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Why is it, some dogs remain peacefully and happily at home, while others will take to the streets anytime they get a chance? On the surface, the answers might seem pretty obvious. An animal that is spayed or neutered and well cared for is much less likely to leave the safety of home. Yet, some dogs, like some people, are born drifters. There are breeds more prone to be filled with wanderlust than others. Hounds, pointers and setters seem particularly predisposed to roaming, but there is no guarantee your tiny poodle won't end up on the other side of town because a gate or door was left unlatched. If they stray more than a mile or two, many dogs become hopelessly disoriented. Unable to ask for help, a lost dog without an identifying nametag can quickly become an animal in a desperate situation. I have a friend whose beagle has a reputation rivaling Houdini's for successful escapes. One day his daughter failed to latch the front screen door and Jake, always one to seize any opportunity, managed to get it open and escape. The family searched frantically for the dog, running ads in the newspaper, calling shelters and tacking up posters all over the neighborhood. After two weeks, when they had just about given up all hope of finding him, a woman called with the news that she had their dog. My friend was thrilled and asked for her address, saying he would leave immediately to come and get his pet. "Well, we're in the south end of Nashville," she began. "I'm sorry, but did you say Nashville? Like in Tennessee?" "That's right." "We live in St. Louis, Missouri. I've never even been to Nashville." The next weekend, the entire family drove hundreds of miles to retrieve the dog. Lucky for Jake, he was wearing a nametag, but they never knew how he ended up so far from home. I also know someone whose dog disappeared for four months, and then one day the family came home to find him peacefully napping on the porch. He was dirty and had a few fleas, but otherwise, he was perfectly healthy and they never discovered where he'd been. Our dogs can't tell us about any adventures they may have if they get out and we're probably better off not knowing. Can you imagine if they could talk? "Rover, where have you been?" "For the first hour or two I left my mark on about twenty trees, five or six stop signs and a few telephone poles." "What do you mean, left your mark?" "Well, I didn't have a pen with me. You figure it out. Anyway, after that, I chased a squirrel and almost got hit by a school bus. You should have heard the kids scream. Then I tipped over a couple of garbage cans. People sure throw away some yummy stuff. Oh, by the way, did I mention I just threw up in the living room?" Despite the fact that we may have watched Lassie cross an entire country to get home, many dogs become confused pretty quickly when they find themselves running free for the first time. Making sure he always wears a collar and nametag is a given, but you might also consider getting your dog a micro-chip so he can still be identified even if his collar gets lost. All shelters now routinely scan every dog to see if they have an implanted chip. If your dog does get loose, call your local Humane Society and your town's rabies control office immediately. Too many people wait a day or two to see if the dog returns. Don't hesitate. Also, call and place an ad in your local newspaper as soon as you're sure an animal is missing. There's always the chance you'll have your dog back before the ad even appears, but sometimes an hour can be the difference in whether or not it makes the next edition. Your dog is in danger if he's running the streets and the more people you can inform, the better. Always offer a reward. You don't have to say how much; just the word might be the incentive needed for someone to call you. Get some posters made, preferably with a picture, and tack them up throughout your neighborhood. Place them on any public bulletin boards in the area. This next suggestion can be a little tricky. Most parents know that a common ploy used by pedophiles to lure innocent children away is to ask for help finding a dog or kitten. Approaching children without their parent's permission, even kids you know, is never a good idea. Kids, however, can be a great resource if your pet is lost. Talk to the parents of the children who live on your block and see if you can enlist them in the search. Hand out posters to these families with extras to give to their friends who live farther away. Go to the churches and schools in your area and ask permission to leave some posters. Visit every veterinarian's office within a ten-mile radius, and if the dog doesn't turn up in the first week or so, expand your search area. Don't forget. In real life, Lassie and Benji were actors and the movies needed a happy ending.
Article Source: http://www.articledestination.com
Susanne Fogle has written a weekly newspaper column about animal issues for seven years.
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