By Janet McAfee
Countless dogs go missing every day. It’s a dog lover’s worst nightmare. You worry about whether they are hungry, injured, or even if they are still alive. It can happen to the best of dog owners.
It was a nightmare for Joanna Cuadras when her beloved Husky mix Gallo went missing from her Indio home on February 21. The nearby Indio Date Festival was happening, and she wondered if the fireworks and extra traffic had anything to do with his disappearance. Could somebody have picked up a large dog who weighed 125 pounds? Although Gallo is microchipped, Joanna regularly checked at our county shelter in case the chip had shifted in his body. He is also neutered which makes it less likely he would run far away.
She contacted me at Loving All Animals shelter in Coachella to see if we had any leads. I posted the flyer she made on our social media and on my own Facebook page tagging Indio residents. She was also advised to put his flyers under the front door mats of neighbors within a 10-block radius.
Gallo’s story is special. A coworker of Joanna had a Husky who gave birth to a litter of puppies born on February 14, Valentine’s Day, 2019. Joanna’s 17-yr-old son passed away from cancer earlier that year on January 14. The puppy that she named Gallo arrived at her home on April 12, the day that would have been her son’s 18th birthday. She tells us, “Gallo is my baby, I love him so much. He was raised with my 4 Chihuahuas, but he thinks he’s a human!” Joanna did everything possible to find her missing dog. Her story touched my heart, and we kept in touch through Facebook.
Suddenly at 3:00am on March 12, Joanna was awakened by a familiar cry at the front door. Gallo’s return was a joyful miracle! He was slightly thinner, and his ears showed signs of fly bites. She received a phone call later that morning at 8:30am from a woman who saw him at an Indio construction site for about a week and provided him food. What happened to Gallo remains a mystery. Joanna and her family are overjoyed that he’s back home, and Gallo sticks by her side thankful to be safe and loved.
Here is a list of things you can do if your pet ever goes missing:
CREATE A FLYER – Not computer savvy? Find a young person to help. Boiler plates to make flyers with your dog’s photo are available on www.bestfriends.org or www.petbond.com. Put up flyers on bulletin boards including Starbucks, vet clinics, animal shelters, groomers, and on telephone poles. Pass out flyers to postal workers, gardeners, utility workers, tree trimmers, patrolling security guards and police officers, and others who work outside.
MAKE SIGNS – Large, colorful, eye-catching size signs can be made at the printers and posted on telephone poles, at dog parks, and at intersections controlled by traffic lights.
SOCIAL MEDIA – The quickest way to get a missing pet returned safely is to put his photo and location on www.NextDoor.com a free site that emails the information out to thousands of people near where you live. Post your dog’s photo on Facebook and ask your friends to SHARE and TAG. Post on the Facebook page “Lost and Found Pets in the Coachella Valley” and “Dogs in the 760”. Include your cell phone number and the exact location where the animal went missing. Check Petharbor.com and Craig’s List in case someone is trying to sell your dog.
GO DOOR TO DOOR IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD – Lost dogs that are friendly often end up in a within a 10-block radius from your home. Leave flyers under everyone’s front door mat. Neighbors may pick up a wandering dog to keep it safe. Check backyards, vacant homes, fields, schools, businesses, and underneath cars. Children are a good source of information about stray pets in their neighborhoods.
PLACE CLOTHING WITH YOUR SCENT OR THEIR BEDDING OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE – Dogs have an incredible sense of smell and this might lure them back home.
CHECK LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTERS – Go in person to your local public shelter since you are the best one to recognize your pet. All shelters check for microchips and ID tags, but sometimes these get lost. Return to the shelter every few days. Look in the kennels, search the “Found” book, the “Dead” book, and fill out a lost report at the front desk. Check with private shelters and rescues.
CONTACT THE MEDIA – The Fred Roggin Report on local NBC Palm Springs sometimes features missing pets. Post a notice in local newspapers and Penny Saver.
DON’T GIVE UP! – Most missing pets are returned to their owners within a short time. Others come back home weeks or months later. Best wishes to wonderful Gallo who promises to never leave home again!
