I had a horrible night last Friday as my beloved ten year old yellow lab - Biko - was missing. All night. This has never happened before and we live in an urban neighborhood with lots of cars and traffic so I was fearing the worst. Around 7 pm one of my kids left the backyard gate open - as they do frequnetly - and Biko wandered out in the front yard - as he does frequently. He typically walks about three houses down to sniff around and then comes back. He is old and slow and can’t move that quickly anymore. Everyone in the neighborhood knows him and a few times someone has rung the door to deliver him safely home. Kids, dogs, cats, there is a lot of coming and going at my house but it has all worked out….until last week.
Anyway, I hadn’t seen Biko for about 15 minutes which is when we discovered the gate was open and the kids, my husband and I headed out front to call him, which is when he usually comes trotting up to the door. Well, we called him and no Biko. I got the box of treats and shook it, walking around the block, and no Biko. My husband hopped on his bike, I got in a car and we canvassed the neighborhood. No luck. And it was getting dark. My neighbors, who are the best dog owners in the world, walked around the neighborhood until 11pm calling his name. No luck.
At this point, we figured he either, a) was picked up by someone (good guy) who saw him wandering around and would deliver him to the pound, or b) was picked up by someone (bad guy) who saw him wandering around and would keep him or god knows what - I had Michael Vick scenarios in my head, or c) he was - gulp - hit by a car on a nearby busy street. Two out of these three scenarious are not good. It was now dark, we had called the pound and SPCA, and there was nothing left to do for the night.
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What an awful night. In ten years we had not gone to bed without letting Biko out and tucking him in for the night. The house felt very empty. I haven’t even told you the worst part of this situation and what I was up thinking about all night. (He had no tags.) No tags. They had fallen off months before, we got new ones that didn’t fit his collar correctly, fell off, and never dealt with new ones. It was all my fault - my guilty lapsed - Catholic conscious told me all night long. The worst part was thinking we would never see him again and not know what had happened to him. What an inauspicious ending to a long ten years together.
The next morning, I called the pound - no luck. My husband went to the SPCA - no luck. We made signs and posted them all over the neighborhood - no luck. My husband told me we would be lucky if we got him back. I tend to be the doomsday person in our house but kept telling myself that I needed to think positively if we wanted Biko back.
Which is when the phone rang. A neighbor around the corner on a busy street called and said she had just returned from vacation that morning; she was looking at a yellow lab in her yard, collar, no tags, and was it Biko? I burst out crying. There was no way he could have gotten into this enclosed yard himself as the only entrance is a solid wooden gate, set back and hidden from the street. A good Samaritan must have sensed he had lost his way and got him to a safe place for the night. Did I mention there were two rain storms overnight? It was of course Biko and he was a wreck, out in the rain, all night long, but no worse for the wear.
Thank you to the good Samaritan who sensed he had lost his way tucked him in a safe yard for the night. Thank you to the helpful and compassionate SPCA and Animal Shelter workers. Thank you to my husband for dealing with my hysterics. Biko is home and yes, he has new tags.
09.03.09 @ 2:19 pm
I am so happy for you and your family! I have lost one cat in my lifetime and she did come home after a couple of months. We figured she had been taken in by another family and when she go her first chance to escape, she went for it and flew straight back to her ‘real’ family. Who knows what really happened during those two painful months, but we all had a very happy reunion!
09.04.09 @ 10:59 am
This is a wonderful story. It’s nice to hear a happy ending once in a while:) It’s also a good lesson. I have 2 small dogs and have never had them wear tags. I always knew I should go get them, but to be honest, was just lazy. This weekend I will make a point to tag them. Thank you for sharing such a great story!
09.04.09 @ 11:32 am
We also had a dog go “missing” overnight once to a gate left open and he fell into hole dug around a tree and was found and we were called the next morning. Since then I have added implanted pet id’s to each new pet, as collars and tags can fall off.
09.04.09 @ 2:34 pm
I am so happy for you.Well I am only 10 but that has happened to me before. There was one night the first night my dog has ever gotten got out I was so terrified when that moment hit! So i woke up my dad and of course we look like crazy people looking for our dog with a flashlight when it is like 6:00 in the morning. Well we got him back in a half in our but it was surely worth it because I loved my dog Rufus. Now he always gets out but Rufus knows to come back without us worrying about him getting out again. Also I don’t have to race out of the shower in my towel or wake up at 6am in the morning unless one of our neighbors come banging on our door!
09.04.09 @ 6:38 pm
Poor Biko! Thank God he made it home safely!
09.05.09 @ 2:10 pm
I just wanted to say that I am so happy for you and your family on finding your dog. Our dog, who we also call our son, is another kid to us. I wouldn’t know what to do if we ever lost him and I couldn’t even begin to imagine how the kids would feel. May God bless you and yours and the Good Samaritian.
