Our dog bolted Saturday afternoon. Has not returned home. Any ideas for what we can do? Update! Abby’s home! See#110

[spotnnotfarm]

A few small tips:

When you go out walking, take your other dog. Use Abby’s name but do not call her. A friend lost her dog and an animal relocator suggested walking with their other dog and using the lost dogs name in conversation. Sadly, dogs can revert to a feral state rather quickly and can be nervous of all humans, even their owners. Having the other dog is “safe” to them.

Also, great idea about bus drivers, but also alert the post office.

One think to watch for is scammers. Sadly, they will say they have your dog and demand money. It is disgusting! Sending prayers your sweet girl returns quickly!

[candyappy]

Don’t lose heart! I had 2 dogs go missing . One was gone for weeks before just showing up one day.

The other was gone several days but same thing. Both were not friendly to strangers so I have no idea where or why they were gone at all. They would have hidden if they saw anyone.

They were thin but they made it home.

I hope your girl does too.

[going_gray]

Thank you for all the replies! I have called all our local vet clinics now. And our local animal shelters as well as Animal Control and the Sheriff’s dept.

We are getting a poster done now and will start taking them to places that have been mentioned especially our local feed and tractor stores, gas stations, post office, fire station, etc.

I walked down to a property this afternoon which is on our road but way back into a wooded and very hilly area. It has a long drive which is on a steep incline. Owners are planning on putting in a summer cabin. Very rough area. I was afraid I might slip on the clay drive but made it down. And back up.

Perfect area for a dog to run around. Quiet. A stream and pond are there. I left one of Abby’s dog beds there along with food. We will check tomorrow. We need to set up some trail cameras too.

[fourfillies]

My sister lost her dog a few years ago and I tried to hire a tracking service. There were no local options but I did get some great advice from a very nice lady who specializes in finding lost dogs who wasn’t local. Her first advice was most don’t go that far. We found my sisters dog in a wooded area fenced off for a retention pond. She had gotten in and couldn’t get out. Tired and thirsty but safe. Hoping the same happy ending for you. The other piece of advice she had was many animal shelters are overwhelmed and it is best (as hard as it is) to have someone check in person every few days. Locally we have a lost pet FB site called “Finding Toby”. Lots of happy endings there too.

[OverandOnward]

@fourfillies

The other piece of advice she had was many animal shelters are overwhelmed and it is best (as hard as it is) to have someone check in person every few days.

This is so true. Must have someone who will recognize your dog even if she doesn’t look the same - thin, dirty, tired, stressed, maybe curled up in a ball, maybe barking her head off. Her coat may even appear a bit faded, some people might think it’s dark but not black. And a dog in feral mind may not act in recognition of you right away, she may need 10 minutes or so.

If you have a photo of you with your dog, take that with you. You might need it if she doesn’t have a chip or tags. Take your vet records showing she’s vaxxed & spayed just in case they have requirements. And be ready to bail her out, there’s usually a fee for her stay there.

If she’s chipped, they don’t always scan, don’t always have the right scanner for the chip. They may be just busy. Scanning is on the list of things to do and they get to it when they can.

Shelter helpers aren’t always the best at describing the animals they have on hand. Something about descriptions of individual animals just escapes people – they describe too generally and don’t notice details, or they just aren’t careful lookers (and don’t know they are missing things). You can ask about specific features, they look right at it and don’t see it. Even animal lovers tend to be terrible at counting the number and height of white socks.

Plus in a shelter or evacuation gathering situation, all the ones in the same general color group tend to look the same. (I think about this with my tall rangy bay TB gelding with a small star - there must be thousands of TB’s that look exactly like him).

One time I had a black cat end up at a shelter (pretty sure he got outside and pooped in the garden of a fussy neighbor). It wasn’t until the last hour the shelter was open that I thought of them and called. “Solid black cat, do you have one?” “We have 5 black cats.”

One of them was mine, I found when I got there 10 minutes before closing that night. Fortunately mine came right up to me. I recognized him and thought they all looked different, but the attendant thought they all looked the same. He probably wouldn’t have released him to me if the cat hadn’t enthusiastically claimed me before I claimed him. He hadn’t yet been chipped and I had no proof of ownership as he had been a stray that had decided to move in.

[Bluey]

Like many members of our dog club, we volunteered at the local city shelter.
One of my jobs was to go thru the kennels with the cards with lost dog notices and see if there were any possible matches, then call the number in the card if one could possibly be a match.
Many times it was, so nice when it was and the owners and dog were back together.

I do agree that if it was my dog, I would want to go every day or every other day just to be sure no one missed a possible match, if the description was not quite right.

As others have said, maybe your dog will show up soon on her own, many do.

[Fiesta01]

I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Sending prayers and jingles for Abby’s safe return.

[rockymouse]

Not sure if this was included yet in this thread, but drop off a flyer w photo, if possible, to the local UPS, Fed Ex and post office - those drivers see a lot of territory.

[Bluey]

@rockymouse

Not sure if this was included yet in this thread, but drop off a flyer w photo, if possible, to the local UPS, Fed Ex and post office - those drivers see a lot of territory.

Our small rural post office has a board where anyone can leave messages, stuff to be sold, rented, and found and lost critters.
See if yours has one such and put fliers there also, so everyone there and coming in will see it.

