Lost Dog?

This sounds like a great service: for a fee, "Find Toto" will call neighbors within area that you request. (I'd gladly annoy the neighbors if it helped me find my lost dog (or cat)!)

http://www.findtoto.com/

Interesting. Finnegan has an Avid microchip. I'm trying to convince mom to get Kirby one as well.

Annie has a Home Again microchip. (Hope I chose correctly because she spends some time in Canada as well as the US, and I wanted the chip most likely to be detected in both places!) But, as I understand it, runaway dogs are likely to first be taken in by somebody within a mile or so, and you have a chance to recover them then. I like the idea of a double net!

This summer, a pair of runaway beagles were taken in two miles from a neighbor's home. The neighbor had papered our rural mailboxes with notices, but didn't distribute them THAT far! Happily, word of mouth travelled a little further, and the good Samaritan returned the dogs. "Find Toto" seems like a great update of the old "Lost Pet" notices on telephone poles--it uses the telephone poles far more effectively it appears! {:>

Thanks so much for this post. The name of the website being so ironic since my doggies name is Toto. Once of my dear friends has lost her dog. We fear it was stolen. She had both of her dogs (her 3 year old Miniature Schnuazer and 12 year old mix) in the gated back yard. She left for approx. 30 minutes to run to the store. When she got home she found the gate open, and the older dog on the front stoop, and no sign of the other one. It was the week before Christmas. No sign of her dear furbaby as of yet. I just sent her the link. A few people have given her grief about leaving her dogs alone in the backyard. What position do ya'll have on leaving your dog or dogs in the backyard with a latched gate when nobody is home. Is that ok to do? (I live in a condo. No backyard) I will say that when I put toto out on my screened-in porch with my front door open, I lock the screen door eventhough I'm on the second floor. Before Toto if I had my front door open to catch a breeze, I never worried about locking the screen door. So I'm not sure what I would do if I had a backyard, interested in your opinions.

Maybe there isn't much dog theft in America? I don't know about that and it's certainly not that common over here but it does happen now and again and there is nothing on earth that would ever induce me to leave my boy in the garden if there was nobody home - despite the fact that both gates are kept padlocked. I don't really even understand the question. Why would people do that? Surely the dog's house trained? Does it have some problem with being indoors? I don't mean this as a criticism of anyone who has dashed to the shops now and again and thought it would be okay; we all do things we regret later - but why anyone would actually plan to do this is beyond me. You stick with it lj - I think you're absolutely right to put your dog's safety first. Skeelo loves to pootle round the garden when I'm here to keep an eye on him but it doesn't do him any harm to come in if I have to go out for a while.

If we did have a fence, I wouldn't leave Annie outside while I was gone for fear of critters such as coyotes and fishers.

Annie (a Jack Russell Terrier) is rarely off leash. The breed has a long lifespan potential, but the #1 cause of death is by car. Experienced owners suggest only JRTs with 150% recall be allowed off leash, and I'm pretty sure Annie would desert me for a robin, never mind a cottontail or deer!

We have a backyard that has one side open. We let Pepper out back but never alone. One of us is always out there with her when she is out there either holding her attention or blocking the only exit. She's a good girl and will come with just a kiss noise, but if something really exciting catches her attention she'll be gone. We also have a screened in porch on our 2nd floor apartment (we live in a 2 family house) and while she is allowed out there any time she wants when we're awake and home that door stays firmly closed at night and while we're gone. I don't care how long i'm leaving. My husband and I are hoping to buy a house soon and are looking for a fully fenced in backyard but that's just so if she wants to go out on like say an insanely cold day like today, she can just as long as we're home to keep an eye on her. But I know what it's like to just think oh i'm just running out quickly i'll be right back and not taking every precaution. My car has been ticketed and broken into because i've thought like that. I think that's made me over cautious about all those little things, that can turn into big regrets.

