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. 

Living on the Verge

 The Valleyist Papers 

 

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

Author – William Ray 

 

Edition 4. Issue 2. 

Well, 2025 certainly started off with a bang, especially from a weather perspective. This month we are going to discuss SV's unique location as it relates to the ongoing wildfires presently ravaging southern California. Daniel Boorstin, the former Librarian of Congress and a distinguished historian, called areas like where we are a "verge." He described such areas as the boundary between one thing and something quite different. SV meets that definition because we form the boundary between an urban area and the pristine forest that contains the Natchez Trace Parkway. Being in a verge poses great opportunities but also certain risks. This discussion is not intended to create fear or anguish. Further, nothing here should be construed as any condemnation of the way SV has been developed, as it is clear that all relevant regulatory guidelines have been strictly followed. Still, as we all know, one can clearly adhere to all traffic laws and ordinances but still be in a highway accident due to the weather or the actions of others, so let’s just chat a bit about what risks we face and what we should do to minimize them. 

First, let us take a clear look at where we are and what challenges we face as a result of our addresses. We are not in any incorporated city. As such, we don’t have a municipal police department or a municipal fire department. SV is bordered by the Natchez Trace Parkway all along the western edge of the development. The parkway and the forest in which it exists is operated and maintained by the National Park Service. As we all know, the architecture of SV consists of densely packed homes which now reach all the way to the Natchez Trace Parkway boundary. Perhaps the best snapshot of our fire risk can be had by just walking along the sidewalks along Jackson Falls Drive and looking west. See the SV homes now built right up to the forest? See that TVA high voltage transmission line going through the forest? We are also all familiar with the howling winds that often flow through our valley. Okay, now hold those thoughts. 

If we are to compare our situation with those of the communities in California, we ought to start with those facts. If middle Tennessee were to experience the sort of record-breaking drought that California has experienced, the precursor to a bad situation here would be in place. We clearly live in a verge between a very combustible forest, which is bisected by a handy ignition source (should a windstorm bring down one of those transmission lines) and the lovely semi-urban development we call home. Once ignited, we certainly have plenty of homes that are very close to each other, so the possibility of a cascading fire is in place. But don’t let our situation put you in fear. These are just the facts, and we have a lot of things going for us to provide a defense. 

The Williamson County Office of Public Safety is not inexperienced at protecting us. Their Fire Services group https://williamsonready.org/1942/Fire-Services has a lot of information about their organization, and reading this page is certainly worthwhile. However, SV’s fire protection comes from hybrid public/volunteer group whose closest presence is down Sneed Road near Hillsboro Road. You will find dedicated and well-trained folks there. But you won’t find much in the way of forest fire fighting capabilities. You won’t find any aircraft capable of fighting fires from the air. You will find smart people that know how to get the National Park Service activated to fight fires along the Natchez Trace, but a lot of damage could happen long before the National Park Service could come to our rescue and it is doubtful they could dispatch firefighting aircraft to help us quickly either! Also, SV is built with the required amount of fire hydrants scattered throughout the neighborhood, but as was the case in Pacific Palisades, should the Williamson County fire team arrive to fight widespread outbreaks in SV, multiple hydrants being opened to charge multiple fire hoses would surely result in very little water pressure being available. That is not saying someone built the system wrong. Rather, it is just the way physics works. Our water system is fed by an elevated water tank a few miles away, and that tank’s capacity is fixed. The water pressure in SV is provided by the elevation of that water tank. It cannot be increased.

So, what can we do about this situation? For the most part, we should relax and not get too excited about it. However, as in all things we ought to be prepared and have a plan. The most likely trigger mechanism for us putting our plans into action is a lengthy drought, and that is something that should concern us all. Should we find ourselves in that position, we should be prepared with a plan that includes: 

1. Resolute attention to any notices we might get from Williamson County or the NPS. 

2. A ready “go bag” which you can grab quickly, and it should include very important          documents (think deeds, automobile titles, passports, wills, and anything else you deem vital should the worst scenario unfold. Obviously, your phones and other devices (and a guitar if you have one!) should go with you. 

3. A plan of where you would go to spend a few nights out of harm’s way. 

4. Notification to friends/neighbors where you are going. 

5. Prescription pharmaceuticals. 

It costs us nothing to think about this possibility and make some simple preparations. If we are to learn anything from California’s present plight, we must pledge to implement our plans sooner rather than later. When a responsible agency notifies us that we are in danger, we should not need to be told twice.