Lost Dogs

Because of the rash of lost basenjis over the past few months and an incident that occurred last weekend in my town, I am compelled to write this. The incident I refer to is not basenji related, but dog/transport related.

A dog transported from down south to NH was being transferred at a location here in Windham. Carmilla slipped her collar and bolted. The chain of events that ensued caused me to get involved and is blossoming into a whole new endeavor.

Carmilla

The word went out, a local shelter was contacted to borrow a have-a-heart trap, flyers were made and distributed. People were searching, the trap was set in the area where Carmilla was last sighted. My daughter was one of the last people to see her. Everyone was "willing" Carmilla to wander in the direction of the trap. She did. Unfortunately, last Monday, Carmilla was struck and killed by a car in early morning traffic crossing Route 111.

If your dog or the dog you are transporting goes missing, GET THE WORD OUT. If you adopted your dog from BRAT, contact the coordinator who placed the dog with you. If you are transporting, contact the coordinator who initiated the transport. He or she can enlist help of other BRAT members in the area. Contact the local police and animal control. Notify local shelters, animal hospitals, post flyers. Put the message out on Facebook. You never know who may read the message and will have seen the dog. DON'T GIVE UP!

Thankfully, we've had successful Found Dog stories within BRAT.

Bunny in CT was lost for a harrowing 8 days over Christmas and survived a blizzard. Vickie also survived severe weather in DC during last week's storm.

Sana went missing for a month in Syracuse and was found.


And the most amazing Found Dog story is Sebastian, the Facebook Basenji.

Shy dogs pose the biggest flight risk. But any dog on a transport will be disoriented and will also be a flight risk. Use a martingale type collar. Be sure it is properly adjusted and the leash is properly clipped so the dog can't back out of the collar. Be sure the leash is properly clipped before you open the door. An ounce of prevention can go a long way.

I don't know what Carmilla's story was; how she came to be in rescue and why she was coming north. But, I do know that her untimely death is the catalyst for bringing "Granite State Lost Dog Partnership" to life. An organization that will be dedicated to keeping pets and their people united; partnering with rescue groups, shelters and transporters.

R.I.P., Carmilla