Lost my dog - some questions

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Armymutt25A

Armymutt25A

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On the way back from CO to NC, we stopped in the St. Louis area - on the IL side. Our dogs had been in the back of the car all day, save for a few minutes of walking when we stopped here and there. We put the dogs in my friend's back yard with his dog. Around 10:00, we discovered the gate was open and my golden retriever was gone. This strikes me as odd since the other dog was still around. Normally, he's the first to escape and the GR will sit on the deck whining. So far, we have called every clinic and agency that is open. Being X-mas eve, most places are closed. I walked the various neighborhoods in the daylight today - last night, we drove and did a little walking for 4 hours, but it was hard to see anything in the dark. We're stopping the search for the night due to snow fall and exhaustion. I'm pretty sure he is not loose. Our plan for tomorrow is to go door-to-door in an increasing radius from my friend's house. Not the way I wanted to spend Christmas, but I don't want to go back to NC without my dog.
Other than contacting shelters, vet clinics, and law enforcement, who else is out there that can help? He's micro chipped and we've made up fliers to give to vet clinics to remind them to check any GRs that come in fitting the description. I haven't worked in a clinic since the chipping business got big. Is it usually standard practice to check a dog for a chip when they are presented for treatment for the first time? If so, I don't want to waste the fliers in clinics and instead will post them around the area.
 
Oh my goodness. I am so sorry - what a terrible thing to have happen.

I think you're doing all the right things - fliers all over the area AND at local vet clinics, shelters, and pet stores if possible. Our clinic generally scans every dog that comes in as a stray - either from a rescue group or found by a local person - and hopefully this is standard practice everywhere.

Good luck. Keep us posted on what happens, I know I'll be thinking about you guys.
 
At the clinics I've worked at, we never routinely scanned a pet who is presented as an "owned" pet, even if it is the pet's first visit. Strays brought in by good samaritans or animal control, of course we check, but if there is a person there presenting himself as owner, we have no reason not to believe him.

I'd post a quick ad on Craigslist for whatever area you're in, too. When I've found strays, I am always checking there for "Lost Dog" ads - its quicker and easier to get a thorough description on there with pics then it is to list something in local paper. And lots of animal rescue types monitor the Craigslist animal postings, so it's a good way to spread the word among people who can help. If shelters around you are closed over holidays, tape some of your fliers to the door or gates. If a good sam picked up your kid, they might go straight there, and the staff can see the flier whenever they come in to open.

Good luck, man. I can imagine how much this must suck and how desperate and helpless you must feel.
 
Petfinder.com or petharbor.com has a service where they'll send postcards to every house within a certain radius. It's expensive, but if you don't find him right away, it might be worth it.
 
My heart sank reading this... I'm am terribly sorry this has happened and I understand what you're going through from personal experience.

At my clinic, when an owner brings in a new pet we always ask if they'd like the pet scanned to see if they have a microchip already (unless a purebred adopted as a very young puppy). Unless the owner says No, we will scan the pet. But, if the owner says no we will not scan. Shelters should routinely scan for microchips.

I second posting on craigslist in the area and the other sites mentioned. There are some good people out there that will keep an eye out. This is a long shot, but you might be able to get a local news channel to do a short story being that it's Christmas and you are traveling through... sometimes they like to have some news other than the usual. It can't hurt to ask. I know someone in my area around February/March when it was freezing cold out was able to get media attention. I would stress the cold weather and not being from the area.

I really hope you find your dog!
 
I would say call all shelters and vet hospitals *twice* daily - morning and late afternoon. Despite the best intentions, information is not always passed accurately at shift change and you want to allow the greatest possibility that if he does show up there, there is at least one person present who knows you are looking for him. If the area is unfamiliar to you, ask the people you call for suggestions of other places you should check in with. Good luck. I'll be thinking of you.
 
Hey so sorry to hear about your baby. Don't forget facebook either. If you post stats and picture here or on a PM I would be happy to post it on my facebook. I don't know anyone in the area, but friends of friends maybe; things spread fast. Best of luck :xf:
 
I wouldn't necessarily assume that a shelter is going to check to see if he's chipped. They should, but when I worked in our city shelter, whether or not it actually happened was highly dependent on which staff members happened to be working at the time.

The clinics I've worked in always checked strays that were presented as such, but we didn't scan first-timers. I would definitely send out the flyers. Do you have access to a fax machine? That might be an easy way to quickly distribute his picture, stats, and your contact information to a large number of clinics. Not to mention, if the clinic doesn't have an answering machine set up over the holidays, the fax will be there waiting for them when the first staff member shows up.

