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My dogs are gone

6K views 48 replies 28 participants last post by  Mary Jane 
#1 ·
My GSD and husky have been missing for over 2 weeks now. They got out of our back yard and nobody seems to have seen them or know anything about them. We have tried absolutly everything to find them: flyers, ads in the papers, checking with neighbors, checking with the mailman, police officers, pounds, vets, rescue organizations. I've also posted on several lost dog websites, and still nothing. I'm really scared that someone has either taken them or something worse has happened. We live out in the country and I'm afraid they may have gotten confused as coyotes and have been shot. I keep hope that maybe they will still be found or come home, but now that its been 2 weeks, I'm starting to lose that little bit of hope. These dogs were like my kids, I absolutly adored and obsessed over them. I can't even imagine what I will do if I never know what happened to them. I'm due to have our first child any day now, and although I am thrilled about that, I'm still very sad about our dogs. Our new little girl was going to grow up with these dogs. I'm sorry this is so long, and there really isn't a point to it, I just needed to vent a little bit. I cry every night when I see thier dog beds and toys and food bowls, and it breaks my heart that I just don't know what happened to them. Has anyone else had this happen, where your dogs were just gone one day and you never found out what happened to them? How do you deal with it? I'm so devastated! Please give me some help. I pray every day that God will bring them back to me, I just hope that they are safe wherever they are at. Thanks for listening.
 
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#3 ·
There is still hope that they will come back. Keep checking at the pounds and shelters in your area and beyond daily. Please don't make yourself sick over this as you are expecting. I hope they come home and all is well for you. Good luck with the baby!!
 
#5 ·
I'm sorry you're going through this. You may already be doing this but make sure you physically walk through every pound in a wide vicinity. Most get in too many dogs to pay any attention to your flyer or lost dog report. If that's not logistically possible in your condition (which I'm assuming it's not) try to find others in those areas who will walk the pound for you preferably once per euthanasia cycle - ie, if they put down strays after a 5 day hold, make sure you've got someone walking that pound once every 4 days. Make sure you're not just checking your local shelter but all others in surrounding counties.

Also, I know it's hard to keep up hope but our rescue group had a newly placed adoptive dog go missing and we found her again after 6 weeks. She was fine. Two weeks totally sucks but I would not give up hope yet. I've heard many other similar stories. Heck, Richard found a dog that had been missing years!

Are they by any chance microchipped? That has helped a lot in our experience.
 
#7 ·
I'm so sorry, Malloree. I can imagine what you must feel like. I have heard of dogs being missing for several weeks and then being found again. In our area, a shiba inu has been missing after a pit bull attack for over a month. The owners are still actively looking for her and have put up signs, a web site, etc., and there have been regular sightings of the dog (even yesterday).

By the way, you should put a message (and photos) in the Lost and Found forum here. You never know who may have (or may in the future) see them.

I hope that both of yours come home soon. I'll keep you (and them) in my prayers.

Karin
 
#8 ·
Malloree: My 7 month old pup recently ran into the woods in a neighboring town and we didn't see her again for 5 days. I can imagine what you are going through. I'm so sorry this has happened. Are they micro-chipped? If so, make sure all veteranarians within the surrounding area know they are missing and give their chip # to the vets office. Please don't make yourself so upset that you upset your baby! It's a terrifying thing - I'm speaking from experience. I hope you get them back safely and soon!
 
#9 ·
I'm so sorry hearing this malloree. One of my neighbor told me last week that here in south florida, some people steal the dogs from backyards and sell them to pharmaceutical companies for research purposes. I'm shocked, don't these people in these companies these dogs are ''PETS''???. I'm really sorry.. I'll be extra careful from now on.
 
#10 ·
Thank you everyone for your support. I did put a post up in the lost and found forum on this website, maybe someone will happen to see them. The dogs are not micro-chipped, but they will be if we get them back!!! I'm trying not to be too upset over it because I don't want to cause any stress on the baby, but its so hard sometimes. I keep telling myself that everything happens for a reason, although I just can't seem to find one for this. I keep praying that God has just let someone else "babysit" them until after I have the baby so we don't have to worry about them while we're at the hospital, and that they will come home after the baby gets here. That is basically the only way I can get through this, is hoping that this is somehow in God's plan for us and that he is taking good care of them. My poor babies, please keep them in your prayers.
 
#13 ·
Oh Malloree, I am so sorry!!!!!!!! I lost my Dane once for 3 hours and that was horrible....I cannot imagine this.

Like everyone says, get someone to do walkthroughs at neighboring shelters etc.....be vigilent, and consistant and don't give up hope yet!

