WARNINGS!

Moving Day Advice For Pet Owners

Cat on mantel

R.I.P. Josie

We are writing this at the request of the Josie’s family. It is a sad story but may help prevent another tragedy.

When Josie’s family moved from Ohio to Texas they had the movers pack for them. They did not want to stress Josie and their other cat by confining them all day so they were not shut up and Josie’s Mom monitored the open doors in case they should run out, although both cats were “inside” cats.

When the truck was packed and ready to leave Josie could not be found. The family was anguished and paid the movers extra to unload all the boxes they had just packed – open, inspect and reseal them. They were terrified that Josie had jumped in and been shut up. But Josie was not found in any of the boxes.

The family delayed their own departure as long as they could. A very kind and helpful neighbor borrowed a trap from Pet FBI and faithfully set it out every night in hopes that Josie had somehow slipped out of the house on moving day and could be caught. Meanwhile, days later, the moving truck arrived at the warehouse in the other state but the contents could not be delivered due to a delay in being able to occupy the new house. Josie’s parents who were anguished with worry even had a friend go to the warehouse and again inspect the boxes.

Hopes ran high when a cat resembling Josie was spotted in the old neighborhood. Finally after a week the cat was trapped and all were elated …. until it was confirmed that the cat that was finally trapped was not Josie.

Eventually, the family was able to take delivery of their household possessions and the father carefully inspected each item personally to spare his wife any unpleasant surprises.

This story does not have a happy ending. Josie was found dead on the shelf of a sewing cabinet where she had evidently hidden. The cabinet had been shrink-wrapped and thus sealed, Josie probably died of asphyxiation. The only consolation in all this is that it was a at least a gentle death. The family had feared that she would die of heat and thirst in the moving van.

Josie’s family has asked that we share her story in order to spare others a similar tragic experience. Confine your pets on moving day.

We would also add, in regard to moving, that when you arrive at your new home – do not let your pets out without supervision. It may take several weeks before a cat gets the lay of the land and the risk of getting lost is reduced. Pet FBI gets a great many reports of cats gone missing right after a move. In any case it is always safest to keep cats inside –  there are just too many hazards for a free-roaming cat.

Our heartfelt condolences to Josie’s family and the faithful neighbor who helped. Josie’s little feline companion is reportedly also grieving. The temptation to be overwhelmed by guilt is great, but Josie’s family should take comfort in knowing that they did everything possible to help Josie and that while she was with them she enjoyed the best life a cat can possibly have. That is so much more than 9 out of 10 cats born in our great country ever have.

“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.

Pet FBI Exposes Scams on WSYX ABC 6 “Good Day Columbus”

Pet FBI on WSYX ABC TV

Pet FBI on “Good Day Columbus”!

Our dynamite Facebook Administrator. Char, has been coping with several scams reported by our Facebook posters. We had the opportunity to alert people through a spot on our local ABC station: WSYX ABC 6 . Click this link to watch the video interview about scams affecting lost and found pets.

A problem we are running into more and more often is having multiple people claim the same found pet. Usually it’s a purebred dog of some kind. People either claim the dog to keep or more often to sell. We cannot overstate the importance of demanding some kind of proof of ownership before you relinquish a pet you have found to someone who claims it. You should require vet records, license documentation and a photo. You can also tell if a dog is really being claimed rightfully by the dog’s behavior towards the people claiming it. Producing a Craigslist “Lost Pet” classified does not constitute sufficient proof because the scammers sometimes use the information in the Found Report to post a phony Lost Report after the fact.

The other scam people need to be aware of are the numerous for profit lost and found web sites that promise various contact services for a fee. Some of them are contacting people who post on Pet FBI repeatedly and pressuring them to buy their services. One such site that exhibits logos from the ASPCA, HSUS and the Better Business Bureau although they are in no way endorsed by those organizations. They have a donation link but they are not non-profit. They also claim an unrealistically high success rate.

Before engaging a contact service – and some are legitimate and can be helpful – be sure to read off-site reviews and contact the BBB in their zip where they are located.

WBNS 10TV in Columbus Warns of Scam To Prey on People Who Have Lost Pets

A so-called “pet finding” business based in California has been contacting Pet FBI users with a promise to find their lost pets for a fee. Fortunately all our visitors are aware that Pet FBI is strictly non-commercial and never charges a fee. They reported the abuse on our Facebook Ohio page and it was picked up by Meghan Matthews of WBNS10TV news. The segment aired during their local newscast.
We have identified the company and filed a complaint with California’s Attorney General. Unfortunately, there are all too many people out there ready to exploit people desperate to get their pets back.

Some pet finding services are ethical and legitimate, but many more are just out for a quick buck and unable to deliver what they promise. Do some research before you pay a company to help find your pet. Do not trust Better Business Bureau logos they paste on their site or exaggerated claims of success. We do not recommend robocalling as a means of contact.

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SCAM ALERT!

Some of our our Facebook friends have alerted us that they are being contacted by a man with a heavy accent posing as a representative of Pet FBI and offering to help locate their missing pet for a fee. He is calling from 213 221 1099, which is a land line in Los Angeles. We have reported it to the Ohio Attorney General (because he is contacting people in Ohio).

Unfortunately, if there is a way to abuse a good thing, someone will try to take advantage.  We have chosen to enable Pet FBI users to contact each other directly. We feel that immediate contact can be critical in recovering a lost pet and we trust your judgement to decide on the legitimacy of  those who contact you through information on Pet FBI.

A few years ago someone was going door to door wearing a Pet FBI t-shirt and asking for donations! Please take note: Pet FBI is strictly non-commercial, we do not SELL any services; we do not solicit door-to-door. We are not associated with any pet detectives and we warn people to be very cautious about paying for any service that offers to “track” your pet or make contacts for you. There are a few that are truly helpful but many are just out to exploit people in distress.

Please be sure to read reviews of any lost pet service you are thinking of engaging before you pay for anything.