Doggy Dundee

Separation Anxiety: Report Lost Dogs To County Animal Shelters!

The two gorgeous Husky-mix lost dogs pictured on this post were renamed “Silver” and “Juno” by the Jackson County Animal Shelter. They were found together and brought in together, both dogs were obviously “house-mates” and best friends with each other. However, no lost dog report was filed with the shelter, there was no ID on either dog, and no response to the usual “found” listing the animal shelter placed in the Mail Tribune newspaper for several days. Finally, the staff placed both very well-trained dogs in adoption.

Two Reasons This Dog Story Is So Sad

First, Juno was adopted, but, unfortunately, the people did not also adopt Silver. We know Silver (the lighter-colored of the two, who seems to be a Husky-x, and Doggy Dundee is guessing some American Eskimo, too) misses Juno, and also is not very happy about being in the animal shelter versus a home. Silver is a beautiful, joyful, and obedient dog who’d obviously been well-loved and cared for.

Second, several days after Juno’s adoption, someone spotted a Craigs List “lost dog” ad  with those two dogs pictured. “Why didn’t they call us?” the staff wondered, and the staff immediately pulled Silver out of the adoption area, and tried contacting the “lost dog seekers” using the contact information provided via the Craigs List ad. They tried several times. No owner response. For days. Finally, Silver was returned to the adoption area this week, where she is, as of this date, still awaiting a home.

This tragedy of separation could have been avoided and resulted in a happy ending for both dogs if the owners had:

• Reported their lost dogs to the county animal shelter
• Licensed, or ID tagged, and/or a Microchipped on each dog
• Placed “lost dog” ads in the local newspapers (shelter staff will often check those).
• Not assumed that everyone would check a specific (or any) internet site to locate owners of a dog they’d found.

It’s the responsibility of owners to “get the word out” – not the responsibility of stray dog finders to scour the earth for the owner of stray dogs! Your dog will love you for it! Meanwhile, if you’re interested in possibly adopting Silver, contact the Jackson County Animal Shelter on Hwy. 99 in Phoenix, Oregon (Case #K0487). Phone number is 541-774-6654.

Be Prepared to Rescue Lost Dogs & Stray Dogs

Heads up, Mates!  How can you go about helping stray dogs and lost dogs if you’re not prepared? Kind of like being a scout without a compass and flashlight, eh!

That’s why I’m wanting everyone reading Doggy Dundee to be in a good pozzy (that’s “position”) to find out all the steps to being prepared like a Doggy Dundee would – That’ll be the main topic in this month’s newsletter. 

It’ll be a right spiffy newsletter, so head over to the SUBSCRIBE page, and enter your email to receive the newsletter regular. I don’t normally promo the doggy newsletter like this, but my cobbers (that’s “friends”) deserve special notice. It should be published by Sunday, June 7, 2009, so get  your tails waggin’ that way.

What Happens To Wanderin’ Stray Dogs?

It’s a heartbreaker for Doggy Dundee to spot lost dogs we can’t help – The stray’s mind is so focused on “find home” that the dog just gives quick glances back at us and keeps on trucking full-tilt down the road.

Chase and I’ve been known to hop in the car to out-race the stray dog so we can set ourselves up ahead with treats to entice him, but all that does is get the dog running across the street and keep his pace and direction, checking us out in a panic. So, we’ll sometimes watch long enough to see the pooch eventually pause for a breather and stare all around, desperate for any bearing, undecided where to go next, and then opt hesitantly for a new direction. How long can this desperate journey go on?

Doggy Dundee doesn’t own a cell phone, however, this is the one instance I really wish I could have one, so I can call the animal control officers, even download an image to help them.  A stray dog gets exhausted, thirsty, hungry; they burn their paw pads, get hit by cars, eat food scraps that make ‘em sick; their health can be further hobbled when foxtails become embedded beneath their skin, or dozens of ticks start feeding on them.

Worse yet, there’s been times lost dogs that have avoided Doggy Dundee actually slow to a walk and hesitantly sidle over to some other person (“Oh, good, grab the pooch,” I’m thinking) only to have that person “shoo” the dog away, and off he’s trotting again.

Take a minute to help lost dogs.

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…)

Timing Is Everything When Dogs Rule

Doggy Dundee knows that sometimes an Invisible Hand is literally pushing us to cross paths with stray dogs – but sometimes it takes me awhile to “get it.” 

Chase lazing

Those particular fated days usually start when I awaken and I’m completely organized and ready to get going: “A place for everything and everything in it’s place.” Then life falls to tatters, and I’m suddenly not able to get out of the house on time in the morning because absolutely nothing is going right: Coffee grinds spill all over the kitchen counter, my keys are missing, the shoe I just put down has evaporated, a button pops off — and this is all in one single morning!

