Sunday, July 21, 2013

7/21 Update on Trouper - FOUND!

As animal lovers, you know how loud the collective sigh of relief was when we got Trouper back. You may have even heard it!

First, a HUGE thank you to friends Alexis, Tracey & Kevin, Cathy P, Lisa D, Nadine, and Carol who went out in the sweltering heat to put up flyers and/or search for Trouper. You're amazing and dear friends, and I can never repay your efforts adequately. But believe me, I'm there for you if you ever need me for anything, anything at all!

We'll never know for sure, but we think Trouper's journey went something like this: Trouper left our property at about 11am on Thursday (which happened to have been my birthday). With his slow and steady pace he eventually found and possibly followed a brook that runs down behind our house. In our area, we have houses behind houses - that's where the brook is, and it runs through some thick underbrush that we can't imagine him getting through. But, slow and steady as he is... He won that race. Maybe he picked up the brook farther along and was heading home, or maybe he was mired in the mud in that exact spot for days; we'll never know.

We searched the brook, believe it or not, VERY close to where he was found. There are so many man-made and natural obstacles, we couldn't picture him following it too far. There are stone walls, huge trees that are down, giant boulders, sticks and branches... As it turns out, the (very bad) joke was on us.

The problem was that we didn't know which direction he went - so we were searching in every direction possible. Then, we got a call on Friday (after Facebook notices were shared and flyers were put up) that someone saw a dog standing on the corner by the beach at about 9pm on Thursday night - about five miles away, or 3ish miles if he followed brooks/streams (lost dogs tend to follow water). The dog that was spotted dog was just standing there, barking, which sounds like something a lost dog would do. So when we got the message, we spent a good part of Friday searching that area and putting up flyers nearby.

Here's why the very bad joke was on us. As the bird flies, Trouper was found so close to home that I will blame myself for the rest of my days for not following the brook in that direction for just a few hundred feet more. This satellite photo shows exactly where he was lost and found. The photo is from the winter, so it looks like an easy trek - not so, with the underbrush and other obstacles. SO close to home.
I'll never forgive myself - he was so close.

We had just published a "Find Toto" alert to all surrounding houses within a 1-mile radius, and I was getting a few calls from good Samaritans who were headed out to look for him. Then the phone rang - and it was the amazing news that Trouper was found. They hadn't even gotten the Find Toto message yet. They happened to be outside and heard whimpering. THEY FOUND HIM! We raced to their house, pulled him from the side of the brook, and took him to our vet where they started working on him immediately. Another family to whom we are forever indebted!

He's at the vet now, getting top-notch care. We went back last night to see him, and he was out of it, between meds and exhaustion, but resting comfortably. The good news is that his blood work and x-rays checked out perfectly - not at all like a dog without food and water for two days! The vet called this morning and said he ate a bit (they're only feeding a little at a time because they don't want to further shock his system). He was up walking a little - not dancing a jig, but walking nonetheless. I hope to see him again today (they're closed to the public, but I hope to catch someone there) and if he continues on this path, he'll be home tomorrow. Home!

I am forever in the debt of the friends I mentioned above and the alert family who eventually found my Troupy. They'll never know how much their efforts meant to us.

Hug your pets a little tighter today!







Saturday, July 20, 2013

UPDATE ON TROUPER - FOUND!!!!!!!!!!

He's been found! He's at the vet now. He was mired in the mud a ways up in a stream that runs way back behind the house. OMG. I'm shaking. Vet thinks he'll be okay - I'll keep everyone posted!!!!!

FOUND!!!!! Trouper is Missing! Please help!

My beloved 15-year-old Border Collie "Trouper" went missing on Thursday morning (7/18), at about 11am from 175 East Rocks Road, Norwalk, CT. He walked off the property after being alone for only a few minutes - my brother literally went inside for a glass of water - and we haven't seen him since.

Aside from scouring the neighborhood and adjacent wooded areas, we've posted all over Facebook, plastered the area with flyers, contacted vets, ACs, the police - everyone we could think of. Being in the rescue community has been a blessing - with everyone sharing, I know the word is definitely getting out there that Trouper is missing.