Thanks for the input. Booksloth the reason for the question is the fact that my friend in question is amazed that some people wonder why she left her dogs outside, she has led me to believe that "everyone" does it, so I thought maybe it was what dog owners do who have backyards. Even if a bunch of people said "Oh yeah we always leave the dogs outside when we leave" I know that if I had a backyard I would never do that. Even my Neice with Toto's brother Teddy doesn't leave the house with the dog outside. Teddy has a habit of getting out of the backyard since they have alot of kids who are constantly going in and out of the and inevitably the gate gets left open, but he usually winds up in the front yard barking to be let in. I too would worry about the car situation as margd does. My Toto runs pretty darn fast and he would dart right out into traffic if he was after a duck or a squirrel. He knows stop, but it is not reinfoced enough for it to be 100%. There happens tso be alot of dog theft in South Florida where my friend lives. Especially around the holidays. We can only pray that someone stole her dog to sell to someone who is loving and caring for it. Thanks for the feedback

Actually, a lot of dog owners do leave their dogs outside. We don't, because our dogs are inside dogs and we don't have a fenced yard. Kirby does stay on his steak/lead during the warmer months for a while at a time, but we're always home and keeping an eye on him. If we had a fence, the only way I would leave them out was if the fence was locked and it was dog proof (there are special fences that are made for dogs so they will not dig out).

#8 I think I worded that badly - sorry. I knew you must have a good reason for asking, I just couldn't understand why your friend would think it's a good thing to do. I have heard of dogs being stolen from fenced and locked gardens and from kennels - not often, but it happens. My own view is that the only place he ever goes that is out of my sight (or with another family member) is safe indoors.

Dogs left outside unattended can develop barking habits that annoy neighbors. A former colleague of mine was so angry after years of barking, during which his neighbors did nothing in spite of his repeated complaints, that he took the dog on a one-way trip to the country. Yes, I was shocked that he did so--and that he was unashamed to tell me--but it is yet another risk for dogs with absent and/or irresponsible owners.

I bet you were shocked! Yet, as you point out, it is yet another risk these people take. Unfortunately, people who are upset or annoyed by badly-behaved dogs often make those dogs their target, rather than the owners, who are the ones who really deserve it. Although dogs age physically much more quickly than we do, mentally they rarely progress beyond the brain-power of a three-year-old child. To those who think leaving their dogs in the garden claiming they are safe there, I would just say 'Would you go out to work all day and leave your three-year-old alone in the garden?' If the answer is no then it's not suitable for your dog either.

I would never leave Scottie in the garden while I went out.

When we lived at our previous house a neighbours boy came to get something his brother had thrown over the fence and let Scottie escape. I was home but he didn't knock and ask if he could go in the garden and he didn't latch the gate when he left. The time she was missing was a nightmare of me running around the streets and searching the main road we lived by to see if she had been hit by a car. Luckily a man walking his dog recognised her when she ran up to him and brought her home.

If that can happen while I am home I would hate to think what might happen while I was out. She could have been gone for hours rather than the short time she was missing and I am sure she would have made it to the main road if that had been the case.

She is also a pedigree dog and likely to be stolen for the reward money. We live in an area where that kind of crime happens fairly often, according to our insurance company anyway. They have three types of dog theft, stealing to claim a reward, stealing to order, stealing to use in dog fights.

A neighbour of my parents leaves their dog out all day and it has this sad, lonely and very annoying bark. I know it's not the dogs fault and I feel so sorry for him but after several hours of 'woof....silence...woof' it gets to be a bit like dripping tap torture. I am so tempted to report those people but sadly it would have to be for noise pollution rather than cruelty as the RSPCA have already said it isn't cruelty or neglect.

Former neighbours of ours used to leave their white boxer outside for hours too and he was the same. I once found him tied to a garden bench and he had wound the rope around it so many times he could no longer move. He had also spilled the water they left and it was a really hot day. I climbed the fence to rescue him and had words with them but they were not too bothered. They had a dog trainer who advised them to get him used to being in the car by locking him in it and leaving him, for a minute at first and then leaving him longer and longer until he was calm all the time.

And I am shocked that someone would first steal and abandon a dog and then actually feel so proud as to tell people about it. And I have heard of some people using poison on neighbours pets if they find them annoying too.

Jody - I just wondered whether you realise that the law may have changed regarding that poor barking dog. Not long ago, the RSPCA could only act after cruelty had actually taken place but now they can act if the dog is in a situation that is LIKELY to cause it harm. Very few laws are ever as tight as we would like and I suspect that if the dog has access to water, shelter and, if tethered, has room to stand up/lie down/move around a bit then it still won't qualify but it might be worth a peek through the fence just in case any of these apply. There is seemingly no end to the cruelty and stupidity of some people and the fear is always that if you report someone for noise nuisance their response will be to harm the dog in some way or abandon it, so you end up having to put up with the noise because you care more about its welfare than its owners do but, even to dog-lovers, the constant barking can be a real headache in every sense of the expression.

