Yesterday my husband and I were driving to Crystal Lake, Illinois for an appointment. On busy Route 14 we saw a black dog eating trash from a McDonald’s bag on the side of the road. A man had gotten out of his car and was walking towards the dog. We pulled off the road to see if we could help. He asked us if this was our dog, but actually we thought it was his dog.

The dog was so intent on eating the contents of the bag that the man was able to hold onto her collar and pick her up. He said he didn’t have time to find her owners so we took her.  Once the dog was in our car, I checked her collar for ID tags. YES! Her name was Lexi and she had an ID tag and a county license tag. I called the number on the ID tag but there was no answer.

My husband informed me we were low on gas and needed to stop to fuel up. At the gas station, I called my friend, Becky, who lives on the same street as Lexi’s family which was on her ID tag. Luckily she was just around the corner doing some shopping so we arranged to meet up and Becky delivered Lexi home.

I got to thinking…. How much would it have cost Lexi’s family to reclaim her from the local animal control if she hadn’t been wearing visible identification?

I pulled up their website:

Redemption Fee: Animals with identification (Id tag, microchips, tattoos), which identifies the owner at their current address  – $45.00

Redemption Fee: Animals without identification or identification which does not identify the owner at their current address – $55.00

Boarding fees – $10.00 daily.

Other county fees are different but the point is the same.

Current ID tags and/or a rabies tag will save an owner time and money.

Does your dog have current identification on his/her collar?  Your dog is depending on you to make sure he or she gets safely home.

On July 4^th, 2014 a Chicago family’s dog, Jaxx, went missing from his yard. His family really missed him and wanted him home. Trying to think of ways to help find him, the family finally posted a picture of Jaxx on the Lost Dogs Illinois Facebook page asking if anyone had seen him.

Irene, one of the Lost Dogs Illinois volunteers, saw the family’s plea for help and remembered seeing a listing for a dog that resembled, Jaxx, on the Petharbor website. The listing she remembered on Petharbor was for a dog being held at Chicago Animal Care & Control and had been brought in the same day Jaxx, went missing. Irene checked back on the website, but the dog she remembered was no longer listed. Hoping it wasn’t too late to find the dog and confirm him to be Jaxx, she quickly opened the CACC Transfer Team Facebook page. Thankfully, CACC has a special group of volunteers that work with the dogs that are brought in. They allow them to run a Facebook page representing the dogs at CACC. They use social media as a tool to network the dogs to help find rescues groups, potential foster homes, potential adopters and another avenue that could allow a family to find their missing pet.

As luck would have it, the LDI volunteer did find a video of the dog she saw on Petharbor on the Transfer Teams’ page. Irene contacted her fellow LDI volunteers with a link to the video for a second opinion to see if they also thought the dog was a match for Jaxx.   The consensus was an overwhelming, “Yes!”.  Irene then was able to send the video to Jaxx’s family and they agreed that, indeed, that was their boy! Obviously, they wanted to know where they could come get him. The problem now was, it seemed that Jaxx was no longer listed on Petharbor because he had already been pulled by a rescue group and was no longer at CACC.

The volunteer chain reaction was already well underway. Through the work that LDI does, some of the volunteers have become friends with some of the CACC volunteers. LDI volunteer, Irene, asked another LDI volunteer, Jackie, if she could help locate Jaxx through her connections with the CACC volunteers.   Quickly, Angie, from the Transfer Team page was contacted. Immediately, the CACC volunteer jumped into action to try and find out where and to what rescue group pulled Jaxx. Lo and behold, Jaxx, was now with  Retrieve A Golden of Minnesota.   Yes, you read that right, Minnesota. Now what? The CACC volunteer asked if more pictures showing different views of Jaxx could be forwarded to her from the family while she gathered the contact information for the rescue. Angie was able to forward those pictures to the rescue and to Jaxx’s foster family. All parties agreed it was a match. Jaxx was now part of Retrieve a Golden and could be adopted out, but the rescue knew that getting Jaxx back to his original family was in his best interest. Now, how to go about doing that is something else that needed to be figured out.

To add another layer to this story was the fact that Jaxx’s foster family was not in Minnesota, they were in Iowa. Yep, Iowa! After dozens of emails, many texts and several phone calls, arrangements were made to meet Jaxx’s family at the Iowa border the following Saturday. The rescue also has volunteers that help drive different transportation legs when they need dogs transported for their rescue. One of those volunteers offered to pick up and drive Jaxx to the Iowa border for the impending reunion.

Jaxx’s family and all of the volunteers involved waited on pins and needles for the day Jaxx would finally be home sweet home. Finally, on the afternoon of July 26^th, it happened. It was obvious that, Jaxx, had been well cared for while on his little adventure.   One final volunteer chain reaction happened while they passed around a picture of Jaxx riding happily home in his family’s car, smiling from ear to ear, looking fluffier than ever.

We, at LDI, would like to thank everyone involved in this volunteer chain reaction to get Jaxx back to his rightful family. Remember Jaxx didn’t need a new home; he needed to go home!

