Doggy Dundee

“Buncher” Theft and Unattended Dogs

Don’t let the warmer Spring and Summer temperatures tempt you to leave your dog unattended in the yard or at a store while shopping. Now is the “high season” for bunchers to do their work.

What’s A Buncher?

Bunchers are regular looking people whose business is stealing dogs. They patrol towns and cities in groups of twos or threes to steal family pets. They check out yards or shopping areas where dogs are left unattended and may even stake out an area to figure out family routines, etc.   When they get a “bunch” they can sell the dogs to research labs, dog fighters (who use the domesticated animal as “bait”), or to (unsavory) people who skin the dogs for their pelts which are then incorporated into clothing (yes, this does take place in this country – Grrrrrr…). 

Bunchers can earn $200 to $400 for a dog, since, for example, a single dog fighting purse can ring in $20,o0o to $50,000, or that research labs find it easier to work with domesticated dogs (Grrrrrr…).  There’s also some concern that the bad economy may cause some desperate people to grasp  onto this relatively easy way of making money.

A Dog Can Be Snatch In Seconds

Don’t let it happen! If you leave the house, keep your dog locked safely inside the house or garage. Don’t keep your dog outside in the yard ( leashed or unleashed) unless you are right there where you can see the pooch (hey, lounging outside is a nice way to get a tan and some R&R) and have a lock on your gate. Tying your pet outside a store is definitely risky. Naturally, allowing your dog to “roam” the neighborhood as some people do every day is a not good — for lots reasons — but now there’s this to consider. 

Love your dog? Then keep your mate safe!  You can do a Google search to learn more about bunchers – but make sure your dog is beside you while you’re surfing the web. (I received this seasonal reminder from Lisa Curtis, CEO of Bow Wow gifts – Thanks Lisa)

Fond Wishes & God’s Love to Dog Pals Gone

Few words, just lots of love to these two beautiful dogs - Zulu and Karma -who are no longer available in the physical to bless any of us. Humanity is the poorer for it…Say prayers for them both, please.

Zulu-Great_Dog!

Zulu – a great dog and strong dog who yearned for so much love and didn’t find enough here.

and

Karma-Powerful Pup

Karma – a playful pup and so strong, yet became sick and couldn’t wait any longer.

Diligent Owners Pick Up Their Lost Dog

Most of the time, Doggy Dundee is just there allowing things to unfold…

"G'day," from Chase

It was just another late afternoon on a weekend when Chase and I happened upon a dog we’ll call Toddy for the purpose of this tale. She was a bitzer (that’s Aussie for a bit of this and bit of that…), shaggy, brown/black/gray with a great face but tired eyes and legs about to give out.  Nice lass, but no tag on her. Grrrrrr….

Well, we had a nice bit of a greeting on the grass with lots of petting and playing.  Then, the three of us started off again on our way back to my home, but I decided to stop and ask a coffee shop owner for a bowl of water for the gal – Natch, Chase, too.  (That stop was ordained, me thinks, coz the timing allowed a confluence of entities to meet up.)

A bit later, we started off again and turned a corner only to be shocked “s—less” by the screeching brakes of an SUV that was now halted in the middle of the street. “There you are!,” came the cry as the driver’s door swung open, a large fellow jumped out of one door, a woman out the passenger side, the bitzer danced a jig, they grabbed the leash, unlatched the clasp, the dog jumped in the cab, followed by the two humans and off they drove without even a “G’day” or “Thanks heaps.”

At least I had my leash still in hand.  Ah well, that’s what we’re here for.

Lost Llapsa Apso Attacked by Greek Dog Pack

There’s no worse feeling than knowing you have to do something to save a living being and be totally unable to do anything!

Greek Strays

It was May 2008. I was bound for the island of Patmos, standing on the rear exterior deck on the third level of a ship due to set sail from the Port of Piraeus on an approximate 10 hour journey that wouldn’t dock until midnight.  The last of the commercial trucks had been squeezed into the ship’s hold, and arguments were breaking out between officials and the truck drivers whom they were turning away due to max’d capacity.  My eyes were drawn away from the human drama of discord, though, by movement rushing down along the shoreline’s dock road.

Down the all but deserted seaside drive ran a lost dog, a Llapso Apso,  fast, furry, and frantic, every movement – rushing from here to there to over there and back – demonstrating panic and confusion. A pink ribbon dancing around its neck signalled this was probably a female newly lost dog, not one of the tens of thousands of stray dogs for which Athens and Greece is infamous ( but she probably would be now). I imagined this cute Llapso Apso somehow getting separated from her owner travelling on any of the numerous international ships or ferries anywhere in the monstrous port. No ships were docked anywhere in sight of ours, so she’d run quite a ways.

Stray Dog Pack Attack

Then far across the way, strutting from behind a building I spotted three large Greek (more…)

A Nifty Woofer

G’day mates! There’s always a way to tell when someone has a Doggy Dundee spirit. Sometimes it’s that look in their eye or the way they carry themselves or maybe just the tilt of their hat. Well, check out this sport – he’s got it down!

Victor

Nancy sent us this photo of Victor, the 8-year old Border Collie/Queensland healer X who adopted her brother’s family when just a pup. Well, Chase loves that jaunty hat and look in his eye, insisting I depart from our usual path of lost dogs, stray dogs and shelter dogs to show everybody how a Doggy Dundee dead ringer might dress.

Quite the bloke, ain’t he?

According to his aunt, Victor was born in Georgetown, CA. His favorite game is playing footie (that’s soccer in Aussie slang). Got his own ball and at local matches during half-time Victor entertains onlookers by chasing and retrieving his ball. “All the kids love him and with all the soccer balls out, he knows his own. He also loves to travel and seems to understand everything. He’s quite the character.”

Well, of course – Victor’s a doggy dundee – and quite a fun sport!

(More Aussie slang translations for you: Woofer = Dog; and Bloke/Sport/Mate = friend or male friend; and Footie (the ”t” is pronounced as a ”d”) = soccer or football/rugby; and Dead Ringer = likeness/replica/copy).

Another Open Gate Stray Dog Tale

So far, most of the stray dogs Doggy Dundee has found simply went exploring because some human “forgot” about securing a gate – and also “didn’t think” to license or ID tag their dog.

"I'm back. Where's the treats?"

We’ll call this dog Chumpski, a cute, raggedy-looking tan, gray and brown combo of Llapso Apso/Schnauzer/Beagle (at least to my eyes). He was tracing a quirky/curious nose-to-every-scent-on-the-ground path along Talent’s Front Street approaching the tracks where Chase and I stood watching him at 6:45 a.m

When he finally got close, looked up and spotted us, it was panic-time! Back and forth, run away and hustle back, scared-to-death-but-maybe-trust, and all the time the fur flying and the legs skittering at a frenetic pace.  Chase nudged me to go ahead while she hung back. I stepped forward to entice the raggy little sweetie. Thankfully, he was more than happy to hear a friendly voice, munch my offered treat, jump into my arms and lick my face.  Obviously, this little guy hadn’t been gone from home too long. No collar and no ID though. 

Since I already had another dog staying at my house who probably wasn’t (more…)