Happy Doggies Make Happy Humans

Finding My Neighbor's Maine Coon Cat

  

We've had a happy weekend here in Raleigh. Mathew Pufftail has returned home to happy hugs and kisses, and the warmth and safety of his adopted home. To say nothing of a steady food supply!

Mathew slipped out the door one evening while his human Sandy was pre-occupied. She didn't notice he was gone until the next morning.

In one of those wacky moments of life imitating art, Sandy called me just about an hour after I had posted my last message on different ways to find a lost dog. Of course her emotions were high, and she was a bit frantic, as I offered my ideas on ways to find Mathew Pufftail.

Sandy asked me to keep an ear out for her cat while I walked my dog Krystal. She thought I might hear the cat calling as I returned to home. Of course, I agreed. All the while I'm quietly wondering to myself about this idea, since my dog Krystal is not overly fond of cats...

For the next 8 days Sandy did all the things she could think of to find her pet. She made and distributed posters, contacted the vet, the local SPCA and other shelters, ran ads in the local newspaper, talked to the post man, seached the neighborhood and local creek, and drove around surrounding neighborhoods stopping to talk with dog walkers and jogging fitness buffs. Everyone was wonderful and supportive. She even met several other Maine Coon cat owners, who had been through similar experiences.

Her stress was multiplied by the fact that Mathew Pufftail was an indoor cat, with no microchip--so he might be found by someone but that persoon might not know how to return him to Sandy.

At church, Sandy's brother Dave ran into Maureen, a true pet person who lived in our neighborhood. He asked her to join in the seach. She came by after Sandy's cat had been missing for 8 days.

That evening, Sandy and Maureen scoured the area with flashlights in hand. At one point Maureen thought she saw Mathew Pufftail. But when both Sandy and I heard the description we thought not. Krystal and I walked Maureen back to her home, and then we continued on our walk.

As we approached our walkway, what should my wondering ears hear? Not the prancing feet of eight reindeer, but the hoarse meow of a cat asking for help!

The cat was still hiding in the bushes. I was concerned for the delicacy of the situation. He could stay and be rescued, or easily get spooked.

I scooped Krystal into my arms, and called out to the cat as I quietly walked to Sandy's front door. It felt like forever before she answered, and I'm not sure if she believed me that we had her beloved Mathew Pufftail within reach.

As he heard her voice, he became more vocal and came out from under the bushes. I saw him first, and verified to her that this indeed was her cat. She didn't recognize him right away, because 8 days in the cold and rain had its affect. But, Mathew Pufftail recognized her and began telling her about his adventure as he slowly made his way up the porch stairs to Sandy.

Sandy was super aware that she needed to let the cat come to her, and once he arrived she scooped him up and gave him a joyful hug.

Finding Your Lost Dog

Thanks to Jodi for telling me about the robo-call she recently received regarding her neighbor's lost dog.

When you're looking for your lost dog, you'll do just about anything. Luckily, there are a host of new technology tools to help us find our beloved. Here are some tools for you to use.

1)  www.FindToto.org is a web-based service that helps you find your lost dog or missing cat. It's an ingenious use of internet and direct call technology.

Service Provided:

• Using the address where your dog went missing, FindToto calls 500-5,000 of your immediate neighbors. You decide the numer of calls.
• The call is professionally delivered, using information you have provided--about your pet, and your contact information. 
• Calls can be made within minutes of receiving your order, but message delivery hours meet industry standards for robo-calls.
• Numerous testimonials are on the right side of the home page.

2) Posters. Never underestimate the power of a missing dog flyer. Pet lovers do look at the pet photo and pets are found that way.

Most posters are home made.

My microchip registry service provides the following services when a dog goes missing.

• Creates a personalized missing pet poster that can be downloaded--with a photo of the dog, dog's name and description, and human/owner contact information. You can then hoof it around your neighborhood and town, placing copies of this poster where everyone can see it.
• Faxes that same personalized missing pet poster to all veterinarians and shelters in the area that the dog went missing from.

Be sure to check with your microchip registry service to see if they provide these services. You can contact the vet that inserted the microchip if you can't remember which service yu are registered with.

3) Contact your veterinarian. They generally have a system set up to notify local vets and shelters about lost companion animals.

4) Contact your local pet stores. They often provide search services for a reasonable fee.

I hope none of you ever have to use this information, but I know many people feel better just knowing help is available should you need it.

Photo by Pheezy

Who Is That Dog?

by Greg Westfall

Thanks to Melanie, for sending me to NPR to hear this delightful story about doggie DNA test results, Got a Mutt? Labs Will Test Your Dog's DNA.

It seems to me that mutt owners and folks who found their dogs at shelters will probably experience the most happiness from the results of these doggie DNA tests. With these dogs there's always the question of the dog's ancestry and what life was like for your beloved dog before coming into your home.

I remember when Krystal and I went to obedience school, one of the first questions the trainers asked us was the background and lineage of our dogs. The folks with purebred dogs had ready answers. The rest of us had answers peppered with speculation on lineage, behavior, and how the original owners might have treated their dogs.

During obedience training, Krystal's dominant West Highland White Terrier characteristics were definitely in evidence--so much so that at one point, one of the instructors held me after class for almost an hour explaining the special personalities of Terriers, and how to live with them. She had 4 Terriers, so she knew what she was talking about.

I've always been grateful for that special attention from the instructor. Hearing her tell me that Terriers demand "fairness" above all else, truly helped me develop a stronger more compassionate relationship with Krystal.

So when someone tells me they've got a mutt, and haven't a clue to their dog's ancestry, I'm respectful and  amazed. I admire the dog, and how creative the dog has to be to communicate important lineage characteristics like "fairness." I admire the human for developing that special flexibility to have a companion animal in their household with no guide to the special characteristics and needs of their dog.

I can just imagine how fun it it might be to receive part of the "back story" of your dog. Filling in some of the gaps can open new vistas on personality and health characteristics, providing endless hours of conversation, speculation and delight.

Please let me know if you've learned your dog's DNA lineage, and what you think about the results. Have any personality or health characteristics suddenly been "explained?" I'm curious to hear your experiences. It sounds like fun.

Updating Microchip Information

The vet who inserted your dog's microchip can tell you the website where your dog's chip is registered.

It's time to update the information associated with Krystal's microchip.

I moved several months ago, so my address was out of date. My veterinarian says this is the major problem with this type of service. People get their pet microchipped and feel safe. They go home and forget to register. Or, they register and then move, without updating the register.

So, if the pet is found at some point in the future, there is no way to contact the owner.  According to my vet, this happens "more than you would think."  You would think if the pet gets lost, the owner would immediately update their microchip information, but apparently this doesn't always happen.

Like most things we put off, updating took only a few minutes. I keep the registration card the vet gave me in my wallet next to my driver's license and insurance card. The registration card has all the information I needed, her microchip number, name etc, and most importantly, the registration website and phone number.

I logged onto the website, updated my address, reviewed Krystal's information and discovered there was field for her rabies tag number. Since she'd gotten an her shots recently, I updated that field with her new tag number.

I hadn't noticed the first time that you could upload a photo, so I did that too. If she should ever become lost, this service can notify all vets and shelters in the area to be on the lookout for her. I'm assuming they use this photo in that notification.

That was it. Wonderfully simple.

I decided to make a copy of the front and back of this card to go in Krystal's emergency kit.

If you don't know the website your dog's microchip is registered with, you can call the vet who inserted the microchip.