My dog got out and hasn't come home...

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

My dog, Princess is a 13 year old Jack Russell Terrier. She had her hyper moments (for about 10 years) and she’s gradually slowed down. Now she is lazy, mellow and sweet. I’ve had her since I was 10 years old.

Yesterday around 4:30 AM she started whining so I let her out in the backyard and went back to bed. At some point she dug under the gate and escaped. We patrolled the neighborhood and a few other nearby neighborhoods in the afternoon and again at night. I hoped she would come home for dinner last night but still no sign of her. We asked the neighbors to keep an eye out for her and I put fliers out at 7:00 this morning. I also put a notice on the Lost & Found section of the local Humane Society’s website. And I’m looking up the phone numbers for the shelters now. I think I’m doing everything that I can.

The awful thing is that I live between within a few blocks of 2 major streets and the Interstate. I don’t want to think… She’s not supposed to go like that… she’s supposed to die of old age…

I just want her to come back home… :frowning:

#2

Oh no…

Sending prayers in your direction.

#3

Keeping my fingers crossed that Princess will show up after her big adventure.

#4

Oh man, I am so, so sorry. I’m sending lots of good thoughts that someone finds her safe and sound.

#5

Sorry to hear this happened. :frowning: I hope she comes back soon. Being an older, slower animal, she probably is less likely to dash out in front of a car than she would have when young and hyper. Hopefully that will help her avoid trouble even if she did end up going by those busy roads.

#6

I’m so sorry to hear what you are going through. It’s always rough when faced with a situation like this. I hope Princess comes home to you soon. I’m sending good vibes and good wishes your way.

#7

Some other suggestions to try:

-call your post office and ask the local carriers to keep an eye out for her. They won’t pick her up but might call you if she’s sighted.

-get in touch with any rescue groups in your area (lots of people take found dogs to a rescue instead of a shelter).

-if you live near any parks, call them and see if their maintenance people will keep an eye out for her.
I hope she comes homes soon, Mrs Johnson. :frowning: I’ll be sending good thoughts your way.

#8

My old dog got out last summer after a storm blew one of the gates open and we didn’t notice. he wasn’t wearing a collar at the time and it was looking grim.

Call the animal control officer and/or sheriff for your area, too. Since it is a weekend (shelters may be closed) this is what helped us get our dog back within two hours. The people who had found our dog (who had wandered farther that I ever thought a 15 year old lab could) called animal control too, and we got our dog back fast.

#9

Thank you everyone. I appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

I tried calling the shelters but they’re closed - so I jotted down the numbers to call tomorrow.
A guy called after seeing the flier. His mom found a similar looking dog but it was *weeks *ago. Not Princess - but at least people are seeing my fliers.

#10

Paging St. Anthony. Cmon dog come home!

#11

Sending out lots of come-home-safe vibes for Princess.

#12

:frowning: Here’s hoping she comes home safely!

#13

I’m so sorry for you. My family was in the same situation a few months ago. I received some great advice in that thread.

We put up signs (similar to yard sale signs - the kind with metal stakes that you drive into the ground) at all major intersections and neighborhood entrances within a 2 mile radius. It took a week, but our dog was returned to us. She was picked up by someone who lives about 10 miles away, so it took him a bit longer to see our signs.

I’m sending you much luck and positive thoughts! Please keep us posted.

#14

Craigslist and Petfinders allows free lost and found ads. Try placing an ad on those as well.

I hope you find her soon.

#15

Fingers crossed…

#16

We found 2 loose min pins last week and brought them in, cooled them off, gave them water and then started calling around. There were no tags on their collars, but they were very well taken care of and obviously together. Very cute pair. We drove them around the neighborhood asking around, and on our way to the shelter, their mom saw us with them in the car (the bigger one was on my husband’s lap in view of the road) and flagged us down. We were happy to reunite them.

I think it’s more likely that someone found your pup and is caring for her until you can be reunited. I know I personally would never let a loose dog just keep wandering, and many dog lovers are the same way. Don’t lose hope, just keep looking. If she’s not tagged and microchipped, consider it. The microchipping in particular is great, because the finder can bring the animal to a shelter or vet and after a quick scan, you can be reunited.

Best to you- please keep us posted.

#17

I hope she comes back safely!

I would recommend posting LOST flyers around town, with a pic. When I was a teenager, my husky broke his chain (he had a 100ft run hooked up to an overhead cable) and ran across a 4 lane highway, 3 miles away, until found a house that had kids outside. He loves kids. The parents saw my flyer in a convenience shop a week later, and I picked him up. The weird part is, he broke his chain a few times after that, and found his way back to that place a half dozen times. That dog was so strange to the point that he figured out how to unclip the chain on his collar whenever he wanted loose!

#18

Any sign yet? Please keep us posted. I’m beaming positive pooch-homing vibes your way.

(scritches the elderly, sleepy pup conked out on my feet)

#19

No calls. No sign of her yet. She got out on Saturday (probably very early in the morning) and the shelter happens to be closed on Sundays and Mondays. Ugh! I’m going to call them tomorrow and also stop by after work. If they don’t have her I’ll put up more fliers. She’s already on a few lost & found pet sites & Craigslist.
It’s too quiet in the house. I had to toss the other half-can of dog food that was in the fridge. She always dances around in circles and knocks things over in her dinnertime excitement.

:frowning: Come home Princess!!

#20

Does she have a dog bed or something she regularly lays on? If so, try putting it outside. A strong, familiar smell may help her find her home if she’s still outside.