The Lost: Service Dog Losses Part II
- Lisa Vaught *Kai upon return
- Nov 25, 2015
- 7 min read
****PART TWO- ACTUAL MISSING AND ABDUCTED SERVICE DOGS****
With all the information above, I neglected to give any to any potential robbers of service dogs. Think more than once about what you plan to do. The abduction of a Therapy or God Forbid a Service Dog carries stiff state and FEDERAL statutes. Are you ready to go to jail for breaking FEDERAL laws...and rotting away in a FEDERAL prison? How well do you think a FEDERAL judge is going to go with you about this (hint-not well at all...and I've heard the fines are a-s-t-r-o-n-o-m-i-c-a-l. ) Not to mention you need a special lawyer versed in Federal AND civil law, because you are sure to have civil fines tacked on as well! Ca-Ching! Still sounding like something you want to do? When you get out, poverty-stricken and a marked man, how easily will you get a JOB? Worth it? I think not. But you go ahead and think about it honey...afterall, it's only the rest of your miserable life.
SERVICEMAN LOST THERAPY DOG, TWIX
Recently, a serviceman has lost his Therapy dog ' Twix', that somehow got out of the yard. Twix's owner, a 25 year old disabled veteran from Afganistan and Iraq has sent out flyers and reached out to the local media. Twix went missing October 12, 2015. So far there has been no response. It's unknown if he was wearing his collar. He was not microchipped. He is a brown and white Staffordshire Terrier. The serviceman and his wife have no children, Twix is their 'baby'. There has been no response although a reward is offered.
Photo courtesy facebook
A SERVICE DOG NAMED KAI HAS BEEN RETURNED TO HER OWNER
In California this November, a veteran lost her Therapy dog, Kai, trained to aid her with PTSD. This occurred in Sand Diego, from Alexandra Melnicks secured backyard more than eight months ago.. Kai is a tricolor German Shepard Dog who has been trained and certified as a service animal. Also, Kai is micro-chipped. She was found over eight months later in Texas when a veterinarian scanned her micro-chip and discovered she was the missing Service Dog that everyone had been looking for.
Kai is Alexandra Melnick's Therapy dog assistant, and helps her deal with post-traumatic stress disorder.Kai was never active military, but her owner wishes to use him as a PTSD dog. Someone identified Kai over 1000 mile from home in Denton Texas! Sure enough, the microchip proved that the dog had been abducted, and needed return to her original owner in California. It's unknown if the abduction will affect his ability to work as he re-integrates into her family.
In Kai's case, someone stole her out of Melnick's secure backyard, and sold or gave Kai to the family in Texas who had no idea someone was looking for Kai. An investigation is ongoing into the person or person's responsible for Kai's disappearance. The Denton county officials are deciding what kind of charges to give on the person who was in possession of Kai in Texas.
SEIZURE PREDICTION DOG LOST AND FOUND IN BRADDOCK, PA
A black lab that works for his owner in seizure predection, slipped out the front door when it wasn't fully latched, with another dog. The one dog came back, but the service dog did not. A Swissvale, PA dogcatcher recognized and held him till he could get ahold of the owner, Catherine Kimmel from Braddock, PA. The lab, named Zero, hasn't left her side since his return.
'LOVE' LOST AND RETURNED BY GOOD NEIGHBOR
A California service dog was returned by a good samaratan after it was abducted from a park. The toy poodle named “Love” is a Therapy dog belonging to Arthur Renowitzky. Love comes with him to hospitals and nursing homes that Arthur speaks at as a motivational speaker. As Arthur was busy getting out of this car, Love slipped out into the park, and someone snatched him.
They immediatetly utilized the news media and a $5000 reward for his safe return. Daymond Dixon had heard the news reports, when he went to a local Walmart and a man offered him the little dog he immediately got him, and returned him to his rightful owner. Dixon refused the reward money or the money he paid to get the little dog.
AUTISM AWARENESS DOG LOST DURING STORM, FOUND IN NEIGHBORHOOD
A German Shepard Dog that worked as an autism awareness dog for a little boy, jumped out the window of the family's new home on Long Island during a recent storm. The family got media involved quickly and Christopher's dog and best friend Lulu was returned to him after a woman in their new neighborhood spotted Lulu and brought her home. Her condition appeared OK.
