Can I please vent a little? (Our dog is lost!)

[demgurl]

The last week and a half or so we have found our gate open several times and our little dog had gotten out. The first time we felt perhaps the meter guy came in and left it open. A few days later it was open again but she did not get out. We actually put a lock on the gate but I guess it did not work well because a few days after that the gate was partially open. This time my hubby blamed a dog we found in our yard! I told him we needed to get a chain for the gate so that it could not get open no matter what. The weekend was very busy and we did not get around to getting a chain.

We have a doggie door downstairs but last night I shut our upstairs door so our dog could not go downstairs and get out. I was just very scared she was going to get out and was determined not to let her. My husband let her out this morning and did not check the gate. I checked on her several hours later and she was gone. The gate, again, had been opened even with the lock.

I have ridden around the neighborhood calling her name over and over. (I have done this 6 times) I stopped to talk to every single person who was out of their house. One person told me there had been a rash of people, with dogs, having their gates opened to let their dogs out! I had no idea. Everyone has been locking up their gates tight. They say they suspect some seen 'thug' is doing it.

It has been a whole day and my little dog is out there somewhere because someone gets their jollies letting people's pets out of their yards. She is a small black dog (miniature schnauzer) and when darkness hits I am so scared she will be run over. I hope someone picked her up and has her safe but I really worry.

What kind of mentality does a person have to do this to innocent pets? I am so upset and have nearly yelled myself hoarse from calling her name!

Sorry, I just needed someone to vent to.

[dionysus]

1. I'm sorry, that is terrible!

:(

[Rowdyboy]

2. I believe in hell because I think there must be some place to put

assholes like this. My heart goes out to you. I know how sick I would be.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

3. I hope the perpetrator is caught and punished

Hope your puppy returns safe and sound. How worrisome for you!

[fertilizeonarbusto]

4. That's awful

I hope your doggie is home safe and sound very soon.

[KurtNYC]

5. Thats terrible

Perhaps you can organize with others who have lost dogs to catch this A-hole.

[demgurl]

7. I am actually thinking of setting up a sting operation myself.

I can hide behind the house next door and I would be straight across from this jerk when he tries to open my gate again. Although I am sort of scared how rough I would be if I caught the guy! I have had all sorts of evil thoughts about what I would be before I called the cops and how I would cover my butt over the damage I do to him. "But officer, he said he had a knife and would cut me."

[MindPilot]

10. after you beat him senseless (not a long journey)

drag him in the house and throw an old kitchen knife down beside him. Tell the cops you feared for your life.

[demgurl]

15. Mind, I had thoughts of doing something like that.

Sometimes I am not sure why they call this civilization. Seems more like the jungle to me!

[Mutley]

38. make sure you get your prints OFF of it and his prints ON it!

[sui generis]

13. Just take several pictures or videotape him

Let your neighbor know what you're doing in case you need to duck inside in a hurry.

Put the camera inside, then have fun with him. Make him go around to every neighbor and apologize or press charges.

[Mutley]

37. you could always snap a few pics of him to give to the cops

who knows? maybe its even someone who lives near you and everyone knows?

[ET Awful]

6. Oh no :(

:hug: here's to hoping your little furry pal comes home safe :(

Sending out good doggy vibes to you and her.

[Pithlet]

8. Oh, how awful

I hope you find your little dog, soon. And I hope the ass who is doing that gets caught. :hug:

[MindPilot]

9. My heart goes out to you -- hope your puppy returns

Have you gotten in touch with your local Animal Control officer? They may be able to help. Also talk to your letter carrier--they see a lot of stuff in the neighborhood.

I've found over the years that most dogs are pretty street-smart, I'm sure she can find her way back home; my dogs always have.

Please keeep us posted.

[demgurl]

14. Yes, I did call the animal shelter.......

And they say they did not have a black miniature schnauzer come in today but they also said they get 50 dogs a day and I might want to go over and check myself. I have two small kids and will go tomorrow when one is in school but I do not think I am strong enough to go with both my sons and not break down.

