This weekend, two of my small schnauzer buds realized they were home alone. Their pet parents left town for a long-weekend. According to Melvin, Spade got agitated about twenty-four hours into the 4-day weekend. Melvin explained, “This was the first time the two of us have stayed home in our new house without at least one pet parent nearby.”
Despite having an experienced sitter, Spade had a panic attack. He told Melvin, “We’re in trouble dude; there is no one to feed us. I gotta take things in my own paws and find help. I’ll be right back Melvin, trust me, I’ll take care of things.”
So, in the middle of a huge snowstorm Spade heads out the doggie door, easily leaps over the make-shift fence and is on his way to a nearby ravine. His paws quickly become chilly; his wire-like black body hair, muzzle and eye brows are frozen over in a blanket of wet, heavy snow. Spade finds no aid. He keeps running, tired, paws ice-cold and lost.
At last, Spade spots a welcoming old man parked in a red pick-up truck. The man calls out to the dog. Spade runs like everything believing this is his single chance to stay alive.
The man picks up the thirteen-pound dog, tucks him in a blanket and takes him along to his house. He looks at Spade’s tag and sees a phone number. Ah, his ticket home.
One of my top eco-agenda items is helping pet parents awaken to pet danger zones in and around the home; in this case a flimsy fence.
While this true story has a happy ending; sadly, no more than 2 percent of lost cats and 15 percent of lost dogs are ever reunited with their family. I say no tag, no voice. Use tags, an up-to-date county or city license, or microchip to help a lost pet find their way home. Don’t overlook ID for indoor pets, as many strays are indoor pets that have run off. Make sure you have a unique digital photo of your pets. If you are moving, put a temporary tag on your pet with a phone number and name of someone who will know how to reach you.
If you best friend roams too often, check into global positioning system technology – yes, a GPS system for dogs. Of course there is never a substitute for a well-trained dog. Finally, instead of letting your cat meander the neighborhood, provide an outdoor cat enclosure. The cat will be safer and get some much needed exercise.
Comments
Glad your dog was found. My dog has a microchip and a rabies tag. I think that's plenty of ID for people to locate me. None-the-less, I got the license because it's required here, just another tax but I give to Ceaser.
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