Posts Tagged ‘rottweiler
Letting Go: a movie
Worst Nightmare Ever: Open Gate and Lost Dog
My son works long hours as a carpenter and he leaves his female Rottweiler out in his expansive, fenced in yard. He and Roxy, his only family, have lived in Cartersville, Georgia for seven years together. She’s a great dog and never leaves the yard….
Until today. He pulled up and saw the gate to the backyard was wide open. He still didn’t believe the truth because Roxy has never left her yard, even with the gate open. But today, she was nowhere to be found. Not in her favorite shady, dusty sleeping place. Not under the porch. She was nowhere to be found.
Since he’d been gone most of the day, it could have been hours since she disappeared. He called me and we went to work. Knowing that Roxy, has some really bad hips, I knew she wouldn’t have “run away.” I was, however, worried that because of her breed, she may have been targeted and stolen out of the yard. She’s very sweet and would have gone with anyone who had a treat in their hand. She’s kind of a chow hound. A 130 lb. chow hound.
I began posting on Facebook and Lost Dog websites immediately. I also called and left messages with all the local vets in the county to let them know we’d lost our Rottweiler. Just in case she’d been injured and dropped off by a Good Samaritan somewhere. I also, with much fear and trepidation, called Animal Control and had a good friend go through and look for any female Rottweilers that might have been picked up as a stray.
Nothing.
To make matters really bad, since she wasn’t my actual dog, she’d never been micro-chipped. And, she wasn’t wearing a collar. I felt really stupid about those two things, but since my son is almost 30 years old, I can suggest, but not interfere in most of his daily decisions. But, now, it felt like my little two year old girl was wandering around in traffic.
Josh drove the neighborhood calling Roxy, but got no response. I called a neighbor and he said he hadn’t seen any strange cars in the driveway or seen any sign of Roxy. By day two of her strange disappearance, I began calling the city workers to see if they’d found any dead animals on the two busiest streets that encompass Josh’s neighborhood. Nothing, nada, no sign of her.
On day three of her disappearance, I went ‘old school’ and printed up some flyers with her picture and my phone number. I drove to Cartersville and plastered her face onto telephone poles, at the local gas stations and at a laundry mat. The lady at the laundry mat was very discouraging, predicting that since she was a Rottweiler that we’d never see her again. I still posted more flyers around the area, hoping against hope that she was safe and not in the hands of some dog-fighting ring.
On day four, early, early in the morning after I’d plastered the posters up, I received the best phone call ever. A lady said that Roxy had been hiding under her porch for the past few days and she didn’t know who she belonged to and she didn’t know what to do with her. A neighbor had warned her against calling the dog catcher, so she’d let Roxy be, giving her food and water.
I’m sure Roxy was terrified of this strange area, since she was used to her comfy fenced yard. It turned out that she was only a block away from home.
This story DOES have a happy ending and Roxy did return home safely. I just got a brief taste of what it would be like if my dogs ever went missing. There are important lessons in this story for you, if your furry one goes missing:
1. Buy a collar, TODAY, and print a tag with the dog’s name, your phone numbers, and your name.
2. Have your dog wear it ALWAYS.
3. Invest in a microchip, which is usually available through most veterinary offices or local Humane Societies. The microchip will insure that your dog will be returned to you, even if the collar is somehow lost.
4. Have a current picture of your dog, both a head shot and a body shot. As I made up my Lost Flyer, I had the hardest time coming up with a recent shot of Roxy. Make sure you can show people what your dog looks like.
5. Go both high-tech and low-tech, since you don’t know which one will work best in your situation.
6. Consider that dogs can travel thousands of miles, if they’re picked up by a stranger. A current microchip is the best bet at getting your pooch home safe and soun
The very good news is Roxy was brought home safely. And, she’s wearing a collar with her owner’s number on a tag. But, not everyone has such good news. We were very, very lucky.
NOTE: July 4th is one of the biggest days when dogs go missing. Many become scared of the fireworks and run away. Please make sure your dog is microchipped and is wearing a collar with your phone number on a tag.
Rotty vs Pet Bed
Rottweilers are Dangerous. They Make You Laugh
Welcome Life with Dogs Dog bloggers… my son owns a Rottweiler named Roxy and she’s a big cuddle bear. I don’t know why people are so afraid of some dog breeds that they’ve never even met. I love to highlight pit bulls acting cuddly and dobermans doing silly things, don’t you?
What prejudices have you run into with your dogs?
Also – the beautiful kitty on my profile is named Boomer. He was abandoned at the vets and is in need of a new home. He’s a cuddly, purry, furry one – and you can find out more by emailing me in northwest Georgia (Acworth, Dallas), at cheriekmiller@gmail.com. He’s neutered and up-to-date on shots. Ready to go home!