Lost Pet Rescue Lessons from Moosie

Editor's Note: Moosie is a six-pound, six-year-old yorkie from an Arkansas puppy mill, adopted by Niwot resident Sharon Blatchley from Farfel's Farm and Rescue in Boulder. As a rescue animal, she is very afraid of noises and strange places. On Sunday, June 16, Moosie went on a frightening adventure, one that ended happily 72 hours later. Her story provides valuable lessons for pet owners.

Moosie and I were at my son's house on Burgundy Court in Niwot for a Father's Day barbecue.

At around 8 p.m. Sunday, something spooked Moosie and she wriggled out of her harness, ran across the porch, and darted out through a small gap in the gate.

I was upstairs, so my son and daughter-in-law chased after her. They were soon joined by

neighbors and other Niwotians as Moosie ran out of the neighborhood and over to 79th Street,

then onto the LOBO trail. My daughter-in-law, in her stocking feet, was able to get close, but

then Moosie ran off again.

Next, Moosie went back to 79th Street and into Cottonwood Park West, where she lives. A few neighbors even saw her in front of her own house, but when they tried to corral her, she took off again. They tried to catch her as she bolted out of sight. Word started to spread via text messages that poor Moosie was lost.

Niwotians looked for Moosie into the night. She was reportedly seen on 83rd Street by people walking their dogs, biking, and driving. She was last spotted running across the railroad tracks and the Diagonal Highway, stopping in the grassy median between the north-bound and south-bound lanes, exhausted and lucky she didn't get hit by a car.

My son and a good samaritan who witnessed her crossing the Diagonal kept looking for her, but it was getting too dark. At 10:30 p.m., we finally had to stop. It was a long night. I opened my gates and slept in a chair close to the front door so I could listen for her and check to see if she came home. She didn't.

On Monday, pleas were posted on NextDoor and a few Facebook pages. Even more people

joined in the search for this frightened little girl. A friend saw a Boulder County Sheriff's

Animal Protection truck at the park on 83rd Street and Niwot Road. She told the officer about Moosie who made notes to tell her team. At that point, another friend recommended that I call www.rescuelostpets.org/" target="_blank">Boulder County Lost Pet Rescues (BCLPR). Wow - their methodology was different than any of us would have guessed, and they were amazing.

The director, Wess Staats, spread the word to her volunteers. She recommended that I set up a scent-trail around my house. Moosie's bed, blanket, and some of my worn clothes were set out by gates and sidewalks. And there was one more step she said I should take to help entice Moosie to come home. She assured me that it would sound gross, but dogs think and process stinky smells differently than we do.

She explained that I was to cut strips of cloth, urinate on them, attach them to sticks, and place them in a perimeter around my home. Anything for my darling Moosie. A friend gave me bamboo barbeque sticks, which worked well as Moosie is short and could reach to smell them.

My son placed them around the area. When I offered plastic gloves, he gladly accepted.

But it was another long night and no Moosie. I was trying not to think the worst, including cars on the Diagonal, and local predators like coyotes and eagles-after all, she is about the size of a rabbit.

By Tuesday afternoon, BCLPR volunteers were at my house to post laminated flyers and

distribute cards door-to-door. The instructions asked anyone who saw her to take a picture and

call the numbers on the flyers, but NOT to chase her or call to her, which, of course, was what

we had all been doing.

We learned that she was in a flight-fright mode and her fear caused her senses to shut down. She could not process what was happening to her. Tuesday night came and still no sign of Moosie. Hope was diminishing. It was another long and lonely night.

Wednesday morning, a homeowner on the north side of the Diagonal reported seeing

Moosie...she was alive! Moosie came close to the homeowner, but then ran away. They left food out for her but weren't sure if she or another animal had eaten it. She came close twice more and was seen near water in the area and among some trees. The homeowner called Animal Protection, who in turn called BCLPR, who notified me.

Two friends took me to that house around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. We set up a scent area and spread the stinkiest food around the pasture. A BCLPR volunteer,brought sardines and dog food pate and we settled down to wait. Some horses nearby decided to visit us when the sardines came out. Apparently, Moosie may have been drinking from the water and eating horse dung, as dogs will eat such protein snacks when necessary.

By about 4:00 p.m. we had seen her twice, but not at all in two hours. Moosie likes to eat at about 5:00 p.m. so we waited quietly as instructed and put sardine smell on us...yuck. The Rescue emphasized that we had to wait for her to come to us. Grabbing her would just make her run away. We weren't even supposed to look at her.

At about 5:30 p.m., out of the corner of my eye, I saw her. She came closer, smelled the bed, the clothes, and wolfed down the sardines...pushing the container over as if she was hoping for more. She ate the pate and then started smelling around again. I was holding my breath. She came toward me. I didn't look at her. She sat down in front of me and looked up. The urge to grab her was unbearable. But I knew she had to get closer and come to me.

She turned and walked back to the sardine can and pushed it over. Then she went back to

smelling around. She turned again toward me. I didn't dare move. The next thing I knew she

sat down beside me. I started to talk softly, and slowly reached to touch her paw. She didn't

move, then I touched her shoulder. She still didn't move. Then I petted her head-still not

moving. I gently picked her up. She settled into a cuddle that said, "I am home."

Wednesday night we both slept well.

I thank BCLPR with all my heart. And we are eternally grateful to all the walkers, bicyclists,

drivers and other Niwotians who shared where they had seen her, because that is the only way we knew where to look.

Please consider donating and/or volunteering for this amazing organization so they can continue to rescue pets like Moosie and your fur babies. Boulder County Lost Pet Rescues,

http://www.rescuelostpets.org, 720-317-7550.