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Monday, July 23, 2012

Listen Up Pet Owners

******ANOTHER UPDATE BELOW**********

OK pet owners - I'm gonna tell you something and I want you to listen up.

GO GET A TAG FOR YOUR PET WITH YOUR PHONE NUMBER ON IT, TODAY, PUT IT ON THE PET, AND MAKE SURE IT'S ALWAYS ON THE PET.

Here's the story.
Last night, after 9:00 pm, as I was sitting there with dogs on my lap, a frosty mug of beer in my hand, a bowl of fresh popped popcorn, wondering why I wasn't crocheting my ripple blanket, there was a mysterious knock on our front door. We always know if someone comes to our front door, we don't know them. No one uses it except people we don't know. We look at each other with that puzzled look, wondering who's at the door, and who's going to get up. Shug was watching some t.v. show that he loves and cannot miss on Sunday night. But I had my hands full.

My Shug got up, looked out the window and exclaimed, "It's someone with an Airedale!" So he went to the door and opened it. The people asked if we knew who it belonged to, and that someone told them it was ours. Well, our beloved Airedale died a couple of years ago. This Airedale that came last night had a leather leash on it, a leather collar, AND NO TAGS. It was very well groomed. Airedales are very strong dogs. VERY STRONG. Very gentle too. I'm visualizing the dog getting away from someone, maybe chasing after something, and the person who owns this dog was probably up and out all night long, not getting a wink of sleep, looking for their pet. I made a couple of phone calls to people I know that own Airedales, and another call to someone who lives on the street that the dog was found. No luck.

I'm ranting now......
You might say, "I don't have a tag because my dog is implanted with a micro chip that has my name and number....." blah blah blah. Guess what folks? One of my dogs has a microchip too. It worthless after 9:00 pm on a Sunday night unless you happen to have a micro chip reader in your house. I hope the people who found this dog take it to see if it has a chip. One of the people I called said, "I don't know who it belongs to, but I'm sure there are a lot of people out there ready to claim a purebred Airedale." I hope the irresponsible owner who didn't bother with an $8.00 tag and the 15 minutes to have one made gets their dog back.

I'm done ranting. You get my point. I didn't sleep well last night, can you tell? Hmmmmm, maybe I'll change the colors to red. That's what I usually do when I rant......yup...red colors again....it means I'm serious folks......buh bye....


UPDATE.....I got a phone call this morning from one of the people I called last night. They knew who the owner probably was, and said they'd be sick losing their dog. Problem is, their phone number is not in the phone book. But, as it turns out, I know the people! So, I went by their house and no one is home. I left my name and number for them to call me. I called the people who found the dog and told her I think I found the owner. Problem now is....the dog is gone. They put him in their fenced in yard and checked on him all morning, but when they went out around 9:00 a.m., no dog.

UPDATE AGAIN....First of let me just say for those of you interested, just keep checking this post for updates. I can't believe how this is unraveling. The people that we THOUGHT the airedale belonged to had their dog. It was not theirs, but THEY knew who it belonged to. They said it belonged to a guy who had got in some kind of trouble for drugs and he was in jail, but he had someone taking care of the dog. So I called "M & S" back (they are the people who called me this morning and thought they knew who the dog belonged to) Come to find out, they know the dog and "S" placed the dog with this guy. SO NOW she is doing A LOT of research to try to find out what is going on with the dog and the guy. I'll post more if I get more information.

Cindy Bee

10 comments:

  1. I agree!! A tag is a small price to pay for having your animal returned to you quickly if something happens to them.

    Here you have to have a dog tag with your contact details plus a current rabies vaccination tag and that's made very clear to everyone when they register their dog (and start paying dog taxes!). Loose dogs are liable to be shot if they aren't wearing those tags especially if they stray onto farmland or into a hunting area where livestock / game may be put at risk from a potentially infected animal.

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  2. Oh I do hope this dog finds it's owner!