I barely missed my postman today - while picking up my son from school. That was something that could not be avoided.

I hate to say this about my own dog, but her being out of the yard is like a retarded child being lost. She just is not that street savvy and I do not trust she can find her way home. I have had dogs, in the past, who were very smart and could find their way anywhere, but I am not sure Mischief (Miss for short) can do that. I hope you are right.

[sui generis]

11. put up signs around the neighborhood

call your local pound -

also (very sad and hope not) sometimes animal control keeps a record of their "pickups".

Does your dog have a collar on? That will definitely help if someone is taking care of her. Drive TO the pound and look too. Don't just rely on people on the phone.

And, it's probably a neighbor or someone who lives very nearby if they keep doing it to the same neighborhood. I actually chain and padlock my gates, but had to do it because my great dane knew how to work the latch, and she figured out how to unwrap the chain, but she never quite got the picking the padlock thing down. Fortunately she was a real homebody and just thought opening the gate was cool.

Good luck with your fur baby!

[demgurl]

18. sui.......

I have called the pound and I am going to the shelter tomorrow.

My dog, sadly, does not have a collar. She is a house dog and we have a doggie door and a fenced in back yard. I know we should still have a collar, just in case, but we do not.

My hubby is making signs at work and will be home any minute now. In fact, here he is now! I have to go help put up signs. I will check back in later.

Thanks for the well wishes.

[Maine-ah]

12. do you have a shelter in your area?

if you do, check it.

[ahem]

16. I'm so sorry. Best of luck finding her..

I lost my terrier when I was a kid because someone was doing the very same thing.

p.s. call every vet and shelter in the area. good luck!!!

[Shell Beau]

17. That is too bad. I hope you find her, dogs are pretty resourceful.

I am sure she will find her way back to your yard. Good Luck! I'll pray for your little one!

[demgurl]

19. All the signs are distributed in our area....

including a gas station. Now we can only wait. Thanks for all of your words of kindness.

[demgurl]

20. Small Update....

I went to the pound today and they did not have my dog.

Tonight the phone rang and the lady described my dog right down to her little white patch on her chest. She told me she had seen a woman approach my dog and try to rescue her and gave me the woman's address. I went there and the woman said she had seen my dog with a big lab. She went inside and got treats and offered to my dog who approached her with a wagging tail. Just as she was about to reach forward and get my dog, the other dog got skittish and took off. My dog followed close behind!

As it turns out, these 'pranksters' have covered an even bigger ground than I had realized. The folks I visited tonight said that they are also hitting their area. It looks like these kids are covering about a 15 block radius at the minimum!

I am filing a police report tomorrow and I am just sitting and waiting to see if my poor little dog shows up.

Thanks for all your well wishes.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

21. Well, at least your puppy has been sighted

Best of luck - we're all keeping you in our thoughts!

[shesemsmom]

22. It sounds promising

please keep us posted

[radwriter0555]

23. get those Signs up and OFFER A REWARD.. it doesn't have to be specified

on the sign, just make it in HUGE letters....

Best of luck to you, and when you get poochie back, please collar her with a tag with your address and phone on it.

I've gotten our Joey back 6 times with it; he's a runner!

It can make a difference between life and death with our doggie and cat families.

But that said, GET THOSE SIGNS UP, especially near where he was last sighted.

[demgurl]

27. Rad....

I am going to follow your advice and get a tag. I did not have one before because she always just stayed in the yard. I am so naive that I honestly never imagined someone doing this even once let alone doing it to several people over and over.

We are making up new signs tomorrow and it will include a reward on it. I just hope she is safe and sound wherever she is.

[Pool Hall Ace]

25. demgurl, I am so sorry

Perhaps it is to your pupster's advantage that she is not traveling alone.

Sending good doggy vibes that she returns home very soon! :hug:

[mopinko]

24. did you call the cops?

obviously, someone is doing some trespassing, at least.