09.06.09 @ 9:51 am
So glad he was found safe and sound.
This has happend to us twice. Once was a time I was watching my oms two dogs. Neither had collars and one of the kids had left the gate open. So they had no tags and were in an unfamiliar neigherhood. NOT GOOD! We searched and searched and posted signs everywhere. Thankfully they had only wandered a couple blocks away and a woman was kind enough to keep them in her yard overnight and sawt kind of the signs the next morning and called us.
The other time it happend to our dog on Christmas eve. We searched and searched with no luck. Turns out our neighbor across the street had taken him and kept him over night. What kind of sicko does that to a family? (and on Christmas eve) She knew us and our dog and yet decided to keep him over night when all she had to do was cross the street and tell us she had our dog!
So glad your story ended happily.
09.06.09 @ 11:33 am
great news to read that you got biko back. my husband and I have rescued 2 dogs and returned them to their owners what a good feeling . we are very glad that your family has a happy ending.
09.06.09 @ 12:36 pm
Thank Goodness Biko was found! Our beloved black lab Cleo wandered off once and it was the WORST 6 days of my life. We were living in a rural area which backed up to state hunting lands. Cleo was very shy and would never approach strangers. The town dog catcher gave me horrible scenarios; hit by a car, collar caught in heavy brush, shot by hunters by mistake or picked up by people who would do God knows what. She wandered back into the yard no worse for wear but never ran away again.
09.07.09 @ 11:36 am
I have been in Animal Control and Cruelty Investigations for 16 years and your story is not an unfamiliar one to me. I am always amazed and saddened when I see 1) a pet left in a vehicle 2)a pet allowed to be loose 3) a pet without proper identification 4) a pet owner not contacting authorities when their pet is missing…Too many people assume nothing will happen to their pet and I work the opposite end of the spectrum and pets are stolen, disappear, get hurt, etc…It only takes a second for a pet to be snatched up by persons with evil intent or a pet to be attacked by another dog running loose…I have worked auto accidents where the victims pet, wearing no identification, ran from the wrecked vehicle and now, is loose somewhere, with no ID.My list goes on and on…Bottom line is: be as aware with your pet as you would a small child, at all times.
09.07.09 @ 6:54 pm
Rachael I am so glad you got your baby back-several years ago this happened to me and my puppy was never returned nor did I find her. I kept searching for months, calling the pound, family friends driving endlessly-yes you are so very fortunate. It could not have happened to a sweeter or nicer person. I love you and your show. So glad you got him back!
09.07.09 @ 8:34 pm
That’s a sad but ended in great end im glad that person did the right thing not every body is that kind but glad u go Biko home and god bless u Rach.and your family great story but very scary. take care, sincerely Lana Parker
09.07.09 @ 11:21 pm
You are so lucky. Never, Please never let your Biko out of your sight again. We can not loose these beloved older pets (family members) please, never let them out of our sight ever agian.
09.07.09 @ 11:47 pm
I hope you remembered to thank God. Am happy Biko was found and the neighbor did not freak when she came home. Sometimes in this world there are folks who steal dogs. My mother had beagles and they were stolen many years ago. So, you are fortunate.
09.08.09 @ 9:55 am
Several years back we had to find temporary housing while our house was being built. We had made a run for the dogs but they escaped. We got one back right away but couldn’t not find our other dog. Searched for days. We called local police, animal control and people suggested calling some local vet offices and have them post it. Do you know, that’s how we found our dog? The people that found her, called the vet’s office and then they called us. It’s a horrible, horrible feeling when our pets escape but take advantage of everyone you can to find them! So glad you found your Biko!!
09.08.09 @ 7:59 pm
I am so glad your dog was safe and sound. We have a lab/huskie mix that jumps the fence and runs and runs across busy streets and back. As yet she has never returned on her own, we must look for her, she has tags and an implant, most of the neighborhood know her and will cath her and call us. Thank God for tags. I walk alot and have another dog also a rescue who goes beserk when Lucy gets out, the door of over the fence, we keep her tied, but mistakes still happen, Abbey always goes with when we look for her and is a great lookout, helping to find her. I know what it is when they get out, I panic everytime. Good Luck and God bless and take care of these wayward pets.
09.08.09 @ 10:14 pm
Please, Please get your beloved pet an ID implant put in. It only takes a few seconds and is painless and relatively inexpensive. I also lost Chika last year after we were involved in an auto accident. She only had her tags and after 6 fearful days she was found by a very nice lady. I went straight to the vet to get her ID information implanted just in case she or her brother gets lost again they will be able to be identified either way.
