Lost and Found Pets in SV

 The Valleyist Papers 

 

A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS WRITTEN IN FAVOUR OF THE IMPROVEMENT OF STEPHENS VALLEY 

Author – William Ray 

 

Edition 4. Issue 3.

The SV community just witnessed a miraculous recovery of a lost puppy belonging to one of our neighbors. While this event is fresh on our minds, it would seem a perfect time to examine how this successful recovery occurred and make sure everyone knows just how to accomplish the same if another cherished pet escapes. 

Pet events in SV seem to always fall into one of two categories. First, there are the events where a resident sees an off-leash pet that is roaming without a responsible human nearby. Those sightings are sometimes ones that include fear that an aggressive animal is loose in the neighborhood, but most often they are sightings of presumably sweet pets that seem to be lost. There are recommended response to either of those types of sightings. The second type of event is the most common. Those are the ones where a discovery is made that a resident pet has gone missing from an SV home or yard. We have recommended responses to those events too. 

Successful resolution of any of these events includes a variety of tools that we all be prepared to use. You’ll need your smartphone (especially the camera), your Slack account and the app, you will need to contact Williamson County Animal Center https://www.adoptwcac.org/253/About-WCAC and learn about all of the wonderful advice/help/information they provide through our Williamson County government. You might also opt for a GPS tracker and corresponding app on your phone (more about this option later). With these tools, and your quick actions to use them, you too can have the kind of success we just witnessed with little Hazel Warmbrod. 

So, here’s what to do if you sight an off-leash pet that acts like it might be a threat. Try to get a picture of the animal. Back off and don’t approach it. Post the picture to the #sv-main Slack channel to find out what others know about the animal. Then contact WCAC https://www.adoptwcac.org/270/Animal-Control and follow their recommendations. 

If the off-leash pet seems more lost than a threat, still start off by gathering information. Get a picture, if possible, gather information that might be on its collar, and finally, if at all possible, corral the pet at your home until you can post the picture and other information to the #sv-main Slack channel. A response from a neighbor should come pretty quickly. If not, then go to WCAC https://www.adoptwcac.org/246/Lost-or-Found-an-Animal and tell them of your discovery. They will help resolve the situation.  

The biggest threat to our SV residents and their pets is the sneaky escape of a beloved pet from the confines of a home or yard. Here’s the recommended process, and some of these need to be completed as soon as you bring a pet into your home. The very first line of defense is to get that sweet baby chipped! That means have a veterinarian insert a very small transmitter under the skin of your pet and have critical data, like your name, address, and phone number, saved on that chip. Nearly all veterinarians can do this, and they can also read that information from a found animal that has a chip installed. You must do that first! Next take pictures of your baby and save them. If he/she is lost and you want help, it is too late to think of taking a picture then. So, go to your Slack app, open it and post the story of your escapee along with the pictures. Time is of the essence. Do this quickly while there is a chance that your pet hasn’t gotten very far. Next, visit https://www.adoptwcac.org/246/Lost-or-Found-an-Animal and look at the very wise suggestions they have posted there to enhance the odds of you getting your pet back. They really know their stuff on these events! Finally, contact friends or family in adjoining neighborhoods like Traceside and Temple Hills. They have their own neighborhood social media channels. Ask them to post pictures and information about your wayward friend (that is actually how little Hazel Warmbrod was rescued). 

Some of these steps might be skipped if you decide to use one of the new GPS dog/cat trackers that are available, but still not perfectly effective. A GPS tracker is a powerful tool that can actually help you bring your pet home a lot sooner. Using satellites and cellular data signals, these devices send an alert when your pet escapes, and they give you the ability to track their location in something akin to real time. So, you stand a better chance of tracking down your pet and bringing them home. 

Many of these devices also let you see where a free-roaming pet likes to hang when they go out on their own, and some can also offer insights into their sleep and activity levels. But despite their technological prowess, all the GPS trackers seem to have flaws, bugs, and glitches that can interfere with their functioning. Their success is also dependent on the cell service used by each product, as well as on the strength of the GPS signal. So even the best tracker might not work for you if you’re in a dead zone. 

It would be remiss if we didn’t bring up a subject that has been discussed more than once here in The Valleyist. You and your neighbors need to get organized so that the neighbors you live closest to, can quickly call for help in these emergencies. We are our brother’s keeper here in SV. The archived copy of the latest full discussion of this matter can be found at https://thevalleyist.blogspot.com/2024/06/getting-our-alleys-organized.html That article is nearly a year old, and Sage Nozko is no longer the primary contact for answering questions and solving issues you might have with Slack, but you can now contact Carla Reynolds or Lise Deschenes. They are the ones volunteering to keep this essential community asset running.