[going_gray]

Rocky mouse and Bluey, good ideas! Thank you! We will do that.

I dropped food last evening behind our horse fencing on our path around our pastures. I will check soon to see if anything is gone.

Also, DH and I will head down to a property which is farther down our road. I managed to get down the steep hill/drive which opens up to a plateau which includes a pond and a stream. Truly North Carolina wilderness. Left one of Abby’s beds and her dog bowl with food and treats. Was worried I might see a bear!

We will be getting posters out today too.

[going_gray]

All of our food drop offs around the back of our farm and down into the back 40 of our new neighbors land were not touched. Thought food might get eaten by critters but nothing was eaten.

On the way back from where I placed her bed and food bowl I dropped handfuls of kibble as I walked up the hill and down our road to the edge of our property. Our road is a private road and not busy at all. Just two neighbors live near us. Very few cars.

Hoping the woman who does the pet tracking (EPPIC Pet Recovery) gets in touch with me.

[swmorse]

This is kind of local to you. You need to join to post, but you might try here also

(3) NEW 828 & 864: Tryon, Landrum, Saluda, Columbus, Polk and WNC INFO PAGE | Groups | Facebook

[rubygirl1968]

There’s WNC lost pet connect on Facebook and I’d also post on WNC equestrians and Tryon equestrian Facebook groups.

I’m so sorry she’s missing and I hope you get her back soon.

[going_gray]

Thank you so much for the new Facebook links! I will check them out. We worked on handing out or putting up lost dog posters around our area today. Lots of driving!

We hit quite a few local gas stations, feed stores, grocery stores, vet clinics, a dog/cat supplies store, post office, our local Dollar General store, Tractor Supply, and a couple of tractor repair businesses.

Oh, put one on a door at our local garbage drop off center. Lots of people will see it. Not far from us!

Older gentleman there who showed me where I could put it was so nice. So many nice people who just about had me in tears today.

[going_gray]

I need ideas on what kind of stinky food (cat food?) we can put out down in the wilderness area that dead ends our private road. I’ve put kibble out and dog treats but rain will take out the kibble.

It was cold this morning. We have had ac on all week with temps in 80’s. Had heat on this morning!

We have rain coming in on Thursday and Friday with lower temps. Not what we want! This adds to my stress levels tremendously.

Had our other collie down in this wilderness area with us yesterday morning so her scent is there. Nikki didn’t bark or alert to anything at all. Barking at deer this morning though.

Since we moved into our property two years ago we have not heard or seen coyotes at all. Unlike where we lived in MI where our coyote population was insane. Saw and heard them everywhere.

We have not heard any howling around us but I’m sure they are somewhere.

[OverandOnward]

Of course the cold and possibly rainy weather is hard for all concerned, but if it is any comfort at all, lost pets have proven to have remarkable survival rates in adverse conditions. However they do it. They seem to be good at finding a spot to hunker down. I doubt she will be out in the rain.

I wonder if they aren’t frequently sheltering among human structures, where there is a gap, or room under the foundation or an abandoned structure. If only they would show themselves!

You’ve done an amazing job getting the info out. Could be this weather will either help by sending her closer to people for shelter – or it could delay anyone seeing her if she stays curled up in a dry warm spot until it’s over. Eventually she will be out looking for food, though.

Have you gotten any calls or posts at all from people who may have seen her?

Holding strong thoughts & prayers that she is home soon!

[going_gray]

Yes, we’ve gotten a few comments from some people from our Facebook lost dog ads. Someone posted yesterday that they saw three dogs near our local lumberyard, one black with white spots.

Abby has the typical black and white border collie markings, no spots. White stripe on face, white leggings on her front legs, and a white tip on her tail. Lumberyard is not close by. It’s hard to know.

I’m going to take a poster down to our closest rail trail entrance which is very close to this lumberyard, trail entrance is just across from the yard.

I will post it on the trail rail sign so it can be seen easily by people entering the trail. Shoot! I may take posters and put up on trees or other signs along the trail system. Can’t hurt and if someone doesn’t like it they can take them down. I can always put them back up.

DH just got back from a tractor ride into our back wilderness area. Food has not been disturbed. He left slices of smelly roast beef in her bowl.

[MorganMaresVT]

Here’s another good source of “what to do” advice from Granite State Dog Recovery, who are very active in our area and seem to have a good success rate of getting dogs back. I think you’re doing just about all they suggest.

Lost Dog Quick Action Plan – Granite State Dog

The Key to Getting a Sighting – Granite State Dog Recovery

I’m so sorry this happened. I have an English Shepherd who has bolted after deer, and didn’t stop until he was nearly 2 miles from home. When we tracked him down (he wears a Tractive GPS collar), he seemed thoroughly confused about where he was. Another time he bolted, he did circle back, and I was waiting for him at the spot where I last saw him. It’s very scary for everyone involved. I hope your girl shows up very soon!

[chestnutmarebeware]

I’ve been skimming these posts, so it may have been mentioned, but if there is a drone club (several of our high schools have them) locally, you might approach them about doing some fly-overs as well.

Jingling for Abby’s safe return!

[spotnnotfarm]

Oh! Great idea!