Found dog

“Baby” is Home From the Vet

Girl and emaciated dog

Baby and Bri – on the first day of his new life

A few posts back we reported on a poor emaciated pooch with what looked like a huge tumor on his side. Thanks to the compassion and generosity of a good Sam, a 16 year old girl with a big heart and the “kindness of strangers” – the many Pet FBI Ohio Facebook friends who donated to help him get proper vet care, “Baby” has begun the rest of his new, transformed life with a caring, loving family.

The big mass on his side was an abscess not a tumor, it has been drained and Baby is much younger than he appears, about three years of age. Here are some exchanges from our Facebook page:

From the Mom of his the 16 year old gal who rescued him:

“Baby is home with us. Brianna and Jordan pick him up this evening. He has a lot of recovering to do, but we made a promise to him to have the best life from this point on. God chose us to care for him by sending him to Bri. She loves him completely. He is such a sweet, gentle, and loving little guy. They are curled up sleeping together now.”

A concerned comment from Julie, a Pet FBI Ohio Facebook friend:
So glad he is safe and loved by your family! I hope the vet gave you instructions on how to feed him and put weight back on in a very controlled manor. These emaciated dogs are very prone to bloating/torsion of the stomach. It happens if they eat too fast or too much at once. It can kill a dog within a hour. Please Google symptoms of bloat so you know what to look for. The symptoms are not obvious. It sounds like he is in good hands with you all.”

From Bri’s Mom: “Julie, ty so much for the info. Bri wrote down everything the vet told her to make sure she wouldn’t hurt him in the process of trying to help him. She has a food/calorie intake set up on her phone so she can keep track of it.”

From Bri: “The vet went over feeding schedule with me and informed me how many kcal to feed him, when to increase it, how much to increase it, etc.

Our hearts and prayers go out to Baby, to Bri and to their whole family.

A WARNING TO GOOD SAMS:
If you find a companion animal that is obviously starving, please seek vet care immediately as Bri did. Do not give feed it too much too quickly. You can harm a starving animal with only the best of intentions. It is OK to give water in small amounts at intervals.

Compassionate Pet FBI Facebook Friends Rally to Help Pathetic Pooch

dog with huge mass
This poor fella, found in an alleyway in South Columbus with a large mass on his side, needs to visit the vet. His Good Sam is not in a position to absorb this unforeseen financial burden. 

Dog and good Sam

16 year old Good Sam. with Baby after a nice bath. Doesn’t he look grateful?

She posted on Pet FBI Ohio’s Facebook page and our kindly, caring Admin, Char, called for donations. Within 12 hours over $300 was donated by twenty good souls. When the first vet bill came in at $435, an anonymous donor swooped in and paid the balance. Another $210 came in after hours, That will go towards his ongoing care.

Dog at vet

Baby at vet

Baby is younger than he looks, does not have heart worms, and his blood panel came out OK. But they need to keep him a few days so they can do more tests and control his diet. It is dangerous to let  an animal or  a person gorge after a long period of not  eating. He will also need surgery most likely. You can follow our Facebook page for further bulletins. You may need to scroll down to Baby’s picture.

Fortunately, there is someone in the Good Sam’s family who can give Baby a good home, but his vet bills are not over yet. If you can, please make a donation to help Baby.

Donation link

How Long Does It Take To Recover a Lost Pet?

Dog with family after 10 yrs lost

Boozer was lost almost 10 years ago, when his family was in the process of moving. They never expected to see him again after so long but Boozer was eventually surrendered to a shelter that scanned him and found the microchip that lead to this remarkable reunion.

Dog Recovered Quickly

Mikey was back home within 24 hours thanks to 254 “shares” on the Pet FBI Ohio Facebook page.

