Lost Dog Network Stories

Hi everyone, just wanted to update everyone on Lena who was lost in Eastham just before the holiday weekend.

It was an interesting case.  Colin is the owner of the dog, Lena, and had helped Lost Dog Network with the last few lost dogs that we had posted.  I actually had his cell phone stored in my phone because he had shown an interest in helping Lost Dog Network.

I was surprised that he posted Lena independently on the Eastham Community FB pages without notifying us, but I believe he thought he needed to be a member of the organization to use the Lost Dog Network.  We received a call from Kirsten at Nauset Pet Services.  They were helping with the search and were ready to get some help.

Colin’s original post had asked for help looking and it received a huge response.  When I went out to put the first signs out, the gravel area had at least 6 people hanging out, and I saw others in the background looking in the area – all with dogs.  It already was starting to look out of hand.  I explained to Colin’s finance, Jess, that had just arrived the proper protocol for sighting their dog, but not sure if that information was getting through with her fear.

I left the area right away because I had finally gotten in touch with Tony to put out more signs and I needed to put the poster together that goes in the insert.  I also noticed that on our Facebook post, that Missing Dogs Massachusetts volunteers had gotten involved and were turning people away and clearing the area.  That was the right move given the amount of inexperienced searchers that were surrounding the area.  There were also a few reports of people chasing her – human nature with inexperienced searchers.

I was in touch with Lena’s owners to help explain the two organizations and how we were in touch and working together.  I also spent time on the phone as they were camping out at the gravel pits overnight answering their questions about survival mode and calling her name and scent.  Early Sunday morning the owners spotted her and she ran.  She was clearly in survival mode and now that they had experienced it they had a better idea of what they were dealing with.

Very early Monday morning, a biker coming south from Truro thought she spotted Lena about 1 mile north of the gravel pits, then she saw our signs and made the call.  I immediately alerted the owners and Judith who had a humane trap set in the area.  The biker then called again on her return trip and thought she might have spotted her again closer to the Viking Shores motel area of the bike trail.  I again called the owners and Judith and she was just in the process of moving the trap and decided to relocate it close to the Viking Shores area.  Lena was trapped about an hour later.  This was clearly a team effort from both organizations.  This is how it should work.

I wanted to write to  give lots of credit to our folks that helped with this case.

Thanks to Kathy Herrick, Carolyn Castiglione, Dianne Cullen and Tony Cantore.  Kathy, Carolyn and Dianne who spent hours looking and waiting for Lena to show and Tony for always being great about getting signs out and picking them up.

Lena’s owners, immediately told me the first time that I called them that they wanted to join EDOA.  They asked if I would send them the paperwork, so I offered to drop it off with them and did so yesterday.  I made a little package of our forms, Lost Dog magnet for the refrigerator, and some cookies for their dogs.  I had a chance to meet Lena and their other pit, Juice.  Super happy and friendly dogs.  They also have goats and one more small dog that isn’t so friendly.  It was fun to see them and meet the dogs.  I asked them if they would like to join us at our May meeting and they may do that based on their work arrangements.  They both work in P-Town at restaurants.

In the end, a happy reunion, some new members for EDOA, most likely some new volunteers for LDN, and they visited AHO for the first time on my recommendation.  Their vet was in Marshfield where they relocated from.  Great ending to the weekend.

– Tracey