Lost Dog Help or Lost Dog, HELP!

Networking through technology and good old-fashioned word-of-mouth

Little lost dog found, Callee safe at home.

By Judy Keenan

There is a TV commercial running currently which depicts a small, cute little girl looking woeful as she secures a hand lettered lost dog poster on a bulletin board already overloaded with announcements and other information.  She is noticed by a passing college student who snaps a picture of the poster with his AT&T 3 G cell phone and sends an email blast to everyone he knows.  Voila!  In nano seconds Tyler Hansbroug, basketball player extraordinaire wearing his blue University of North Carolina T-shirt returns the found pet to the little girl and we witness a joyous reunion. 

Harnessing technology

There are messages in this TV Commercial beyond AT&T’s quest for your business.  First, technology in the form of a cell phone with picture taking abilities can provide valuable assistance in searching for missing pets.  Second, having a picture of your lost pet on a poster makes it easier for people to spot your pet. Third, everyone identifies and sympathizes with the sinking and desperate feeling of an owner looking for a lost pet. Fourth, and most important, there are people of good will around you that will help you.

If you Google “Lost Pet” hundreds of web sites pop up such as LOSTDOG.COM, MISSINGPETPARTNERSHIP.COM, PETFINDER.COM. FINDTOTO.COM, and FIDOFIND.COM. Many of these offer an opportunity to post pictures and data about your lost pet for free or, conversely post information about a pet you found for free.  Some offer to take your information and then call 1,000 of your neighbors and leave them a message about your lost pet.  That seems a sure- fire way to alienate 1,000 neighbors.

Eastham group bans together to find lost dogs

The poster created by EDOA to help find Callee this past summer.

On Cape Cod, The Eastham Dog Owners’ Association (EDOA) initiated a Lost Dog Committee two years ago after one of their members lost his dog.  The dog had been with a dog buddy when both broke away and ran off in to the woods after a squirrel.  One returned the other did not.  The owner enlisted the aid of his fellow members at the EDOA and the search lasted for five days until the runaway dog was found quivering under a porch by another dog. Although not high tech, it was the genesis of the lost dog network which is the only one on the Cape.

Little Callee goes missing

Here is a story that illustrates how the lost dog network operates.  Last summer Karen Wheet and her family were on vacation in Eastham with their dogs, both Shitzus, the youngest named Callee.  It was the Fourth of July and the boom and whistles of firecrackers thundering in the dusk frightening Callee who ultimately took off leaving her family frantic.  For days they put up signs with photos of Callee near the bike path, on side roads and went house to house knocking on doors in the neighborhood.  "In my quest for help, I reached out to friends and family by email to help support us with good 'thoughts and prayers'. I got online and posted her picture on www.lostadog.com.  I researched the web for help. A suggestion was to put her bedding outside where she was last seen. Every evening, at dusk, I would watch her bedding from my bedroom, but no sign of Callee…..What else could I do? My other dog, Spencer, stopped eating." writes Karen in her lost dog narrative written for the EDOA newsletter.

Although Calle was sighted several times and reported by people via voicemail and email, Karen and her family had to leave the Cape to return home to Mendon broken-hearted.  During that time they were contacted by Cindy Nicholson, president of the EDOA, offering their organization's support.  Karen was so very grateful that she told Cindy she was "her last hope".   Time was running out for Callee.  The threat of starvation, coyotes, and/or accidents created despair.

Technology and old-fashioned networking

Meanwhile, Cindy sent this email to 100 members of EDOA; 

"Little Callee has not been united with her family yet.  There have been sightings.  The family has asked for our help. Their vacation is over and must leave a part of their family behind.

IF YOU CAN MEET TODAY AT 5pm - WILEY PARK PARKING LOT, we can plan our strategy of where to look.  Please print out copies of the attached posters and bring your staple gun if you have one.  The thought is to hang posters, hand out to tourists at hot spots and hit the trails.  I will also bring posters. PLEASE JOIN US.  If you cannot make it tonight, and want to help, please reply and we can set up another search tomorrow.

Thank you - I hope you can find the time."

Karen returned twice more to the Cape to look for Callee.  Each time she met strangers who had learned of her plight through EDOA and were eager to help her in her search.  Nine days after Callee ran off she returned to her family by jumping into Karen’s parked car unbeknownst to Karen until Cindy arrived carrying a hot dog as a dog lure.  "Did you bring your other dog with you?" she asked of Karen. "No.  Why?" Karen responded.  "Because there is a dog in your car." said Cindy.  "Close the door! Close the door!" Karen screamed.

Karen writes that, "Since our reunion with Callee, we have caught her eating worms in our back yard (could that have helped her survive)? She lost 2 pounds and has a tick borne infection called Anaplasmosis. However, we are able to treat it with medicine and she is gaining her weight back. She is basically back to normal; however I now know to keep her on a leash at all times when we are away from home. I might feel she’s safe, but animals have an inner instinct to flee when frightened – we can’t forget that they’re animals."

Three more found

EDOA has helped find three more lost dogs since this past summer and has recently donated a microchip scanner to the Animal Control Officer in Eastham to aid in identifying any found dogs. The committee is discussing ways to interact with surrounding communities, and they are developing a kit with tips for people who lose pets.  They are the people of good will who will help you find your lost pet.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every town on the Cape had a lost dog network?