Hello everyone !!! This is Kristin. I am the mom of Velvet who was a black lab that went missing in Peoria for seven weeks. She was in an area that she did not know, was let out by my niece, got clipped by a car and booked it. Like Echo Velvet was a runner and skittish. I wanted to share just a few things that were learned over those seven weeks when dealing with a lost dog in a highly populated area when they are skittish. 1. After three days dogs enter survival mode. Once in this mode calling the pups name especially if they are afraid, skittish and runners will push the dog away from his safe spot. As much as we all want to just call ECHO and he comes running over there is a 99 percent chance this wont be the case. It sounds like he is in an urban area which makes the situation even more serious and restraint needs to be exercised. Volunteers please please please observe and call. Do not approach, do not call his name. He has established a routine and has a safe spot, now we have to find it. Follow him from a distance, distance for him is safety. 2. I see that he was observed just yesterday on Monroe and Lime Street. Is there any way volunteers can see if he has been spotted on the other side of Monroe ? Since there were multiple sightings yesterday in that area and he has been on the run for two weeks, there is a great chance he has made a home nearby. They say lost dogs once they find this spot will stay close. After Velvet was recovered it was learned she had a ten block radius that she traveled. Get as many flyers as possible in that area and get as many tips as possible. Note the times, direction and how Echo was acting when seen. This will help learn his pattern. I honestly would suggest taking Monroe as your epicenter and make a 1/4-1/2 mile radius and start there. Learning where and if he has traveled to the other side of Monroe is key and will narrow it down significantly. 3. Two moving objects have less chance of crossing each other. Hes lost were not. Parking in the area of a sighting and just staking it out could prove to be the best thing ever. If he is on the move and so are all the volunteers there is a good chance you could be a block away and miss him because he is traveling ahead or behind you. Just sit and watch, I promise it works. Its how I find my husband when we go shopping. If I keep walking and looking for him I add an hour onto my trip, so I stand in one spot and he always finds me. 4. Make feed stations in the area that he is observed more than once. This should only be done by Leigh. In the feed station put a scent pack. A bed sheet you slept on cut into strips is a good one. The feeding stations should be known to all volunteers, but should be limited to only the areas he is being seen. No one should put food out except in the designated feed station. As much as we all want to keep him fed and watered if everyone is putting food around town than he will not have any incentive to go to the feed station that will hinder the rescue. 5. Leigh, stay positive, stay positive, stay positive. You have a sighting, now just try to get as many details as possible from people in the area. Dont be afraid to delegate areas to volunteers. Everyone wants to help use the love to get as much info as possible. Lead the way, look at that radius and break it up into smaller, workable sections that way every volunteer knows where and what is going on and arent double backing areas. Keep a log, any sightings write down date, time, behavior, and direction. A pattern will emerge I promise. 6. Most lost domestic dogs will travel during early morning to mid afternoon, and then go to their safe spot for the night. Some dogs are different but most seem to follow this pattern. 7. Find out the trash day for that area. With the heat he is no doubt loving on trash for subsistence and will be out in full force the day before and on trash day for the good pickings. 8. Dogs love short cuts. Runners especially have a plan and an exit strategy already in mind once they establish an area. Parking lots, cemeteries, parks, alleys and yards without fences. He is running with a purpose and has learned the lay of the land. By the time we located Velvets safe spot she could navigate under a junk yard fence, through a small scrap yard, and come out on the other side of the neighborhood in minutes. She would watch us from a distance until we left her spot. She always had the upper hand, she always knew where she was going. Echo is a smarty by breed he has the upper hand and we will more than likely always be two steps behind. They are incredible creatures. Lastly, Leigh do not be surprised if Echo doesnt come to you when you do see him. Once his safe spot is found it might take time to get him to realize who you are. If you see him dont call him, just sit down and pretend you dont see him. Dont look him in the eyes and just be still. Also, it was learned that Animal Control tried to catch Velvet on at least three separate occasions. She never got within 30 feet of them and they didnt stand a chance. When I got there I walked around her area and sat and waited. She smelled us, stayed leery but I let her come to me on her terms and stood very still and crouched so I was at her level. She got closer and closer, little by little but then she jumped into my arms. Echos coming home love. Welcome to the stressful, unpredictable, world of dog hunting. Stay strong and know Team Velvet is behind you. Love from Tennessee - Kristin
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 03:51:20 +0000
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