I'm not sure about MO, but our state VMA used to keep a listing of every clinic in the state (by town) with contact information on their site (including, in many cases, the fax number). When they revamped the thing, they pretty much rendered it useless, but it used to be the first place I'd turn to when I took in a stray.

Best of luck with the search... I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you. :xf:
 
I would call every clinic and shelter you can find (as you have been doing). I would personally go to the shelters with a flier that has pictures (and make sure you check back with them regularly), contact any local golden retreiver rescues and give them a heads up and ask for help, post fliers, check and post on craig's list (I have some classmates that have found owners for strays that they have found that way). If you are close to NC State you might contact their vet clinic as well.

From my experiences clinics don't usually check dogs that are being brought n as owned (unless the owner is getting a microchip and they scan first if the owner says it's from an unknown past). ... If you think your dog has been stolen you might want to mention this to the clincs -- it might help them stay on the look out for someone with a "new" golden that fits your description.

Good luck 🙁
 
This breaks my heart, I know how distraught I have been when one of my dogs has run off. I can only imagine how tough this must be.

These days though, the best approach is the viral method - get the info out on Facebook, Twitter, Craig's List (friend got her dog back in 3 hrs on CL), etc. I would also be willing to post something on my FB status if you want. Also, I think there are a lot of websites that help people find their pets, lostdog.com is one. I would check those out.

Fingers crossed that your pup is home for Christmas.
 
My heart sank reading this post. I'm so sorry you're having to go through this right now. Maybe it's b/c I have somewhat of an inherent distrust in most people but the way your dog went missing just sounds awfully suspicious. What kind of a cruel, heartless ***hole steals someone's dog, especially on Christmas Eve?

Okay, anyways, back to my point. Where I work, we only scan for a microchip when someone brings in a Pet that was just found. I second the suggestion that you let animal hospitals know that your dog may have been stolen and see if they might scan any GR they're seeing for the first time. I think a lot of places would be amenable to such a request considering the circumstances.

Also, I'm a HUGE advocate of using Craigslist. I would definitely try posting there as well. My fingers are crossed for you....wish I could do more to help. Good luck in your search and please keep us posted.
 
I symphasize with the stress, fear, and pain you must be going through right now. Best wishes to your situation and hope it turns out okay.
 
I don't have any suggestions other than those already mentioned, but just wanted to wish you good luck in finding your dog and hope you find him! 🙂
 
very sorry to hear that. You have gotten great advice and my only addition is to say call your microchip company and notify them the dog is missing and make sure your contact info is up to date. Some companies will help you make and send flyers as well.
 
I am so sorry to hear about your dog ;( We're actually going through something similar right now at my shelter (one of the newly adopted dogs jumped the balcony of their new owners and we're all out searching now). I hope your dog is found safe and sound! There are also some websites out there you may want to try (www.findtoto.com). That ones costs $$ but there are others that are free, and anything may help. You also want to make sure to contact any feral cat feeding stations in your area to see if more food is disappearing than usual or if they could keep an eye out to see if their shelters are being used (though, with a golden, that's less likely). Good luck!
 
No news today. Walked around and handed out about 50 handbills to people who were home. Covered about 50 % of a 1500 ft radius from the site of disappearance. A lot of the rest is field. Going to hit up a church in the neighborhood before services - hopefully the pastor will be helpful and inform the congregation. I really think he was stolen, as it's not his normal behavior to leave the other dog behind. I also wonder if the siting was a false flag to throw us off. Tomorrow will be another long day - need to cover a couple huge neighborhoods and it's just my wife and I.
 
You can also post signs offering a reward and no questions asked for his safe return.
 
Don't be afraid to contact the media if you honestly think he was stolen. It absolutely can't hurt and it might be significantly helpful. Also, make it very clear in all your materials that he is microchipped. This might be enough to make someone give up and turn him in somewhere.
 
Armymutt25A said:
No news today. Walked around and handed out about 50 handbills to people who were home. Covered about 50 % of a 1500 ft radius from the site of disappearance. A lot of the rest is field. Going to hit up a church in the neighborhood before services - hopefully the pastor will be helpful and inform the congregation. I really think he was stolen, as it's not his normal behavior to leave the other dog behind. I also wonder if the siting was a false flag to throw us off. Tomorrow will be another long day - need to cover a couple huge neighborhoods and it's just my wife and I.
Click to expand...
My Siberian Husky, Jedi, was stolen from our fenced in yard about 15 years ago. The local police were very kind to my parents during their search for her (I'm sure they felt sorry for my parents, with three devastated children). I'd suggest going to them if you haven't already. Good luck with your search and I hope your goldie turns up safely very soon. :xf:
 
You can also alert people who are working in the area: FedEx, UPS, USPS, utility workers,...