We’d like to share an inspiring story about Payton, German Shepherd-Black Lab mix owned by Rick from Glendale Heights, who went missing recently from a family member’s home in New Lenox.  Payton was supposed to spend a few days with Rick’s cousin, but being the shy boy he is, didn’t even want to get out of the car that morning….until the doors were left open for him…and then he saw his chance to bolt!  Neighbors, Animal Control and the Police Dept. were notified immediately and, though there were a few sightings (so they knew he had stayed in the area)  friends and family driving around all day looking for him just could not find him.  Everyone felt he was looking for Rick, who was out of town!

Flyers were put up all over the next day, and Payton’s info was shared on several sites, including Lost Dogs Illinois.  Upbeat attitudes faltered as there were no sightings this day.  A paid call-search site was contacted and calls went out to surrounding neighbors the next morning.  Rick’s fiancee, Cassandra,  began getting calls of sightings, but whenever she went out,  Payton was nowhere to be seen.

Following guidance from Will County Animal Control, LDI, etc., clothing with Rick’s scent was put out, along with food, and a humane trap.  Cassandra even kept some of Rick’s clothing dangling from her car as she drove around in her search!  Another fruitless day went by…..

On the fourth day of Payton’s disappearance, with Rick back at home,  he, Cassandra, neighbors and friends, (especially Phil and Robin and Laurie from Will Cty AC who spent time on her days off), after passing out more flyers and business cards, searching, and taking more calls of sightings FINALLY saw Payton for themselves as he crossed Rt 80.  Rick screamed for him as Payton re-crossed the busy highway back toward him.  Though they were hopeful, Payton still managed to elude them all.

Animal Control was ready the next day with tranquilizer darts, as Payton was again spotted at the edge of the woods.  Everyone thought this drastic measure would be necessary as Payton, timid by nature, had to be terrified after 5 days out on his own!.  Payton stayed put, as Rick walked toward him.  If he were to come to anyone, it would be to Rick, who had had him for 6 years, since he was a puppy.  Payton turned back toward the woods.   Rick called his name, and Payton turned around and stared at him, as if in a showdown…..at that moment, frozen in time, Rick remembered a tip he had gotten from Lost Dogs Illinois, that advised him to lower himself to the ground.  He laid down flat, always keeping Payton in his line of sight…..and Payton came closer and closer till he jumped on Rick and began licking his face.  The reunion everyone had prayed for was accomplished!  Missing 2/7/13, Home At Last 2/12/13.  Welcome Home, Payton!

By Barb Scalzitti

Lost Dogs Illinois would like to thank Rick and Cassandra for allowing us to share this special story of  Payton’s escape and eventual return with all our fans.  We hope that those of you reading this will use the tips and resources available on our site and through their local ACO’s and communities if the need arises.

Please note:  Chemical capture (commonly called tranquilizer guns) is typically handled by trained animal control officers.  There are serious dangers involved with using this type of capture.  Be sure to ask the officer about these dangers and then carefully weigh the benefits vs. the risks.

Earlier this week, a lost dog became stranded on the Kennedy Expressway. NBC News Video  showed concerned citizens and officials trying to capture the dog. It was very heart-wrenching to watch an “owned” female dog that was in pain and scared to death trying to elude her captors, people who took action that was in the dog’s best interest.

Lucky for her, she had a team of guardian angels:

The group of men who captured her on the Expressway.

The director of the American Animal Rescue Society posted the video on the organization’s Facebook page asking for a foster home willing to take care of the dog despite her injury.

Ev, a fan of the American Animal Rescue Society and LDI, posted the video on LDI’s Facebook page asking, “Does this dog look familiar?”

Jackie, a LDI volunteer, jumped into matching mode, found a Craigslist lost dog ad with the dog’s picture and then found the “found” dog listing on Petharbor, the website where Chicago Animal Control posts found dogs.  Jackie was able to determine that all three pictures were very similar so she contacted the owner immediately.

It was like the planets were aligned on that fateful day. Within 24 hours, Lassie was claimed by her owners and was taken to a veterinarian.

So when someone says, “Oh, you should never post a picture of the dog you found,” tell him or her about Lassie because her picture was worth even more than a thousand words…much, much more.

UPDATE:  Dr. Hammer of Norwood Park Animal Hospital is donating his services  for Lassie’s medical needs.

Two-and-a-half years ago, when Army Specialist Phyllip Kennedy came home from Afghanistan to Jacksonville, Illinois he received a very special gift from his sister. It was an adorable white and tan pitbull who he named Chewy. Chewy settled in nicely with him, his wife, Jemeica, and 18-month-old Heaven, and quickly became a member of their family.

On July 23rd of this year, the family had a summer barbeque. While no one was looking Chewy made a dash out the back door. “When she first went missing I was devastated, said Phyllip. “We immediately started walking up and down each street yelling her name for three hours.” Next, he began the search strategies that Lost Dogs Illinois recommends- flyers in the area, signs on poles and at intersections, reports to authorities, visiting and calling animal control facilities, placing familiar objects in the area and posting ads on LDI’s Facebook page and other networking sites like Craigslist.  Strangers he connected with on Facebook even printed flyers and passed them out in their neighborhoods.