Statistics indicate that most lost pets are recovered within 30 days. But the time varies greatly depending on whether it is a cat or a dog. Most people will notice a stray dog and even try to help it. Lost cats are inclined to be furtive and they are harder to spot. Also people just ignore them because free-roaming cats are not unusual. A lot of cat owners disregard the dangers to free-roaming cats and let their cats outside. Another reason people don’t bother with a stray cat is the myth that a cat can “fend for itself”. Consequently, it may be many weeks or months before a lost cat “surfaces” and allows itself to be taken in or trapped.

Pet FBI has had many cases where cats or dogs were reunited months after they went missing. Do not give up too soon! If you have not recovered your lost pet after 30 days, you should renew your efforts: extend the area where you put up your flyers; continue to  check the shelters and online resources like the Pet FBI database, Facebook and Craigslist, etc.

“Chaos” Reclaimed at Shelter Thanks to Tip From Facebook Follower

lost dog recovered held by child

“Chaos” reunited with his “big brother”

This sweet pooch shown here with his happy “big brother” had escaped the yard and been picked up and taken to Franklin County Dog Shelter in Columbus, OH. His family had posted his picture on the Pet FBI Ohio Facebook page. Fortunately, Nicole, one of our Facebook followers, spotted him at the shelter, remembered his post and alerted the family. A happy reunion ensued.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM: Most lost pets are reunited through a shelter.
REALITY CHECK: Relatively few strays are reclaimed before being euthanized or adopted out to others.

According to a study done by the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) only 17-30% of dogs in shelters are ever reclaimed by their owners and only 2-5 % of cats. Why so few? Basically it’s a question of timing. At most shelters, dogs and especially cats can be held for only a limited time. If the pet’s family isn’t there at the critical time…. that pet will either be put down or adopted out. Most shelters do not post their intakes to a public database. Most owners cannot check the shelters as often as necessary and it is generally useless to just call or even send a flyer. You must go to a shelter in person and see for yourself. In a large urban shelter there may be hundreds of cats and / or dogs impounded at any time. Please encourage your local shelter to take advantage of the free, searchable database at petfbi.org.

Boggie Found …”After 2 1/2 Very Long Freezing Cold Days”!

Lost Dog Found

Boggie and Mom, Right After His Recovery

Boggie’s family turned to Pet FBI when he went missing on a visit away from home. Here is his happy Mom’s account:

“I lost hope but your blog made me feel better.  Especially about dogs surviving in the cold.  We were in Cincinnati visiting my family for Christmas from Charlotte NC and the night before we were planning to leave, Boggie ran out of the yard to chase some deer around 10 pm. He was gone in minutes.  We searched until 1:30 am and started again at 5:30 am.  He has never done that before and really never leaves the yard.  He is a lab/boxer mix and such a big baby.  He sleeps on our laps and is afraid of his own shadow so the thought of him alone at night in the cold was frightening. Your site suggested that we post signs and Facebook messages, as well as visit all of the shelters and post on their sites.  We contacted the police dept and handed out flyers to postal workers in the area.  Boggie was spotted 3 miles away. We continued to search for another night and day (2 1/2 days total) until someone spotted him again being walked by someone in the area.  We went door to door and found him!!! We cannot thank you enough for your website and blog:)

OBJECT LESSONS:
1) Dogs can travel far and fast. Do not limit your search to the immediate neighborhood
2) People who lose a pet are in panic mode and not sure what to do. Follow the step-by-step action plan at petfbi.org.
3) For special situations like dogs lost way from home, consult our special advice page
4)  For hope and inspiration, read Pet FBI’s other blog posts about “Happy Tails” or successful recoveries, often against all odds.
5) Please do report “sightings” of free-roaming strays or dogs reported as lost. They help a lot.

Pet FBI “Special Agent” Teresa Aids in Recovery of Lost Dog

Lost Dog and Family

A Reunited Harry with his Human Brothers and Sister

Pet FBI “special agent”, our good pal and frequent hero, Teresa, saw Harry’s lost dog report on our database. (www.petfbi.org)

She contacted Harry’s Mom and encouraged her to post on our Facebook Ohio page as well. Teresa lives in the general area where Harry was lost so she shared his plight on Nextdoor.com. She soon received a couple of Harry sightings!