Good luck with the baby and the dogs....

Lee
 
#14 ·
Don't give up hope, my girl was gone for 19 days. I put up flyers in stores, put ads in the paper, visited the shelter several times a week, and went hunting her, following every call.

I think that a combination of the above helped me get her back. She was in a different county. Another woman looking for her dog went to look at her, and told them that a lady in Ashtabula County was looking for her dog. They called a friend they had here and they looked in the paper and found my ad. They called and I was home sick from work and took the call and went out there without much hope.

They may be ok yet. Good luck.
 
#15 ·
Keeping my fingers crossed for you, and good luck with both the dogs and the baby. Don't give up.
 
#16 ·
Keep checking and widen your search.

Don't give up and don't assume something terrible has happened. There are many stories of dogs being lost for longer than a few weeks.

Take care of yourself and rest.
 
#18 ·
<span style='font-family: Comic Sans MS'> </span> I am so sorry to hear this. My boys were gone a week last December and I was devestated and heartbroken the whole time. We too did everything you mentioned. Plus we made flyers and gave 1 to Forest Service and post office ruaral carriers, as we also live in the country. Finally someone about 3 miles away saw them, was actually thinking about shooting them, as he thought they were wild, and saw Boris had tags on and called us. Of course he didn't see any of our posters, etc... but @ least he called. We gave him a nice reward. I guess I would tell you not to give up hope, keep beating "the bushes for them". Organize a family/friend search party, I even had a group on horseback looking in the woods around us for them. My thoughts are with you. Keep us posted please.
 
#19 ·
Malloree- Hang in there!... I hope this helps... I was reading an article some time back from an expert pet detective (really) and she said that 90% lost pets are found within 2 miles (this includes kids and people) of where they reside. And to never give up hope. She's found pets months after they've been lost. She says leaving food out helps and to KEEP trying. And bloodhounds and other working breeds can help find your pets. You mentioned you have toys and bedding- that's a good place to start. They can pick up the scent from that. I found 2 for you that work Illinois-

Lost Pet Specialist: Bonnie Hale, (314) 369-2784, http://www.LostPetSpecialist.com, email bonniehale@yahoo.com. Bonnie, a certified MAR Technician, provides lost pet services in Missouri and southern Illinois. Her search dog Murphy, an Australian shepherd, is trained to detect cats, dogs, and other small animals. Bonnie is available for phone consultations, lost pet poster design and placement, physical searches, humane trapping, and shelter checks. Although this team works mainly in the greater St. Louis metro area, they are often available for more distant travel within the U.S.A.

and http://www.tiptoptails.com/lostpetrecovery.html

I will pray for you all. Take heart! I wouldn't think twice about hiring these guys in a minute if I lost Ruby. It can't hurt!

 
#20 ·
I just wanted to add my support and reiterate whats been said- Don't give up. Talk to everyone about them-who knows who may have sceen them. And do have someone go to the pounds on a very regular basis checking. Also have that person inquire about any animals that may have been picked up injuired, usually they are kept seperate from those you see when you walk the cages. Best of luck and please don't give up.
 
#21 ·
Also get pics up here!!! I know I've been checking petfinder for a dog that someone lost in Iowa. I'm no where near this person, don't know her, don't know her dog but when I have some time I check it out...who knows we might just get lucky some day!!
 
#22 ·
I am very sorry for your loss!

Have you been checking Petfinder.com for your area EVERY day?? Are they wearing tags?? PLEASE GO TO THE SHELTERS!!! Some places only hold the stray dogs 3 to 5 days to if someone is not beating the shelter path everyday it slims the chances of them being returned. If the shelter is too busy and someone says they found a dog but is willing to hold it, the shelter will quickly forget about it. Be sure there are picture posters at the Grocery Stores in your area and see if you have any weathermen or news person who will post a photo during their broadcast. Here in CT Scot Haney on Channel 3 will post lost animals if asked.

Take Care,
Tina
 
#24 ·
thanks for posting the link with the pics. Any updates on these two??? I'm keeping them in my thoughts and prayers.
 
#25 ·
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. We have had one call about a large white husky in our area seen 2 days ago, but when we went to go look, we couldn't find anything. But it gives me hope that maybe they are just running around loose in the woods and nobody has been able to catch them yet. Flyinghaden, why did you say you wish a husky hadn't been involved? I'm not sure what you mean by that comment. Just curious. Rubyslippers, thank you so much for posting about the lost pet specialists, I will definatly check that out. I didn't know such a thing existed. Thank you everyone for all of your help with this, I hope we are able to find them soon. Every day without them feels like part of my heart is missing. I'll keep everyone updated.
 
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