Monthly Archives: March 2019

Flyers and Social Media got Mattie home!

Mattie was just starting to settle a little bit in her new adoptive home when she was startled by the screen door. She got loose from her family and bolted through their neighborhood. (Nylon lead, collar and choke collar still attached)

I reached out to the family who definitely needed assistance and they got Mattie registered with Lost Dogs Illinois and we generated a simple clear flyer to start sharing.

The last known sighting was that same evening going under a business gate in an industrial area. That was it.

The next day flyers were ordered and one call came on that she may have been seen same area. Owner was working so food and a trail camera were put out and we looked at the map to see the surrounding area which had some residential and larger homes and train tracks.

Next morning the owner got a call that a couple had seen mattie along their decline when their dogs were outside. Two mornings in a row. The wife checked Lost Dogs Illinois and found her flyer and called.

I was able to contact this couple and start a conversation and get a plan in place. Matties collar was still attached.

They were gracious enough to let us do whatever we needed with cameras and a feeding station and even came out to help at night. The next morning only coyotes were on camera but I ser up early. No mattie. Left to flyer just a bit then….

At 930 she came trotting around from the berm and houses. Ate some trailed food and left. But, she found food! Game changer.

Waited for a few more hours. Nothing. Flyered just a bit more but knowing where she was didn’t want to draw too much attention to her.

Left feeding station and around 2:30 the couple saw her again and she fully engaged the trap and ate a full bowl of food.

Knowing she may not be hungry for a night time trap attempt, I almost didnt go back. But I wanted to see how she acted around and in the trap.

We used a 5ft Tomahawk trap. And by the photos her leash was still partially out even when she (all 40 lbs of her) was all the way in. It did not tangle.

So close to sun down came and she returned but sat in the field but no interest in food. She left.

After sun down she came back and were safely able to trap her. We covered the trap. Moved the trap and her into a SUV and to the homeowners garage to safely get her out.

Flyers work. Lost Dogs Illinois works. Patience and knowledge help.

Thank you, Rosanne, for sharing Mattie’s story

Pixxie

We adopted Pixxie from a foster just under three months ago.
I leashed my two girls up on their harnesses and went to meet a friend to walk. Pixxie wasn’t used to walking on a leash when we got her.
We were heading home after a half hour, and I went to switch the leash to my other hand, and dropped it! Pixxie froze, but naturally my reaction was to step on the leash, in case she took off into the street! Well, I had a plastic bag holder attached to the leash, and sure enough that is where I stepped, causing me to roll on it and fumble! This was enough to scare her off, and there she went, across the street, and passed a neighbor who attempted to grab her. She just kept running!!!
This neighborhood has no fences, so she could have been anywhere. I headed in with Elle, and walked for a half hour. I called Susan, the director of LDI, as I became numb, and she made some calls for help: Volunteer Sarah posted her as lost on LDI, Lisa, her daughter and her Beagle came to walk the area, and Jen and Julie came to get flyers posted for me!
Meanwhile, my daughter and my husband took off and walked the neighborhood, letting everyone know to call if they saw her. Glad it was a Sunday.
About 30 minutes later, I got the call from my daughter. She heard a man talking. “Are you mad at me?” She went to see what was going on, and he was talking to Pixxie through his door. She had gone onto his front porch, as it was covered an partially enclosed. He was talking; she was growling…
We are so thankful she was found so fast, and for everyone jumping to help right away. What a great community!
I know now, to take that extra precaution when walking Pixxie. You never know what can set them off to run! It was a very very long hour with a lot of emotions!

Jeanette, LDI Volunteer

A Flyer is a Flyer is a Flyer….

We can’t stress this enough: ANY kind of flyers work AND never assume someone is transferring ownership on the microchip when you adopt!

“Haha, he drew a stick dog, albeit the dog was the right color but still it was a stick dog.”

Joanne J. was helping hang flyers for a lost dog, and saw a hand drawn “lost dog” flyer for another dog. She decided to post it to the neighborhood page she is on; Lost & Found Cats & Dogs on the South/Southwest Side of Chicago, thank goodness!!!

I saw the post, and commented that I was going to reach out to the family, and help get their dog registered and posted with Lost Dogs Illinois. Turns out the phone number on the flyer was for the grandmother of the 7 year old boy that drew the lost dog flyer. She told me it is her daughter’s dog, and that her daughter is at work but that she would get “King” registered right after work. She also described King to me, told me he had been missing since Tuesday, 2/26, and that he was adopted from animal welfare a few months ago (turns out he was adopted from Chicago Animal Care and Control).

I posted this information to Joanne on the neighborhood page. Sue R. had commented there about a dog that was found that matched the drawing of the dog, and Vazquez P. commented with a match to a found dog at AWL! The description and date matched! This dog was named Tiger, so I messaged the grandmother, and she said, “yes, that was his name when he was adopted.” She said the dog sure looked like King!

The daughter, Christina, called me yesterday. She told me she assumed someone had taken King in because she knew he had a microchip so if he turned up at the police station or animal control, they would have called her. I spoke with AWL early Monday morning, and they told me they had contacted the owner registered on Tiger’s microchip by leaving a voicemail, but had not heard back. Christina gave me King’s microchip number and I was able to confirm that two companies still only had the previous owner information. Christina was planning to go to AWL after work.

Christina brought all her CACC adoption information with her to AWL. It included the paperwork that had the microchip number on it. “Tiger” was not listed with AWL on petharbor anymore as of Monday morning so she was concerned. She insisted that this was her dog, and after paying $160 to reclaim him, he is now home! I gave Christina the information she needs to update King’s owner information to her, so this doesn’t happen again.

Great job on making that flyer Joell! We are proud of you!!! You got your dog back home to you!

Thank you to Joanne J., Sue R, and Vazquez P. from King’s family: “Seriously! I wouldn’t believe it if it hadn’t happened to me. I can’t thank you enough. You guys do amazing work, you found a dog from a stick figure picture! “Thank you so much for your help! I never would have found him!!!

~Jeanette
Lost Dogs Illinois