[demgurl]

26. Mopinko....

I did not call the cops today because I was so depressed and crying all day I was pretty much immobile. I know that sounds awful, but this has me so sad. I was up until 4 last night and here I am at the computer again because I can not sleep and am so sick over this.

I did get the non-emergency number tonight and plan to call tomorrow. Not sure exactly what I can get them on but this thing is going on throughout our entire neighborhood. I am calling first thing tomorrow. Thanks for your suggestion.

[demgurl]

28. OUR DOG IS HOME!!!!

Just wanted to thank you all for your words of kindness. I finally got to bed about 3:30 last night and at about 4:15 I felt a thud on our bed! It was our dog and she came home!!!! (We kept the gate open so she could get back in and we also have a doggie door so she could come in on her own)I was so elated to see her that I did not even sleep for the next 20 or so minutes. She was so happy and to us and we, of course, were happy to see her.

Thanks for keeping me sane during all of this, I appreciate it.

[Pool Hall Ace]

29. Oh, demgurl, I am so happy for you!

tears of joy --->

[Marnieworld]

30. that is soooooo great!

I was thinking about you and I'm so glad that there was a happy ending.

[mopinko]

32. that is really great

so glad she came home.
i have a couple of fence proof dogs, little terriers that will get out no matter what. so we have put a lot of effort into boundary training. they are pretty good, but will sneak out to hunt. they have a very, very reliable recall, tho, and come running when i whistle for them. far more efficient to train the dogs to stay in the yard than to train the people to close the gate, tho.

[lukasahero]

33. Glad to hear it demgurl

I was thinking of you last night and wishing you well. Glad to hear everything worked out well.

Peace.

[RebelOne]

34. I am sure you are relieved.

Please buy a chain with a sturdy lock, so no one can open the gate again.

[demgurl]

41. Rebel....

I have got the chain on the gate and it has TWO locks on it! One is a key lock and one is a combination! Best of all, it was on sale so it only cost something like $7. I have it wrapped tight so there is no room for them to open it at all.

[progmom]

35. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow - what a relief.
:hug:

[radwriter0555]

39. YAYAYAYAYAY! How WONDERFUL! Little girl came home on her OWN!

That's really, really awesome... I'm so happy for you.

Now run out and get that tag.

We always have to be prepared for what we don't expect; fire, earthquake, intruders in your case... it's what we don't expect that we have to plan for.

So, even though none of my doggies are out and about dogs, they all had tags on them before we even got them home, and had new tags on them with the address on moving day.

My Joey has been returned SO many times because he was a runner and a digger. He's slowed down in the past year though, finally.

Again, I'm so glad your baby came home..

[demgurl]

42. rad.....

I am going out tomorrow to get tags right after I go to the vet. It would seem that she can hardly walk and I think she may have a problem with one of her paws. Not sure what happened but she is usually peppy and mobile and now she is sullen, quiet and holds up her paw. She definitely does not want to put any pressure on that paw!

I have coddled her all day. I know I shouldn't have but when I went out, to buy a lock, I brought her home french fries! I sat her on my lap and fed them to her. I then went and got a nice fresh container of water for her and she gulped that down.

She will now have a tag and the gate is totally secure. I still am paranoid about her going out but I feel safer than I did before.

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

40. Wonderful, wonderful news!

I'm so happy for you guys!!!!! Give her lots of cuddles from me and my kitties!

[demgurl]

43. Depose....

first off, I LOVE that name! I will give her tons of cuddles. I have hardly let her out of my sight today and have given her constant attention. She loves car rides so I took her out to pick up my son from school. And she loves kitties so I will give her an extra big hug from yours! Thank you.

[ProfessorGAC]

31. Major Bummer

Hope you find your poochie!
The Professor

[Mutley]

36. Thats awful!

I'm so sorry! :hug:

That sounds like something someone in my neighborhood would do! I'm so paranoid about that; I refuse to let her outside without her collar and ID tags on.

I hope you find your doggy!