Despite these exhaustive efforts, Phyllip went several days without any trace of hope. He said, “After about a week of nobody claiming to have seen her I was starting to worry that somebody had picked her up.” What happened over the next two weeks was one of the most dramatic searches we at LDI have ever seen.

It began when Phyllip received a phone call from someone who saw Chewy’s lost dog ad and said he saw her at a trailer park on the other side of town. Phyllip raced to the site and spoke with the park’s manager. He told Phyllip that residents were not allowed to have pitbulls as pets, but that he had recently seen a kid walking one. The park manager had asked the boy about the pitbull and he claimed to just be dog sitting. The park manager knew who the boy’s grandmother was, so Phyllip went to talk to her. He showed her a picture of Chewy but, Phyllip recalled, “she said that she had never seen a dog like her before.”

Phyllip went to the police station and filed a missing dog report. They all went to the grandmother’s house, but when she didn’t answer the door, the police said there was nothing else they could do. Phyllip didn’t give up. Not believing the woman’s story, he later went back to the trailer park. She admitted that after that visit from the police, her grandson became fearful and sold Chewy. She gave Phyllip the name and address of the people who bought her.

Phyllip called the police with this lead and they met him at the address the grandmother gave him. A woman who lived there gave him some more bad news: her brother-in-law sold Chewy shortly after buying him. The woman gave the police the address of the people who bought the dog and Phyllip followed them there. That’s where the wild goose chase would come to an end.

The police knocked on the door of the house. A man answered and was shown a picture of Chewy. The man said, “This looks just like this dog that I bought today.” By that point, Phyllip knew that these words didn’t necessarily mean that Chewy was there. The man disappeared inside his house while Phyllip and the police waited in the front yard. He returned to the door with Chewy. Phyllip remembered, “When I saw her I called her name and she ran and jumped off of the porch and straight to me, tail wagging and all.” With the surprising news that this man has just purchased another family’s dog, he was happy to return Chewy to her family.

After 15 days, Chewy was back with her family who say they gave her lots of love and then immediately made an appointment to get her spayed, microchipped and registered. When asked what advice he has for those whose dogs are missing he said, “Don’t give up hope! Post it all over the internet, call the police and file a missing dog report, call the local radio station, go door to door with fliers, give fliers to all of the local animal shelters. Eventually the word will spread enough and hopefully, you will get help from all over just like I did. There are still good people out there that care for your baby as much as you do that know that a dog just like one of your kids!”

Scruffbug spent her first nine months living huddled with her two brothers in a small cage at a commercial breeding operation. When the Almost Home Foundation rescued them, the dogs were understandably very timid. Dogs bred in puppy mills and by “backyard breeders” are kept in cruel conditions, spending all of their lives confined in wire cages and having no human companionship, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Cathy Slaski, one of AHF’s volunteers took in the youngest of the three to foster because, as an experienced dog foster parent, Cathy noticed the little female needed extra attention and care. She gave her probably the cutest name ever: Scruffbug.

The next day, Cathy says Scruffbug was ecstatic to be living a normal life. She was getting along fabulously with her five new playmates, who were chasing each other around the yard. “The sun was shining and birds were singing. I set up a baby pool for them to splash in,” remembers Cathy. But then, “In the blink of an eye, 1,2,3,4,5- OMG the 6th dog is missing! Tiny little Scruffbug somehow managed to escape,” she says.

Cathy quickly rounded up a search team of golfers and employees of the course next to her house. They drove around in their carts (even the beer cart driver) looking for the shy dog. Certainly, it was a tough task. Just one day after being rescued from a life spent in a tiny cage, Scruffbug had to be terrified, so she was highly unlikely to answer to their calls. Cathy called the police, posted Scruffbug on Lost Dogs Illinois and used tips on our Lost Dog Search Action Plan. Her fellow AHF volunteers helped her post almost 50 flyers in the area.

They put the brothers in two separate crates and set up one in the front of the house and one in the back. Everyone gathered around the windows from inside the house, hoping the scent and calls of her brothers would do the trick. Cathy remembers, “It was just beginning to get dark so I went to put on the backyard spotlight. It had to be under 5 minutes when I spotted her through my bedroom window- sitting right by the crate in the backyard!” The rescue team, everyone with tears in their eyes, watched out the living room window as Cathy slowly coaxed Scruffbug close enough to get a hold of her. “After 8 hours of searching, we lured her back with her sibling bond,” says Cathy.

Using other dogs to lure a lost dog is often a successful tactic. Because her brothers were the only familiar thing in her life, using them was an especially smart plan in this case.

Scruffbug, Brill and Gilly (not pictured) are available for adoption. Visit Almost Home Foundation’s website, www.almosthomefoundation.org for more information.

*Photo courtesy of The Puppy Mill Project