#12 Well said Booksloth, well said. My friend still hasn't found her dog, and its been a month now, so she and her family are resigned to the fact that she is gone for good. It tears me up inside. I can't even imagine what I would do, or feel like if Toto went missing. Geez. Thanks everyone for posting such interesting info, loved reading it all. I belong to a dog lovers blog and one of the members on it in England had her Dobermans killed (who were outside in kennels) by her neighbor. He apparantly went to jail, or is going to be going to jail. I believe he killed 2 or 3 of her dogs with a knife. I don't know all the details in how that is possible becasue she didn't share many of them, except that it was grusome and heartbreaking. It started alot of chatter on neighbors being cruel to the "next door" dogs. It happens, and certainly would never be something I would ever risk by leaving my dog in the yard while I went out. KIRBYOWNS I agree and the more I talk this up I'm finding an alarming amount of people have no problem leaving their dogs out in the yards unattended a lady at the dogpark said she leaves her dog alone in the yard when she goes to work. That is just amazing to me, and something I certainly never would ever do.

My heart aches for your friends (because, let's face it, we've all done daft things we later regretted) and as for the owner of those poor Dobies - I can't begin to think how she must be feeling. There are some evil people around and it makes me more grateful than ever for all my lovely neighbours who love Skeelo to bits, but it only takes one and sometimes they don't even need a reason. We live adjacent to woods where other people walk and it's not beyond the imagination of some kids (and not only kids, I'm sure) to get their kicks teasing (or worse) any dog they see unsupervised. I wish I could have Skeelo glued permanently to my leg. And I hope the person who kiled those dogs rots in jail and they lose the key.

Booksloth I find double sided tape works better then glue *wink wink*

I have a neighbor who leaves his poor little schnauzer outside late at night and when it is very cold. The dog has their porch and a make do cover over the porch and is tied. Last night when it was 34 degrees F and 8:15 poor little dog was barking in that high pitched way that you know means: help. I wrote the data down, I'm going to start collecting specific incidents and then call the authorities. I am sure these neighbors have been "talked to" before, but perhaps another talking to would not hurt.

Rude, ignorant, unkind people!

Good for you Maggie1944, there is not excuse for that. Schnauzers are not of the working or herding dog breed, IMHO they should not be outside when its that cold. I can't imagine why an owner would ignore the sounds of distress and leave the dog outside. Shame on them, and good job reporting them, which hopefully will cause a change for the better

Yes - another pat on the back for Maggie - it's thanks to people who are willing to do this that more dogs aren't suffering.

What I really don't understand is why these people have a dog at all. I even heard recently of a man who gets a dog every winter and keeps it in a kennel at a friend's house. While it is there he takes it out about once a week. By the summer he is fed up with it and dumps it on some rescue society, only to get another when the next winter comes! Unfortunately, this was a second-hand story and I don't know who the person concerned is (they live around 400 miles away from me), though I do have a friend who is on the case. Unfortunately, there is no requirement in law for an animal to have a stable, long-term relationship with a caring owner and I suspect this man will fall outside the remit of the protection agencies but what I'm really wondering is what on earth people like this get out of having a dog in the first place?

Those of us who love our pets know that all the pleasure we get from them comes from our close relationship with them. We enjoy the cuddles, the walks, the company etc and those things reinforce our relationship with the dogs but why does anyone buy an animal (often at a considerable price, though I doubt that applies in this man's case) just so that they can leave it outside, have virtually no further contact with it and basically ignore it? Does anyone have any theories? It's not as if anyone has to have a pet, after all.

I think the reason this family has two dogs which they keep outside way too much is because they are paranoid and afraid someone is coming to their house to do evil deeds. Truth is that they did have a bomb scare last year. Someone had placed a bomb in some vegetation in front of their house. Police came and it was removed safely.

Now why would such a family be paranoid? Certainly not because the Animal Control people visit too often. Dog was crying again last night, frosty night, and it was just before 10 pm. Dark and cold. Poor baby.