09.09.09 @ 8:52 pm
I live in a large metropolitan area and worked for one of the local shelters. Make sure that if your pet is missing that you contact all of the shelters in your area. We have 4 shelters within 10 miles of each other and some overlap. People would come in looking for their pets and we would suggest they check the other 3 shelters and they didn’t have a clue that they existed.
09.10.09 @ 9:47 am
Tags are great, but micro-chips are best. Most if not all animal shelters and SPCA’s have readers for the micro-chips. Safest way to make sure you babies find their way back home. All my dogs are chipped. Thank God you found Biko. I know how it is with furry babies.
09.10.09 @ 3:16 pm
I am so glad your dog is back home with you, I had a cat turn up missing for 2 days, and he finally showed up, I was so glad to have him back home he’s my favorite cat.
Kathy
09.19.09 @ 11:51 pm
Hi
when your pet goes missing
visit
MissingPetPartnership.org for free advice
Base in Federal Way it’s non profit group
always available to help. Looking for volunteers,
donations, and members.
thanks for this great section on your website
chris
09.24.09 @ 10:34 am
The same thing happened to me last weekend, almost to a T. It seemed as if I was reading my own story. I have to say those are the scariest moments. Not knowing wear the love of your life has gone too. My Zoe girl was missing for 3 long nights. She was in the clutches of a homeless person. I am still unsure if she was resuced from a sudden dome or prehaps taken for companionship but we got her home safe and sound Thanks to many kind and caring neighbors. In New York City sometimes thats really hard to come by. I am glad we got our happy endings and now our baby’s are home. I know I’ve learned my lesson…she will never be without tags again!
09.29.09 @ 9:28 am
So glad you founf your beloved pet. No matter what the age always, always microchip your dog so it is easier to find you. The cost is minimal and the results are proven.
11.15.09 @ 7:23 pm
As a professional Animal Communicator I receive many frantic calls for help when an animal goes missing.
There is nothing worse than losing one of your animal friends and not knowing if they are okay or helpless somewhere.
Finding a lost animal is difficult in the best of situations but they can show me what they are looking at, what their surrounds sound like, smell like and feel like and this can bring the home safe and sound.
Here are some tips to help find lost animals or check my blog here:
http://blog.animalcommunicating.com/?p=60
In my sessions with lost animals I have found that dogs can travel a great distance in a very short time. The exception is an extremely shy animal or one who has been injured. Those tend to find a place to hide and stay put.
Food and familiar scent items can sometimes lure out the shyest of animals.
Talking to neighbors and strategically placing fliers (Check local code enforcement and NEVER put fliers inside someone’s mailbox)is the number one way lost animals are found.
Unlike dogs, cats don’t travel very far from where they were last seen. They tend to hide in very small places, even those you would think are too small to hide in.
They can also end up in someone’s garage, outbuilding or shed and get locked in.
Many cats tell me they have run off or chased away and were forced out of their normal territory.
Usually when they feel safe they will return. A very frightened cat or injured cat may not make a sound even if you are within inches of their location.
A survival instinct kicks in and they become very wary of everyone.
I hope it never happens to you but if it does time is of the essence.
I am so happy to read Biko is home safe and sound!
I love happy endings!
11.18.09 @ 7:14 pm
I love happy endings, and I’m glad you found yours. I have another tip for finding lost animals. My girls, two sister border collie mixes, got out of our backyard and disapeared. We searched for hours and, at about 5pm I went to the local pound to see it they had been picked up. When they weren’t there, I filled out the usual paperwork and then asked what my next move was. She said the ads in local papers and posters around the neighborhood, ect. Then she said, “Oh, you could try graigslist.com”. I checked the web site when I got home and I didn’t see any animal that could be ours. I tried again at about 9pm and there they were. They had traveled about 1-1/2 miles from home and this wonderful couple had brought them off the busy road and put them in a dog run in their yard. They posted them on graigs list and within an hour of the posting I found them. I never would have even thought of checking that website if not for the smart woman at the pound. So if you’ve found a pet please post it on your local graigs list web site. If you’ve lost a pet check graigs list maybe there will be more happy endings.
01.12.10 @ 1:54 pm
My husband and I are both veterinary technicians and we always say to microchip your pets. It doesn’t hurt your pet at all and most importantly it will help you find them. With that microchip…any veterinary clinic or shelter can scan your pet for the microchip number and then call. when your pet is microchiped, their number along with your name address and phone number are saved in a data base and so when they call and give them the number they can find who the owner is and contact you to let you know where your pet is. It is a universal chip. whenever we find stray animals that is the first thing we always do is to scan them for a chip. and if we find one we call the number and find the owner. they are always so happy and relieved.
01.21.10 @ 7:16 pm
That is so wonderful that they found there dog.my neice,s dog is missing.I really am hoping that they
find her.