Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Missing Dogs BC

Readers in the lower mainland of British Columbia, and possibly further afield, please be on the lookout for Harriet, a spaniel/basset hound cross and Friday, a liver-coloured flat-coated retriever.  They were in the back of a truck that was stolen from a dog-walking company yesterday afternoon in East Vancouver.  Two dogs who were in the front of the truck were released by the thieves and have been located.
The truck is a black 2006 Ford Ranger with a red canopy, and licence number DV0744.  The dogs may be in the truck, or could have been released anywhere.  


Harriet
Harriet was adopted from a rescue and is much loved - she is best friends with Nutmeg, who we met a few years ago on an adventure with Belle.  Nutmeg's owner says Harriet is her third favourite dog ever (presumably after Nutmeg and her other dog Spratley), and describes her as 'silly and sweet'.  Harriet is blind in one eye.  Friday belongs to the owner of the dog-walking company.  You can read more about the theft, and see photos of Friday and Harriet,  here:  
Vancouver Sun:  Two canines missing.

Also, please be on the lookout for a small Australian Shepherd named Levi who went missing in Vancouver December 18th.  My daughter tells me the owners are still frantic with worry and still handing out posters and scouring downtown every day.  Here's the newspaper article on their search and with a photo of Levi:  Vancouver Sun: Couple Pulls out all stops

There are always many dogs being lost or stolen, and I could blog about new ones every single day.  Generally I only post them when I have a personal connection to them - either knowing the owner or a friend of the owner, or engaged in the search myself.  The BC SPCA website has pages where lost and found pets can be posted, and there are several facebook pages dedicated to bringing lost pets home.  Two that are particularly relevant for blog readers in British Columbia are Bring Lost Pets Home and Missing Pets in BC

There are few things more heartbreaking than having a beloved pet go missing.  Thefts of vehicles containing pets, and thefts of pets from back yards, are not uncommon, and nor are missing dogs who have bolted in unfamiliar environments.  

If your dog should go missing, pull out all the stops to find him/her, just as the owners of Harriet, Friday, and Levi are doing.  Too many owners of missing pets give up too soon or do not go far enough in their search.  Just sticking up a poster or two in your neighbourhood won't do it - post everywhere you can think of, on line and on paper, contact shelters and vets and petstores and keep going back to them, and get out there and search search search. Dedicated owners have been reunited with their dogs weeks, even months, after the dog went missing.  

Paws and fingers crossed here for Harriet's, Friday's, and Levi's safe return home. 

Edited to add:  please feel free to copy this post's material or link to this page, and share as widely as possible.


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

So glad the two in the truck where found!.. I hope Harriet is found soon too.
Car theft (with dogs in vehicle) happens A LOT Vancouver !!!
Also dogs stolen while tied outside of shops, corner stores etc. while people shop - even briefly is common. When I lived in Vancouver it seemed that I heard of this happening on a regular basis.
Wendy