Lost pets--- a serious post.

There is nothing more heartbreaking to a loving pet owner than the loss of a pet; there is nothing more frightening than literally losing a pet. Those of you that know me best, know that my family dog, Spencer, wandered off last night.

 

When my first family dog passed away in middle school, Spencer was in his mama's belly in Royal Oak. He came into our live that winter/spring and has been around ever since. In all of that time, he's never wandered off--- ever. Not once. Not even to go for a quick run. He's been so trustworthy for nearly a decade and a half that he no longer was confined by fence or lead. Spence just hangs out.

Last night, my handsome old man walked off. See, at his age, I'm pretty certain he's losing his mind a little bit. He's adopting behaviors that are simply not him--- I didn't realize this fully until last night. Coming home after dinner, my man just wasn't here. Henry was here, Gus was here, Spencer wasn't.

I cruised around the neighborhood, walked up and down the surrounding blocks, calling his name and whistling. If there is one thing Spencer does well, it's listen to commands. Despite my best efforts, he didn't show up. As I walked and called, Sarah joined the search. Then Aunt Cindy and cousins Jack and Roman. The neighbor kids were outside and heard my calls--- they too hopped on their bikes. When their parents questions where they had gotten off to, rather than reprimanding them from traveling too far, they grabbed their bikes.

As it got dark, I resigned myself to one simple fact: If Spencer didn't come, he didn't hear us. That meant there were two options: (1) Spencer is old. I admittedly walk up to him to ensure he's still breathing a couple times a day. It was a very real possibility that he found a sunny spot and crossed the rainbow bridge. (2) Somebody had my dog.

I went inside, and despite being the biggest chicken shit cautious girl I am, I had the screen door open and was sleeping in the family room in case he showed up. I scoured the web for found dog posts. No luck.

Then, my doorbell rang. Options for 11:00pm visitors : (1) Babcia saying that Dziadzi cut off another finger. (2) Rapers. Axe murders. (3) Somebody who might've found my dog. I looked through the peep hole--- a stranger. That eliminated option number one. I quickly weighed the risks: worth it. The neighbor quickly explained that she was contacted by her sister-in-law who saw a lost dog on the internet resembling her "neighbor's dog." Are you kidding?! More information led to a phone call.

Spencer was found in the intersection of two moderately busy surface streets. A wonderful woman picked him up. Not knowing what to do, she took him to the local Animal Control (which was closed) and left him in the pens designed for after-hours pet drop off. She contacted the appropriate authorities to let them know he was there. They said they'd be by in an hour to let him in... 3 hours ago.

I went anyway. He was there. He is safe and sound at home, growling at Henry as he did back in February:

After a decade and a half of not walking off, Mr. Man now has to be tied out, which is okay with me as long as he's safe.

All of this is to share a very important message: IDENTIFY YOUR PETS. Spencer wasn't wearing his collar yesterday. Keep collars on your pets at all times, no matter what their track record. Microchip your pets--- for the pain of a needle poke, your pet can be scanned and identified by nearly every veterinarian. Keep your microchip information up-to-date by contacting the issuing company. Use leads, leashes, and fencing appropriately; remember, your dog wandering off isn't the only possibility for a missing pet. Pet theft had gone up by huge percentages.

If, heaven forbid, your pet turns up missing, call your local police department's non-emergency line. GO TO YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTERS--- do not use a phone and trust a stranger on the other end of the line to ID your pet. Visit shelters every couple of days so that you visit within your state's legal holding period for strays. Use social media to get the word around. Visit lost/found pet forums, Craig's List, etc...

And if you find a pet, make sure you report it to the appropriate agencies and get the word spread. People trying to do the right thing occasionally take in strays without ever giving a family the chance to find their beloved family member.

Having come from a shelter background, I can attest to the number of pets that lose their families. I can also attest to the fact that families that follow the above steps will often find their pets.