We received one call that he may have been spotted on Thursday night at about 9pm, almost 5 miles from home (if you were to drive it; probably 3-3.5 miles if he followed streams and brooks). Unfortunately, the person hadn't seen our flyers or posts until yesterday around 2pm. We checked out the area, but didn't see him - we put up more flyers around there as well and our fingers are crossed that we'll get a call or two.

I'm working with a tracker starting tomorrow morning (she's been booked and this is the soonest she can get here). She's had a lot of success in finding dogs, and happens to be the mom of a very popular missing dog in our area, Andy (Bring Andy Home). In the search for Andy (more on her story and her search for Andy here), Jordina became a tracker herself and is now a full time field agent with Lost Pet Professionals. She knows first-hand the grief we feel when a pet is lost, and I have no doubt that she will do all she can as we search for Trouper. Yes, it will be expensive, no I'm not rich, yes other bills will go unpaid. I don't care - I'm heartbroken and frantic to find Trouper and get him home safely.

If you're in the area, or know people in this area (Norwalk, CT) - please share this poster! I'll be forever in your debt. I want my poor, old Trouper home - safe and sound.

Thank you all!!


Thursday, July 18, 2013

Man, it's hot outside - keep your canine cool!


Here in Connecticut, we're having the most awful heat wave we've had in a very long time. Being outside is simply unbearable - the heat index is expected to push into the low 100s tomorrow. Between that and the humidity reaching into the high 80s/low 90s, it's weather that's truly unfit for man and beast! 

Thankfully, CT's tethering law was expanded as of July 1st. Added to the law is the tethering of a dog during extreme weather conditions or when a weather advisory/warning has been issued. Anyone tethering their dog in extreme weather would be subject to fines between $100-$500. At least now we can contact our AC when we see a dog chained outside for unreasonable amounts of time, especially in bad weather, and the ACO has the authority to do something about it! 

In this hot and humid weather, I'm especially careful with my dogs, particularly the three 15-year-olds. I don't let them wander around in the yard aimlessly (I know, soooo boring for them to be inside all day!). I also keep Charlie and Oliver's outside playtime to a minimum, and try to prevent Oliver from sun bathing - his favorite pasttime, no matter what the weather!

So, how can you tell if the heat is adversely affecting your dog? The following is a neat infographic from TheUncommonDog.com. It shows you how to spot signs of heat exhaustion in your dog and gives some great tips for keeping them cool. 

Remember, even when there isn't an extreme heat advisory - your dog can't regulate their body temperature as easily as we can. If the sun is beating down on them, they're getting hot! They need a shady spot to help them stay cool, whether it's under a tree or an umbrella. Let's keep Fido comfy during the dog days of summer!






Saturday, July 6, 2013

Our friends are finalists in the 2013 Petties Awards - Please vote daily through July 31st!

Our very good friends over at Animal Shelter Volunteer Life are finalists in the 2013 Petties Awards for "Best Cause Related Blog"! This is the second year in a row they've been finalists for the Petties* - pretty impressive, huh?! Concatulations, guys - you so deserve it!

If you aren't familiar with Animal Shelter Volunteer Life, you're missing great stories and beautiful photos of the felines waiting for their furever homes at PAWS of Norwalk, CT - check it out

Here's how you can help: Please vote daily for Animal Shelter Volunteer Life for "Best Cause Related Blog" now through July 31! Not only will Tracey and Kevin, the fabulous volunteers behind ASVL, get the recognition they deserve - they could win a $1,000 donation to the shelter of their choice, which of course would be PAWS of Norwalk, CT! PAWS has about 100 cats in their care at any given time, and an award like this will go a long way to care for them! 

Please share, and ask your friends to vote daily, too. Spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, email - you name it! Thank you, everyone!

* The Petties are DogTime Media's annual awards show "recognizing the best of the pet blogging community, and the non-profit organizations and volunteers who have dedicated their lives to helping homeless animals." 
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