By Ian Campbell Wilson
Losing a pet is a gut-wrenching experience.
We were fortunate. Our small dog, lost in the wilds of Montana, was found a week later. A miracle of sorts, since odds would have it that she should have never survived her ordeal. There were clear signs of trouble in our pet boarding process; signs that we overlooked. In retrospect, as pet owners, we made some really stupid mistakes, but also learned important lessons that we happily share – in hopes that it may help others to avoid losing a pet in the future.
It was June and we were on our first family visit to Montana. We were very excited about taking in the “Big Sky” state, and making our first visit to Yellowstone National Park.
We had leased a house in Bozeman, Montana. Not being familiar with Bozeman, we searched the web for places to board our seven year-old Maltese, named “Poodle.” Her given name is Miel, which is French for “honey.” But, after tolerating many puzzled looks and mispronunciations of her name over the years, we decided to simplify. New name – Poodle. Easy to remember for everyone. And, importantly, she responds to it!
Poodle – all eight pounds of her (soaking wet) – has an oversized personality. We like to say that she has enough personality for three dogs. Energetic, playful, barkier than we would like, and neurotically attached to her squeak toys, food and to not being left alone, Poodle is a one-of-a-kind. But, we adore her for all these traits.
Searching the Internet, we found a pet boarding facility about five miles outside of Bozeman, in the general direction of Yellowstone. The web information and photos seemed solid. We called, made an appointment for four days of boarding. Done. Check it off.
Prior to leaving for Yellowstone, our daughter found a cute Rhinestone necklace kit for Poodle, in which we could spell out her given name, M-I-E-L. Taking off her tags, we tried it on Poodle. A perfect fit! But, in all the excitement, we forgot to put her tags back on her collar. We discovered this when we arrived at the boarding facility. In our eagerness to get to Yellowstone, we decided to board her without her tags – which had crucial contact information.
When we arrived to board Poodle, they did not have her registered to stay even though I had talked with them over the phone to both make and confirm Poodle’s boarding. We also noticed that all the dogs boarding were larger dogs, mostly housed in larger, outdoor pens. “Can they handle smaller dogs?”
We reassured ourselves that everything would be okay. Poodle got hugs from all of us, and then we left to drive to Yellowstone for four days. In Yellowstone, we checked our cell-phones regularly for any messages. None. In our mind, “no news was good news.”
We returned to Bozeman late Sunday evening; too late to pick up Poodle. My wife and daughter drove out to the boarding facility first thing Monday.
Then, the news that struck like a thunderclap; “your dog is gone.”
What? How can that be? What happened to her? The owner had no specifics to offer, and wasn’t even sure how she had escaped. And, when pressed for information, he was not even certain as to when she had escaped. We were in shock, and the tears – and anger – started to flow.
We would later found out that Poodle likely escaped within hours of being dropped off. She is small, nimble and able to squeeze through or dig under fences or barriers, especially if they are built for bigger dogs. We also learned that the owner of kennel had done nothing to find her, despite claiming the contrary. When we contacted local authorities, nearby vet offices and the local SPCA, this was the first they have heard of Poodle being lost!
We channeled our disbelief and anger into action. “Poodle is out there, and we are going to find her,” we said with determination. We bought street maps of the greater Bozeman area, made a “Lost Dog” flyer, included a $1000 reward for her return (we wanted to get the locals attention), printed hundreds of copies, and called the local authorities, the SPCA and every Vet office within 25 miles. We reached out to the local media, and put a sizeable ad in the paper, and had the local radio station broadcast the news.
At our house, we set up a “war room” for the search. We spread the street maps out on a table, put a plan together to go street-to-street to distribute the flyer, starting at the general area of the kennel, and then fan out in all directions. Being in action mode felt good, but the logistics were daunting. Bozeman is a small city of about 45,000, but drive a mile or two beyond the city limits and you are in the Montana wilds. Big Sky country with large open spaces, ranches and farms. The idiom “needle in the haystack” haunted us. Plus, Poodle had at least a three-day start on us, perhaps four. Crucial time had been lost.
Street-by-street, dirt road-by-dirt road, we spread the word about Poodle, handing out flyers to any locals we could find, including bicyclists, ranchers and Cowboys on horseback. We knocked on many doors, telling the Poodle story, and looking for information…anything on her whereabouts.
Day two of our search brought news that rekindled hope. A sighting! A neighbor, some two miles from the kennel, had seen a small white dog running on the road. He thought it unusual, so he tried to catch her but she got away. Our hopes for her to be found alive soared, but were tempered by the fact that this news was now four days old.
The weather was also an issue. June can be cold and wet in Montana…and this year was no different. It even snowed lightly one night. Could Poodle survive this? Being a Maltese, she is the ultimate lap dog, a complete outsider to the larger breeds favored by rugged Montanans. She had no experience foraging on her own, especially in the wilds of Montana.
It was Friday night, a full week since Poodle had been lost. We were all exhausted and emotionally drained. Discouragement set in. No sightings, no news. We started preparing ourselves for the worst. At 9:30pm, my wife’s cell phone rings. “I think we found your dog,” said the caller. She accurately described Poodle, including the Rhinestone M-I-E-L collar she was last wearing. “I have her in my arms. She is safe.”
After screams of joy, tears and disbelief, we jumped into our car, and headed out into the Montana night. The family that found her was a full five miles beyond the kennel where she was boarded. She had been hiding in a small culvert, but being hungry, was coaxed out with some dog crunchies.
After a week in the rugged, open lands of Montana, Poodle was in remarkably good health. The local Vet insisted that she be brought in immediately, at 10:30pm, for an exam. She was dirty and skinny (she had lost a third of her body weight), but was not dehydrated. She had been smart enough to drink water whenever she could.
Most importantly, we had our beloved Poodle back in our arms and in our family. With a measure of good fortune, and incredible support from the dog-loving community of Bozeman, our perseverance paid off.
To all lovers of pets, here are some lessons learned and suggestions for keeping your pets safe when boarding, and if the unthinkable happens:
Research your boarding facilities carefully. Ask local Veterinarians for recommendations. Vet Clinics often board as well.
Keep proper ID tags on your animals. Double-check that the contact information is current (phone number with area code), and the tag and collar are securely fastened.
If your pet is lost, spread the news quickly. Get vital information out fast to local authorities, the SPCA, vet clinics, groomers, pet stores, and the media and into the neighborhood where your pet was last seen. Found pets are often turned into local organizations.
Post information and photos of your pet on Facebook, Instagram and other social media outlets. Online information can spread fast.
Offer a reward. We are convinced that our reward got people’s attention, and helped in finding Poodle.
Consider chipping your pet. Pets with ID chips are more and more common, and many shelters and vets now have readers.
Most importantly, don’t give up. Keep hope alive.
Ian Campbell Wilson is a writer who is lucky enough to split his time between Tucson, Arizona and Bozeman, Montana.
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