Seeking Sanctuary

We receive several requests weekly from people looking for help with animal situations, that is, until yesterday...

Our dogs began the "something is going on, you better get out here" bark yesterday afternoon. I made it outside in time to witness a dog push his way in at the front gate and trot up the driveway to the house. A beautiful male yellow Lab/Greyhound mix greeted me. I guess he'd heard rumors about the great toys and fine cuisine!

He and I walked our neighborhood, drove our neighborhood, and then posted "Found" signs. He had incredibly good leash manners, but was camera shy, so I didn't get a picture of him, doggone it! He had a hearty meal, then snuggled down on a comfy orthopedic bed with blankets for the night. We resumed our search for his family this morning.

The lesson here ~ microchipping works! The wonderful folks at TriCity Veterinary Clinic scanned him this afternoon and we found a chip that was registered with San Diego County Animal Services. So, after a little detective work, his family was found! It turns out that "Diego" walked over a mile before he decided to stop at our place, and he's wandered before.

A large part of what our organization does is educate the public about pet care, so here was a wonderful opportunity. Diego's reunion with his mom was the chance to offer ideas in keeping him home, reinforce the need for a collar and ID, and suggest registering the microchip. It was wonderful to see a very happy dog on his way home to his 4- and 6-year old kids!