So, I’m exasperated, wiping off counters, tearing up and down the stairs, strings of holy vows choking the air, tossing clothes, magazines, pillows around like a wild women before all finally seems settled and the counter, the keys, shoes and new shirt are arranged nicely. Chase knows better, of course, and has been waiting patiently for me to remember that goodness is ours today. By now, though, I’m definitely l-a-t-e  and tellin’ Chase we gotta hustle so I can get to work on time and we run down the street.

It never fails that there’s a lost dog to be found somewhere along our route on those fateful mornings, and Chase hops with joy, the pooch comes rushing over to us as if we’re right on schedule, and that always takes my breath away. The other magnificent aspect of those particularly crazed ”found stray dog” kinda days is that no matter how late we started out of the house, no matter how out of our way we have to walk or drive to return the dog (“Oh, thank you, my son must have left the gate open when he ran out to school”), no matter the need to still bring Chase home and get her settled – miraculously my drive to work is quick, smooth, peaceful and my arrival on time as if the laws of time/space have been rearranged – as, indeed, I’m sure they have been – because dogs rule!

Doggy Dundee Looses A Friend

This site, as some know, has been dedicated to “Never Another Lost Dog” and was inspired by the numerous stray dogs Chase & I found on our walks; the dogs who wandered lost, were hurt or killed by cars, abused by people; also, the thousands of stray dogs we’ve personally seen in shelters who are never claimed.

Sadly, just days after posting the article about Alibi on the Shelter Dog page of this site, Alibi was euthanized.

"I AM smiling"

He’d been in the adoption area for approximate 7 weeks. During that time I and many other volunteers and staff fell in love with this big, rambunctious, wiggly Pit with that awesome “stare” that could freak some people out.  But after about 1-1/2 months, all in the space of about a week, Alibi would growl at some people, including at an off-site adoption presentation.  Labelled as “showing signs of aggression” (aka “Unadoptable”), he was removed from the adoption kennels and put down.

Owner & Public Responsibility

Before you start blaming the animal shelter though, consider this: Alibi was over a year old, was trained and had been found running loose in Central Point, Oregon and the owners never came looking for him. Owners are responsibility for keeping the dogs safe and confined. When owners screw up, dogs suffer. Alibi was a cast away!

The kennels can be hard psychologically for lost dogs after awhile. They’re tired of being stared at, they’re tired of being taken for walks but left behind when potential owners decide “no, not that one.” They don’t understand why they’re not cared about, they get scared and protective and put off by some people.  Once “in the system,” they may get a chance or two to make up for some behavioral concerns, but “the system” has legal/county regulations to abide by, and a county animal shelter isn’t a kennel.

I’m keeping Alibi’s story on the Shelter Dog page (find toward bottom of page) as a memorial to a beautiful spirit who was looking for someone to play with, someone he could trust. Read it there – and I offer this tip to those visiting animal shelters looking for a pet:  Don’t judge a dog by it’s face.

I love you, Alibi. Thanks for romping with me.

Doltish Doggy Owner Story – #1 of Several

Accidents happen and dogs get out/lost. Also, some dogs are escape artists. Lots of times, though, the owners of lost dogs are simply dolts – Take it from Doggy Dundee. Here’s one, short and sweet:

Before Doggy Dundee had taken on the mantle of “Dundee,” we were just two shaggy beings out walking (albeit, one human and one canine). In that guise, we first met Chucky (name changed to protect the innocent dog – and ‘guilty’ owner) on a “dark and stormy night” in Autumn 2007. Chase and I walked along a grassy park bordered on one side by a wooded patch and stream, and on the other by a new housing development. The racing-like-a-maniac brindle pug-kinda-pooch leaped out of the forested darkness at us, shocking the s-_-_-_ outa me. Fortunately, it was just a small pooch having a fine time teasing Chase and spinning me in circles. “What a great, fun dog,” I thought.

Fortunately, I carried a spare leash, and the pooch’s tag allowed me to tease it homeward several blocks beyong the woods.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the address; finally, ferreted out the structure beyond a locked fence, hidden beneath overpowering trees. Dripping wet, cold and a bit agitated, we brought Chucky back to our house for a few hours,then walked back later to return Chucky. “Oh, thank you. We just got him a few weeks ago,” the woman explained. Okay!

A Thanksgiving weekend car accident whacked me off-kilter a couple weeks later, and I lacked even the strength to handle Chase comfortably for long stretches. Unfortunately, Chucky tore out from the trees and at us one weekend afternoon. Fortunately, the Chief of Police was driving by as I snagged the pug. My prostrate pose brought the Chief’s car to a screeching stop. I gasped the dog’s address and the Chief drove Chucky to his owner’s while I limped homeward with Chase. The Chief passed me on the way back and stopped. “They were relieved,” he said. “The dog’s never gotten out before, and they’d just gotten home and found him missing. Good job, mame.”  Hmmmm…

Repetitious Lost Dog Pattern (more…)