So what else would Teresa do on a blustery, rainy and cold day off? She went searching for Harry!

By following her intuition regarding where to look she actually came upon Harry! This remarkable woman then pulled over and sat outside of her car crunching on a bag of chips and making minimal eye contact in hopes of luring Harry as our pal Julia has taught us to do. Harry trotted off, however. But at the same moment his Mom happened to drive by looking for him! She encountered a rain-soaked Teresa. Teresa pointed Mom in his direction. Here is the happy result.

YOU TOO CAN BE A BECOME A PET FBI “SPECIAL AGENT”!

Here’s how: First, you do not need to brave the rain and the cold to go looking for lost pets in person. Just go to our page on how to help people recover lost pets read about what anyone can do unofficially.

Teddy and Maura: A Love Story

Foster Mom falls in love with lost dog

Maura and Teddy,
“The Love of My Life”

Sometimes our “Lost and Found” experiences result in an unexpected turn of events. When an original owner cannot be traced, there may still be a happy ending, thanks to people who care. Here is Maura’s story about her serendipity love affair with Teddy in her own words – they even look like they were meant for each other!

“Teddy was found November 10th by good Sam Julia H. in Grove City. He was covered in urine, matted fur, shaking and scared.

Julia is a vet tech so after giving him a bath she immediately took him to the vet she works for to check for microchip, but Teddy didn’t have one. He also had not been neutered.

She posted to PetFBI and mentioned she owns 2 large dogs and that this new doggie was not doing well with them, very scared.

I commented on the post that I would be more than happy to foster – I have a spacious condo with no other pets but have been caring for doggies my whole life and I couldn’t bare to see him end up at the shelter. Julia replies within minutes how thankful she was – and later that evening we met so I could get Teddy and go over things with her. Our motto was “no proof, no pup!” And I’m glad it was, because in the coming days I had 7-10 offers to buy him 🙁

From the night Teddy arrived here, he has been a dream! I took him to my groomer friends the next day and they said it looked like his nails hadn’t been clipped in over a year, but luckily he did not squirm when clipped so I don’t think there was any pain! He was SO good for his groom, just wanted to lick them the whole time! While he knows no commands (even basic) he has been on his best behavior. He doesn’t quite understand toys yet (or bones!) Zero accidents in the house! Sleeps with me in bed at night – and sleeps through the night. He’s just a snuggle monster. He follows me like a shadow and cries a bit when I leave but I think that will stop in time.

So far he’s learned to sit, seems to know his new name (Teddy), and is scheduled to be microchipped, neutered and given shots on November 30th.

He’s got a ton of people who love him already, and I honestly feel like he found me! He brings so many laughs and light into my life! I’m so happy to be able to give him the best life ever!

Thanks for all you do!!”

Maura

What To Do If Your Dog Gets Lost — An Informative Podcast Courtesy of “The Great Dog Adventure”

 

What To Do If Your Dog Gets Lost - Link to Podcast

ATTENTION DOG LOVERS! “The Great Dog Adventure” is a great site for you with lots of useful and entertaining information and outstanding weekly podcasts. A recent one featured Pet FBI’s founder and Director, Maresa Fanelli. She shares lots of helpful tips and tricks, strategies and skills developed over our 17 years of helping people recover lost pets of all kinds. This podcast interview focuses on recovering lost dogs.

This is Lily – Recovered through Pet FBI Facebook Post

Found dog reunited thru Pet FBI Facebook postThis darling Pomeranian was found in an area of Columbus Ohio known as German Village. This neighborhood has its own Facebook page and they posted to Pet FBI. Lily’s Mom found her by using the Facebook search box and inputting  “Found Pomeranian Columbus”.  And there was the post! This is a great tip. We will add it to our advice page.

So if you need to research lost and found pets in your area, just follow the example above to pinpoint information posted on Facebook quickly! But please note – it is critical to use the precise search terms.