Because I love my dog so much, I get an empty feeling every time I see a new series of notices in our area posted by someone trying to find a missing dog. These home-printed letter-size sheets taped to traffic boxes, mailboxes, streetlights, sign posts, or any suitable surface, speak the heartbreak of loss, and fear for a friend in trouble. I always react. Anyone who has ever bonded with a dog and knows a dog’s devotion sympathizes. But my curiosity has always been piqued, too. “How did it happen?”
One glorious Sunday afternoon in midsummer when I was taking a walk in Central Park with my dog, Tobi Little Deer, and was approaching the Merry-Go-Round area near the southern ball fields, I saw an Irish Setter-type dog trotting down the path towards us, off-leash, dodging in and out among the crowd. He veered off the path, stopped for a moment and looked about expectantly, then ran some, trotted, and in a burst sprang over the distant roadway and was gone. I watched helplessly.
Perhaps his owner had let him off-leash, confident that he was trained well enough, and smart enough not to stray. His owner probably stood at that moment somewhere, also looking about, shocked to have lost his dog. That is one way it happens, and it is why a dog should never be off-leash except in a contained space like a back yard or a dog run. I felt so sad for that dog that day. His terror was apparent.
Often the missing-dog notices taped to poles and displayed in store windows insinuate that the bereaved owners believe their dogs were stolen. How is a dog stolen? Most likely, the theft results from something we commonly see, a dog tied to a traffic pole or a bench outside a store while his owner goes inside. Instead of trying to do two things at once, the dog should be walked, returned safely home, and then the store errand performed separately.
If you lose a dog, get into action. Yes, post your notices on the poles and in stores in case he might be sighted wandering. But most importantly, assiduously and repeatedly check all the animal shelters in your area, most of which are listed on the Internet. Frequently check the Animal Care and Control of NYC shelters, all five of them in the five boroughs (http://www.nycacc.org/locations.htm), because NYC Animal Care euthanizes animals that are not claimed or adopted in a period of time.
Before the unforeseeable happens, however, you can take a very important and efficacious precaution. Have your veterinarian microchip your dog. He will insert a tiny identifier under the dog’s shoulder skin. It contains a registration number and the I.D. of the microchipping agency, and is easily readable by any veterinarian, care facility or shelter, like Animal Care and Control of NYC.
The missing-dog ads sparked my curiosity, and after some research and an equal amount of speculation I wrote LITTLE TRAMP. You can find my book at our local independent bookstore, Three Lives & Company, which we all, in any case, should support. It also is available on Amazon Books, Amazon Kindle, iTunes iBooks, and B&N Nook. I think it holds some answers to “What happened?”
Ted is a local resident, author and dog lover who blogs on tobilittledeer.com. His work is © 2015 Wood Writ, Inc.