Last year when I lost my dog I also contacted radio stations and asked them to broadcast the missing dog.
 
I am so sorry this is happening; I can't really think of anything else for you to do than what you are already doing. I wish you the best and hope he gets home very soon. :xf:
 
Prayers and thoughts are with you. It sounds like you are covering every possible avenue.
 
Thinking of you.. I am so sorry this is happening to you... 🙁
 
This just breaks my heart....what a nightmare for you. Hoping and praying you find your loved one.
 
Last night, I learned some more info. Andy was HBC on Thurs night. The guy called 911 and tried to help. The police that we talked to weren't clear in their info and we ended up searching and area well short of where he was last seen. The guy got out to help and Andy took off running. The guy trailed him until Andy ran into the woods. The guy waited for about 20 minutes and Andy came out of the woods and sprinted further down the road, then up another road and through some back yards, where the guy lost sight of him. There was no blood on the bumper - it was the lower, splash guard portion, and no blood on the ground. I walked around the area last night, but found nothing more than a few people who wondered why some guy was walking around their back yards with a flashlight and a squeeker toy in 18 degree temps at midnight. Had a little chat with a sheriff's deputy - I called the wrong police agency for the area I was searching. Today we are hitting clinics and shelters. Hopefully we're successful.
 
I've got my fingers crossed for you.
 
What about local radio stations?

Also, children in the neighborhood and the MAILMAN. UPS & FedEx too, maybe, but kids and mailmen are around neighborhoods all day every day & they see stuff. They'd even know who got a new dog, in case someone picked him up and took him in.

Also, (this may have been mentioned - didn't read all the posts), his dog crate (or get a crate, preferably airline so it's a shelter) with some clothes you have been wearing next to your skin, the longer the better. Get someone to check it very early every morning. If you put it in the area he was seen, dogs have often been found this way - they'll find the crate during the night because it will smell like home (you) to them and they'll sleep in it.

God bless you. I'm so sorry this has happened.

One more thing: try this forum http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/golden_retriever/forum.html

Post a message there directed to people in the area. It will help get the word out. You never know what will help. Good luck!
 
Just read more posts; sorry I repeated things already said, and very sorry about the HBC - BUT - the good news is he's up and running and in an area with houses! That's great news. He was running through backyards so hit that area door-to-door with flyers. Someone's going to see him.
 
It sounds like you have gotten some more information... I really hope you find him today. My aunt's very small (2 pound) mini poodle got out a few months ago and she used PetAmberAlert.com. They will send out fliers to businesses by fax as well as call neighbors in the area where your dog was last seen. It is kind of expensive, but my aunt put in her information, put in her credit card and within one hour she had neighbors calling her and saying that they would keep an eye out for her dog because they had received a call from this company. The company will also contact local vets, animal rescues, and animal control officers. Keeping my fingers crossed that you find him today especially with the new information you have received. :xf:
 
Today was exhausting, both physically and emotionally. Split the area in half and with some wonderful help, we hit the clinics and shelters before 2PM and headed back into the neighborhoods. My wife went door-to-door while myself and our volunteer started following tracks. Together we covered several houses and didn't find much. She and my wife then linked back up and started hitting some more remote houses. One guys said that he saw Andy run through his yard yesterday. I moved over to that location to being tracking. I drove through some snowy hilly areas and found way too many tracks from the Aussie Shepherds that lived there. As I was coming back, my wife called and said that one of the techs at a clinic 10 miles away had called a friend of hers who is something of an amateur pet psychic - in that she doesn't do it as a profession. She described a few landmarks in the area where Andy was hit. They drove over there, while I raced back to the area I thought it referred to. One of the landmarks was a cemetery surrounded by pines. I stopped a guy walking an older GR and asked if he knew where a cemetery was. He told me there was one surrounded by pines (I didn't mention this to him) at the end of one of the holes - the neighborhood has a golf course intertwined. He also said he had seen a dog running on the fairway. I started walking hole and heard my wife calling from the other end. We met up and she showed me what she found at the house described. I saw fresh tracks of the appropriate size for Andy and fresh urine. We tried to follow the tracks, but they ended at the pavement. We continued to follow tracks in the area to no end. Tomorrow, the search continues. I'm not sure about the psychic thing, but she did mention seeing some things that only my wife and I would know about. Things that couldn't be deduced or just be random facts. That was enough to give me goosebumps.
 
