I snuggled in for a dark evening on the
couch when the dogs set to barking like fools
and charged the front door. I straightened up
and listened— not a sound. “Girls,” I said, “it’s
nothing. Relax.” Ready to spend the long win
ter’s night in the company o f a book about
cats, I wanted the dogs to settle quietly with
me. Instead, they renewed their efforts, woof-
ing and whining up a storm. I pushed my
book aside, stood up and walked over, ready to
demonstrate that nothing amiss needed their
attention—or mine. Both dogs upped the
ante, jockeying for position before I even had
a hand on the knob. “Girls!” I exclaimed, exas
perated. I grabbed the collar of one dog while
blocking escape by the other with my legs and
pulled the door open just a crack.
Sitting at polite attention on the covered front
porch, a Cockapoo wagged his tail and stared up
at me. Rain poured and the temperature hovered
above freezing. I shooed the dog inside where
light illuminated a once fuzzy white dog turned
stringy brown. “You’ve been on walk-about,
haven’t you?” I leaned down to examine his col
lar. A current tag meant one phone call and a
short drive later, the muddy pup was in the arms
of the crying woman who had searched for him
since workers at the house inadvertently let him
out early that morning. I recalled another story
in my neighborhood where days of desperate
searching did not end as well.
PETLANDIA
b y M ar y M a n d e ville . DC
K eeping pets safe begins with
th e environm ent. The outside
a re a should be secure—no
e xce p tio n s. A fe n c e m ight
ne e d to be 6 or 8 fe e t tall
in th e c o s e o f a jum per, or
extend un d erg ro u n d in the
ca se o f
q
d ig g e r.
Keeping pets safe begins with the environ
ment. The outside area should be secure— no
exceptions. A fence might need to be 6 or 8 feet
tall in the case of a jumper, or extend under
ground in the case of a digger. On our fence,
spring-loaded gates close automatically. We
don’t tmst our dogs to a parade of plumbers,
carpenters or electricians. Even with good in
tentions, a dog or cat can easily slip out unno
ticed while a heavy load of sheetrock is wrestled
through an open doorway. During home re
modeling projects or noisy holidays, I simply
take the dogs wherever I go; they enjoy hanging
out in the car. If weather extremes preclude ve
hicle trips, the cost of doggie daycare— board
ing at a canine or feline facility—pales in com
parison with lost-dog reward money, veterinary
bills or the ongoing agony of imagining a best
friend alone, exposed or injured without help.
Identification is critical to finding a lost ani
mal companion. A collar with up-to-date tags
or a phone number stitched right in may speed
return and prevent a frightening trip to the
pound. Never leave an unattended animal in a
choke collar, which will strangle her if she be
comes caught on a fence, branch or other ob
ject. One of my clients’ dogs got lost wearing a
walking harness, only to be found two months
later at half his original weight with wounds
where the straps had cut down to his ribs. Never
able to tell his story, he simply breathed his last
in the safe harbor o f his beloved person. The
image haunts me still; I leave my dogs in flat
collars they could wriggle out of if necessary.
Each dog has an implanted microchip as a
back-up plan. No deleterious health effects
have plagued our electronically identified ca
nine pals and I have returned more than a few
lost dogs via this simple technology.
If despite your best efforts, fireworks, thun
derstorms or other misadvennires cause your
dog or cat to become lost, spring into immediate
action. Contact local veterinary offices and
emergency clinics. Notify all area shelters and
local animal control agencies. Multnomah
County (MCAC) maintains a lost-and-found
listing; check it regularly. Post a notice on Craigs
List and utilize other electronic media. Go door
to door with photos of your missing animal, post
fliers in your area and talk to everyone; your ani
mal is on the street, you need to be there too.
If you find a lost animal, get involved. Do
not chase a stray, offer sanctuary instead. A
warm car with an open door, a soft voice, avert
ed eyes and food if you have it may create just
the space a frightened animal needs. Unless
you have certain knowledge o f abandonment,
presume the animal has a loving home and
make every effort to get her there.
The following announcement appeared via
fax at my chiropractic office as follow-up to a
previous heartbreaking lost-dog notice.
Four months , two weeks , twelve hours , and
twenty-seven minutes after he slipped out the
door in a storm , our beloved shepherd was re
turned to our fro n t porch on Christmas Eve.
Thanks to everyone who lent a hand. Our hearts
are file d with gratitude.
Effort may be rewarded even when hope
wanes. Keep searching and keep helping. 1 9 ]
M ary M andevillf . can be found on the web at
maryamandeville. com.
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. V *
It’s a beautiful thing.
D o g 9 l C a t S h o p
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