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  3. Playing devils advocate - maybe the dog has a back yard and the owner didn't think the dog would ever get out (I have a 6' high fence). Maybe the dog had the tags on and they fell off (it happens-I had it happen with PeeWee before and had to get new ones). Maybe they had just changed collars and didn't have a pair of plyers to get the tags off of the old collar. Stuff happens! I hope they find the dog's human parents.

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  4. This past spring, my dogs were "tied down" in our fenceless yard. To give them more room I extended with their leashes. (Imagine the hillybilliness of one tie down lead with two leashes attached, and a separate smaller line for our Pomeranian). Anyway, the were laying in the yard enjoying a warm spring morning. I continued to check every 15 minutes...The little Pommy is barking away, so I go see... HE IS ALONE! My two big dogs are gone! After a frantic 45 minute search, I get a phone call from the vet. Seems the dogs made their way to our busy road where the speed limit is 55... A good Samaritan, witnessed them tangled in their leashes running down the busy road, their leash untangled just as Bandit got hit by a car... She (the young Samaritan) stopped and tried to help, Bandit limped off to the wooded area, but Riley (120 pound Hound) climbed into her car. She read Riley's Vet Tag and called the Vet number on it whereas they called us, and now had Riley (she dropped him off as it was just up the road). We searched and 30 minutes... then I got another call... A homeowner about a mile away, saw Bandit arrive on his property along with a stray he had been feeding... called the Vet from the tag, and got my number & I was so lucky to get my Bandit(he had a few bruises & scraps but nothing serious from getting hit). Scariest Day ever! And I am so grateful for the tags! I hope the Arie finds his home!

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  5. Let me just say I wasn't perfect in this area, which is why I know how important it is. I had a dog for 15 years. Oscar had always been on a leash before he got old and crippled up and couldn't hardly see. I let him outside - one time - without a leash. The phone rang. I answered it. It was a cold February 14 night. I had been moved for a month, but hadn't changed the tags a month later, so the old phone number was still on the tag. (this was before cell phones) The dog wandered off. We looked for him into the wee hours. I looked for him every single day and night. Called every vet in town. Walked door to door. Made fliers. Went to the Humane Society every day (they wouldn't tell me if they had a mini-dach over the phone) So I know how it feels to lose a dog. A week after he was lost, he was found. Dead. I like to think the did not freeze to death, but instead ran away to die. But the Valentines night that he ran off, there was an ice storm. He was in unfamiliar territory and old. It was a Tuesday night and his body wasn't found until Saturday. My Shug always used to ask me if I love him more than Oscar. He said he knew I loved him when I finally said yes. That's how much I loved that dog and that's how I know the heartbreak.

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  6. Cindy, Thank You for the RED of this! My fur-baby a deer head "chi" has a collar with a name/info plate rivited on it Plus her vet tags.As you said micro-chips are only good if you own a reader.The cost was under 20$. She loves her necklace:) She is our "baby" and worth every penny. (should be some kinda law 'bout this) Hey from Alabama....

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  7. Excellent advice; this is exactly why our dogs are chipped AND tagged.

    Oscar's story made me tear up. *hugs*

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  8. Cindy, I really have a thing about people not taking responsibility for their animals...don't tell me how much you love them, when they are never exercised or penned up well enough to not get loose. The scary part is, a dog on the loose is a danger to itself or people who may try to help. That goes for goats too..as you know that's what bugs me. Smiles, Susie

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  9. Cindy Bee, I am utterly SHOCKED that Shug did not grab that leash and shut the door! ;) You said he loves his Airedales!

    Yes Violet Mae has a Boomerang tag with my cell on it, and a microchip. Boomerang tags do not dangle. The are attached around the collar. I've heard horror stories of dogs playing and getting caught in the dangle tags.

    Cindy Bee, I am so sorry for you and your little Oscar, that was a very sad story. HUGS.
    Julie

    AIREDALES ARE FLIGHT RISKS PEOPLE! Oh sorry, I keep thinking I'm on the Airedale sites ;)

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Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to leave a comment on my blog. I enjoy reading them. I hope you have a wonderful day.

Cindy