Sounds like you're getting closer! Good luck tomorrow!! :luck:
 
Closer and closer! And if you've been tramping through the cemetery and these other areas (leaving out some food, too, maybe?) Andy will smell you and hang around that area. Seriously, drop a used undershirt where he's been seen. Drop several in different spots.

Listen for dogs barking in the distance - Andy could be 3-4 blocks away from where you are looking and maybe a dog in a yard is barking at him. Same for bluejays or crows scolding.

Thinking everything good and positive. Try hitting the neighborhood early and the clinics later. If he's frightened he might be moving around at night looking for food and bedding down during the day. The Aussie Shepherds at that house may be good indicators. Drop off a box of dog biscuits at that house and ask the owners to be alert for when their dogs are barking or noticing something and to call you, even if it's midnight when they're out for a last potty run.

Keeping all prayers and positive thoughts directed your way.
 
Any updates on Andy? I keep checking back, hoping there will be good news.
 
Just catching up on what has been going on with your pup. I am keeping my fingers crossed that he is safe with you right now.
 
The suspense is killing me....please tell me you have found him? You seem sooo close.
 
I'm usually more of a lurker, but I'm really crossing my fingers that you find Andy. Hope everything worked out :xf:
 
Nothing solid so far. We drove back to NC yesterday. Word has gotten out around the area and there are several people helping us. A relative of a friend of mine from grade school took her 5 kids out today to look around. We had a call from one woman who said she thinks she saw him in the backyard of her father's house. I think she saw our flyers later and then called. We had a rather inconsiderate call on the road yesterday. A woman called asking if we wanted her son's dog instead, as she was trying to find a home for him. I was too stunned to even respond appropriately, not to mention trying to negotiate heavy traffic.
 
Oh boy, I don't know how I would react if someone did that to me, I don't think it would be in a very civil manner though. Sorry you had to go through that.

Now that the word is out someone is bound to find Andy and return him.
 
They came up dry today. Anyone good with animal behavior? What would you do if you were a 2y/o golden in a strange place if you were wary of strangers when your owners are around to begin with and you were hit by a car a week ago?
 
Check with the area humane societies to see if they have large live traps.

Seems he is definitely hanging around houses, people, backyards - he wants people and the comforts of home.

Did you put out a dog crate? Is there a sheltered area, bushes even, if not woods - put it there in the area where he's been seen. He's sleeping somewhere, and he's staying close to houses. Good signs.

Don't be discouraged. On another list I'm on a person lost a German Shepherd and it took something like 8 months, but she got the dog back. I sure hope your good news comes much quicker, and I'm sure it will (this person hadn't had the dog long before it was lost). The point is he can & will survive.

Been thinking of you all day.
 
I second the live trap idea, if you have a fairly good idea of where he's spending his time.

If there's no retriever-sized trap available, if he's hanging around certain people's yards, maybe someone with a fenced yard would be willing to open the gate, leave some food out when he's nearby, and see if they can manage to close him in while he's focused on dinner?

We used to use this method with a neighbor's skittish escapee on occasion when my friends and I were younger.
 
ETA: When I was working at a shelter in the city a few years ago, (this is in the Northeast), a woman brought in a large, very unkempt older Golden mix she'd spotted walking along the highway. We scanned the dog (who happened to be chipped), and found not only that she was fifteen years old and owned, but that she'd been missing for close to three years following an ill-fated trip to the beach. We have no idea where or how she spent her time... but she managed to stick it out. It was an incredible reunion.

:xf: for Andy's swift return!
 
The biggest problem is that I'm 800 miles away. Very frustrating to try to help from that distance. There's a lot of wonderful people helping, but for a guy who is used to being on the ground, it's rough.
 
Last year my year old Golden retriever disappeared. I took him outside and i had to go really bad. I attached his lead to a pole in my yard and ran inside for 2 minuets to use the bathroom. When i came out he was gone, even today i am not sure what happened. The lead was not broke and i didn't find his tags in the yard. I searched for hours and didn't find him. I couldn't sleep and felt horrible. About four days later i took my other dog out and there he was standing in my yard, but for those few days he was gone was the worse.
 
I don't have any advice, but I just wanted to pass along support and love. I'm sure he will turn up soon; there have been so many sightings, at some point someone will be able to get their hands on him. Stay strong until then!
 
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