Here's a group which will send an anonymous note for you to owners of perpetually chained or penned dogs. For Valentine's Day, they are sending handmade Valentines and some dog treats with their gentle (anonymous) intercessions.

http://www.dogsdeservebetter.org

Great idea - though I suspect most of the people who do this just wouldn't care (even assuming they can read in the first place) but even if it manages to stop just one person doing it out of thoughtlessness it has to be worth a try.

Thats for that website I will check it out. There is a neighbor in my complex who has a GSD. The owner doesn't work, or hardly leave the house, and she NEVER walks the dog. (we live in condo's in South Florida so no backyard) in fact she walks to the bottom of her steps and stands on her bottom step and lets the dog walk about 10 feet away to the grass where he does his business, and then right back up the stairs. My heart just breaks. He appears perfectly normal and doesn't look very old, so I can't imagine the reasoning behind never ever walking your dog unless there were some health issues. Especially a GSD. I can hardly even type this as my blood is boiling. We've called the local Humane Society who told me they could not spare the manpower to come out and investigate as it does not constitute abuse or neglect, just poor judgment. WHAT??? OK I'm done venting. Any ideas?

What about the owner? Is it possible that she has health issues that prevent her doing the walking? Not that that is of any help to the dog, I know, but might make it a little more understandable and might even make the owner a bit more open to offers of help.

But really, I bet there's actually no excuse other than laziness. German Shepherds must be properly exercised if they are not going to be prone to joint problems later in life (well, that's true of all breeds but even more so for GSDs) so it is a serious matter and not just a question of the dog having the normal fun on walks that all dogs should have. The trouble is that an awful lot of people think it is a good idea to get a dog like a shepherd to 'guard' while maybe their husband is away a lot or they are single or bringing up children alone and they never give a moment's thought to how they are going to meet the dog's needs, especially if they can't leave the house themselves for some reason to provide proper exercise.

I wish I knew the answer to the problem, ljr, but I'm afraid most people who do this take great offence at being told they are doing something wrong (probably because they know, deep down inside, that it's true). Could you get to know the owner a bit better by stopping to chat every now and again so that it might be more natural later to bring the subject up tactfully? Do you know any of her friends or neighbours who might be able to say something to her? If she's more or less a stranger to you the she's almost bound to take anything you say as unwanted interference, however good your intentions. And maybe if you did get chatting and found out a bit more about her circumstances there might even eventually be an opportunity for you to mention someone you know who would be willing to give the dog a really good home if you can do that in a helpful way - never rule out the posibility that some of these owners might be only too pleased to get rid of an animal they are regretting haven taken on in the first place and it's always easier to suggest these things as a friend than as a stranger.

I do understand how dificult you will probably find it to try and make friends with someone who, right now, you feel like hitting with a brick, but telling people off almost never works however much we all wish it did.

Good luck! Great to know the dog has someone on his/her side at least.

Booksloth thank you for such thought provoking words. You are correct in everything you say. To be honest since I'm a few buildings down from her and I usually wallk my Toto in the opporsite direction I never really noticed her or her dog until another until I met a woman named Tanya at the dogpark who it turns out lives in the same complex as me, and she started telling me of the dog across the courtyard. She lives directly across the street, and said that the woman seems to be up until all hours of the night, with music blaring, and people coming and going. She also mentioned that she seems to go "clubbing" alot. I too think it could be possible that the woman herself has some health issues, if that is the case (and I certainly hope that she is in fact well) I wish that she would realize the harm she is causing her poor dog. It seems a few neighbors have engaged her and she has told them to mind their own business and she stated "It's only a dog". People who see her on a daily basis letting the dog out at the bottom of the stairs have said that the dog has appeared to have "atrophied" right before their eyes. I guess the continued alarming appearancce of the dog and that statement she made is what has prompted the calls to the Humane Society. We also understand that she was cited a few times by law enforcement since she never picks up after the dog and the downstairs neighbor had to turn her in. We will continue to try to make sure the poor dog is or gets taken care of propertly, even at the risk of angering the owner. Kind of like "better to be safe than sorry" Will post any new updates.

