Rosie-Ch Soundtrack Cracklin' Rose CGN AGN RA Am RN TT Melody-Ch Soundtrack Unchained Melody TT Sailor-Ch Soundtrack Expedition Sailor RN TT Chili-Ch Soundtrack Spice Up Your Life Curry-Ch Soundtrack Canadian Brass Pepper-Ch Pennieslogon Living La Vida Loca CGN Vina-Ch Soundtrack Grand Illusion Leila-Ch Soundtrack Almost Paradise Deela-Ch Soundtrack Wink Of An Eye Hermione - Soundtrack Spellbound Eowyn - Soundtrack Rain Dance Last edited by Soundtrack; 11-02-2011 at 04:39 PM.

11-02-2011, 06:10 PM	#8 (permalink)
Boomer's Mom Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Nebraska Posts: 1,736	When I was in high school, we had a dog that used to run off, and once took off for a month. We searched high and low for him, and because mom was a single parent, she couldn't take time off from work, but us kids would look for him. Would check the local vet, too. One day, a friend of my mom's saw him, and got him to get in her car and she brought him home to us. He was hungry and skinny, and he never ran away again after that. He wasn't neutered, so we used to wonder how many little Flash's were running around our town. __________________ Boomer: Born 4/18/2010 Biscuit: Rescued 1/26/12, approx. 2 yo Chez Basset: Come for the kibble, stay for the belly rubs.

11-02-2011, 06:58 PM	#9 (permalink)
bubbad Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Boiling Springs,Pa Posts: 1,347	Go to neighbors or the closest homes, knock on doors ,give out the flyers.You have to ask people because may see him/her but don't think anything of it.Our first basset Cinnamon,escaped our yard in a nano-second,she was about two,we got reports of the way she was traveling for two days,till she ended up at a little park about four blocks from our house.We figured out she followed the scent of the girls walking to school and walking back from school,ended up at the park because the kids played there sometimes, by that time she was bushed ,once home she slept for two whole days. I also had a rescue dog a couple years ago take off from my fenced yard.He was picked up on the streets of Oklahoma,running all on his own.No one knew how long he had been out there but he was very use to fending for himself.He was not use to people but instead of getting aggressive he would freeze.When I could get him in the house I practially had to force myself on him to give him attention,he never wanted it wiillingly.I had for about a month ,on Feb.4th his adoptive parents were coming to get him,except,the night before my sister-in-law didn't have her key to get in the house so she and her friend went to the back , came in the gate and the friend didn't close the gate. they got in the house by the sunroom sliding door,my SIL never checked the gate knowing full well we had three dogs here. Next morning I'm up to put the dogs out,no reason for me to check the gate ,no one uses it,I let the three dogs out and go back to the bathroom ,come out look out the kitchen window and my heart dropped to my stomach when I saw the gate open and no dogs in the yard. Vinny and Esa are great I called them and they came right to me,they were too busy sniffing to go very far,Buddy,on the other hand saw a big flashing sign that said FREEDOM and took off. I had to tell these people that came for him I didn't have him.We live on a mountain with lots of homes spread out.Long story short,Buddy found territory he liked about a mile away on the other side of the mountain.A huge mansion with several hundred acres of land that could only be reached by driving about 5 miles around the mountain up a private lane.From our area you had to go almost to the top of the mountain and walk through some folks back yards to the land butted up against theirs. Either way it wasn't so easy to get to,and this dog was not going to come to anyone,he didn't know his name,he ran if you got semi-close to him,and the thing was he could live in this environment for quite sometime since he was use to being on his own.We had several ice storms that Feb. he knew how to find shelter,food,etc. We could find his paw prints in the muck but only once got a glimse of him.We,the rescue owner,mansion owner and a neighbor and myself were walking down a trail and before you could say shhh,Buddy had been coming towards us,turned tail and was gone in a flash. We set baited traps for him,the cage kind,he was too smart for that but we did catch a opossium and a cat. People in White Rock Acres,where we live on the mountain would see Buddy from time to time and call me but he was always gone before I got to where he was seen,some people would try to get him to come to them,ahh no.Buddy had no use for people,he could do it all himself. Finally after two months of chasing this dog all over this confounded mountain,he was caught in a maze like trap set buy a dog private eye in April.He is now living with the the adopters.I have not had a rescue since then.

11-02-2011, 07:37 PM	#10 (permalink)
Lightning&Stomps Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Versailles, Ky. Posts: 1,203	Sadly, I've experienced this a couple of times. Once was when I was just a kid, and my family's beloved dog disappeared. We made up flyers, and we mentioned on the flyer that she needed medication (which she did). The man who returned her said he liked her so much that he only returned her because of the fact that she needed medication. SO...many years later when my beloved Chablis got lost while following me on a trail ride, I immediately plastered the area with flyers saying that she needed medication. She was gone for several days, and I was fearing the worst. Luckily, she had gone to the first house she found, and the woman took her in. I think the woman was a little challenged in the common sense area, because it didn't occur to her to contact the pound, vets, etc. to find her home, although she said she could tell that Chablis was someone's pet (don't ask me why she didn't have dogtags on!). But the woman went for a job interview at a vet's office and saw the flyer! She called me and I was reunited with my sweet girl that afternoon. I've never been so grateful in my life. I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't gotten Chablis back. On top of the devastation of losing her would be the guilt of knowing that it was my fault she'd gotten lost. I don't know how I would have lived with that. I really hope your friends find their dog.

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