THERAPY DOG LOST AND FOUND WANDERING, SHOT
In Morrelton, AR a therapy dog named Bella who got away from her handler, was found wandering five miles away from her home, with a gunshot wound to her thigh. She was filthy and was washed by one of the men who found her. Later the next day the men dropped her off at her home. They had heard that she had been lost and was being looked for. It's unknown how Bella got away. Bella helps her person with PTSD and anxiety. Bella had been playing in the back yard with another dog, when she took off.
All of these stories have occurred since September of this year! Luckily, some of them end happily, unfortunately, some do not. If your companion or service dog is micro-chipped you stand a much better chance of a safe return of your dog. If your dog has his collar and tags on you also stand a much better chance for a safe return.
Most lost dogs much like lost children, are found in the first hour after being lost. Get going as soon as you recognize your dog is lost. Don't waste time blaming one another why this happened, get out in your car, and do a grid search of your neighborhood, calling your dog and having a wonderful treat he can smell...like peanut butter or hot dogs, (or both!) something delicious that he will smell and come to even if he is too confused to recognize you. When you see your dog, be gentle and easy, get out of the car, and open the door, calling 'come' to him like any other day getting in your car. Wave the doggie treat in the wind as well. This should entice him to come unless someone has hurt him. If your dog is hurt, come to him gently from the side, place a make shift muzzle from a piece of cloth if you can, because even very calm tame dogs can bite when hurt. Gently carry him to your car and get to a vet or aftertime vet clinic. Stay calm yourself and your dog will remain calm.
If after an hour you cannot find your dog. Call your placement agency if you have one to report him missing. They have media connections you do not have. Get local media involved from the beginning. Use social media to put the word out about your dog. Let them know he is micro-chipped and has his tags on. Give a good description, and have a decent picture that is fairly recent. All these things are vital for bringing him home safely.
The best way to bring your lost dog home is to never lose him to begin with. Always check your gates on fences to make sure that your dog is safe in the backyard and that he is unable to get out the gate by himself! Periodically, check for loose boards in stockade fencing and holes in chain-link. Stay with your dog when you let him out. Never let your dog out of your sight. When working, always have the leash firmly in your hand. If your dog is heeling beside your wheelchair, attached to a caribener, still hold on to the end of the leash. People still can and do call to service dogs, making them break working and run to them...even if teathered to your wheelchair! So hang on to your leash! Don't trust that others will do the right thing~ you know your dog and how to keep him safe, so you are responsible for keeping him as safe as humanly possible.
The lost service dog in IA who's reward money is now up to $10,000.00 still hasn't been heard from. Please keep his person, Jenn in your thoughts and prayers as well as these other folks that are missing their helpers, but haven't had any luck finding them. Never give up, keep on looking. Your dog hasn't given up on you!
As an aside, the seasonal weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years are hectic. Family and friends coming and going, tempting foods out that a dog can't have...a service dog or a regular dog may feel a bit left out of what's going on, or conversely will want no part of it. Either way, it's a set up for a lost dog case. Pay especial attention to your service dog at this time of the year. He looks out for your back, it's a good time to double down and look after his back. Rather than a squeaky toy, your dog would prefer you fix the gap in the stockade fence. Rather than another dog cookie, he would prefer that he always have his collar on and tags up to date on them. Rather than even a belly rub, he would prefer some extra attention and a strong hand wound in his leash when you go out together, and most of all for Christmas....he would love a micro-chip, if he hasn't got one already!
Here's To A Happy Thanksgivining For All
Let's Pray Our Missing Service Dogs Come Home For
Thanksgiving...Later: LV, JT & FX
http://ktla.com/2015/10/13/disabled-veteran-in-san-bernardino-seeks-help-finding-missing-service-dog/
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/sep/08/kai-service-dog-missing-from-vista-found-in-texas/
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Social-Media-Helped-Track-Down-Lost-Service-Dog-326073971.html
http://www.thv11.com/story/news/local/2015/10/14/morrilton-man-searching-for-lost-service-dog/73968306/
http://www.thv11.com/story/news/local/2015/10/16/lost-service-dog-returned-to-morrilton-man/74076452/
http://khon2.com/2014/06/06/good-samaritan-returns-activists-stolen-service-dog/
http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2015/11/20/local-woman-frantically-searching-for-her-missing-seizure-alert-dog/
Comments