Oh dear - that 'It's only a dog' comment is a real red light, isn't it? It sounds as if her health issues may be mental rather than physical ones. If she's able to go out clubbing all night then you'd think she might also be able to walk her dog. What with the extra information you've given there it sounds like neglect to me and all I can think of is that you get together with those other concerned neighbours and make a real nuisance of yourselves with the Humane Society (excuse a Brit's ignorance - is that the same as the ASPCA? Or does that mean there is another organisation you could try?) Maybe if a few of you could get together and list all the things you are worried about, then each make calls, they might take a bit more notice? I believe that over here (and I may be completely wrong) they are more or less obliged to investigate after a certain number of people have complained. I wish I could think of something more to suggest - quite apart from the deprivation this animal must be suffering, no dog should have to live with an owner who thinks 'it's only a dog'. I really do wish you all the luck inthe world with this one. Please let us know how you get on.

I in no way support this woman's treatment of her dog but I do want to offer a slightly different point of view. Many people who first had dogs in a rural setting view their dogs very differently than those for whom the dogs are our family members. Many cultures see dogs as working beings which only have value to the extent that they do their work: guarding, herding, killing vermin. Many cultures can hardly imagine allowing a dog in the house. When the overworked and underfunded animal welfare agencies decline to get involved in cases which are not dramatically cases of abuse or severe neglect it is in part because the role of animals in human life is changing, but only slowly. Agencies which are already overwhelmed with too much to do with too few resources are not well served by neighborhoods hounding them with complaints about a situation which they have already indicated they can not take action on.

Point taken, Maggie, but whatever the owner's view, neglecting to exercise a dog properly isn't just a matter for their opinion. All dogs need proper exercise and some breeds which can be predisposed to joint problems need it even more than the others. Of course the role of dogs has been changed but, thanks to human intervention, the dogs themselves have also changed too. 50 years ago a GSD that worked all day stood the chance of being a very healthy dog indeed, but human beings changed that role and chose to breed dogs better adapted to life as a pet. Obviously no-one would wish to take away resources from cruelty cases but, over here at least (and I do accept that British and American welfare organisations may be very different) these organisations are here to educate people into caring properly for their pets as well as intervening when that hasn't worked. Whether it's a case of cruelty or neglect, the end result is still an animal that is suffering.

GOOD NEWS!!! In My Message #4 where I tell you all that my friends dog Zoe was stollen from her back yard, just today (5 months later) they got a call (because the dog is chipped) that someone found her roaming the street and brought her to a Vets about 30 miles South of where they live. My friend left the office to go collect her and I haven't spoken to her except to receive a picture of Zoe back home in her house. I think it is just remarkable. 5 months later and shes back...The Vet had told her that she appears free of fleas but is very dirty and tangled, and under weight and it appears she may have been hit by a car or some other trauma because there appeared to be some bleeding in one of her eyes. Anyway I just wanted to share the news. Miracles do happen....

That's fabulous news - and a really good recommendation for getting our dogs microchipped! Sounds like the poor thing has been through quite a lot so I'm sure she will be very happy to settle back in at home where she is obviously much loved.

I can't think of more wonderful news to start my day! So grateful you posted that ljreader - I'll bet it brings tears to the eyes of everyone who reads it. And great good wishes to your friend; I can only imagine how I would feel in her situation but it's a wonderful story. And yes, if there's anyone reading this who hasn't yet got round to getting their dog/s chipped let's hope this will prompt them to go out and do it today - it's such an easy thing to put off and then forget but SO important!

That news has made my day! I'm so happy for your friend and for Zoe. I have a feeling Zoe is going to get spoiled these next few weeks.

"Found dog" is always a happy story. (The little dog left behind in a popular book depressed me no end. It didn't help that the dog was same breed as mine!)

Have you heard the astonishing story about the Michigan chihuahua who was whisked away by 70mph winds and found a couple days later 3/4 miles away? A pet psychic helped find the pooch... The chihuahua and owners were at a flea market when it happened so I can't disbelieve the Toto-like adventure, but much as I would like to believe in the pet-psychic, that part of the story is a challenge for me... (Pet-psychic could have found the dog and directed owners to it?)

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090427/METRO02/904270379/1361/Wind-tossed+chihu...

(Edited to remove name of the popular book--don't want to be a spoiler!)

Woman's barefoot trail may have led her terrier home:
http://www.freekibble.com/knews.asp