Doodle Messenger needs help from doodle owners

[Karan Johnson]

The information below is long, but please take time to read it.

Several updates on our sick Doodles will be entered in the next several hours, and Chuck will also be entering an update on his Rusty, remember Rusty had his leg amputated in January and is dealing with cancer at a very young age. We are always happy to provide updates and I know many of you have e-mailed asking about the three. Our webmaster's power cord went zonk early this morning as she was entering our data, as soon as she has that repaired stop back.Please.

However, we did not want to hold this message of need to you because we do need your help desperately. One of three new Lost Doodles is on the page now, the other two inside the power cord!! But soon to be listed. Here is how you can help them and the others...and believe me it is critical.

As you look at the Doodle who are Lost, look at where they live...Manhattan, Connecticut, Canada, Maryland, North Dakota, and growing. If you live in these areas, mount an e-mail campaign to every dog lover you know in the area...or to friends and family who live in the area. You are the Messenger, we are the processer of information and in the background working with families, "authorities and media" in those places for appropriate help and stories to the public. In other words, look at where the dog is lost and get the word out at "our" level.

You have no idea how many tips the owners are getting from Doodle owners sending e-mails to friends and family where the Doodle is lost during the devastating time of searching, sometimes for months. At this writing, ONLY ONE OF THE DOODLES HAS BEEN FOUND, that after an extensive search of deep wooded area some miles and weeks after bolting. We have media contacts through the Messenger to assist locally, and work with families as they wish in the local searches. In one case, at hefty cost to owners, a search and rescue (dogs and handlers) has taken place to track the Doodle to no avail. That was a family-found resource. Plus, we are sorry to say, issues of dog-napping among canines, particularly in large cities, has also been brought to our attention. Even if you have one friend, or one family member...e-mail and refer them to the photo and story of the lost Doodle. We never know the power of the written word and how that travels. While the Founders Board does this routinely, and develops media contacts in the area, WE NEED EVERYONE TO JOIN US, there are but 5 of us as Volunteers...please, create an urgent e-mail to the area, or areas close by. Refer to http://doodlemessenger.webs.com

Here are some of the things we thought you would be interested in knowing about Lost Dogs, we have sadly learned these in the last few months of working in this area. And remember, this lost Doodle could as easily be yours:

1. Microchips are not always read or wanded at shelters or Veterinarians when a new dog appears and/or dog and new owner arrives for a Veterinarian appointment.
2. Not all "wands" read all microchips. Do your homework.
3. Microchips migrate (check yours every time you visit your Vet or you change Veterinarians). Know its location.
4. If you have a payment plan for your microchip, pay it!
5. Consider a tatoo with your Veterinarian's phone number;
ear flap or inside upper rear leg of dog. Perhaps while
dog has other surgery like spay and neuter. A tag, too.
6. Keep current at least two photographs of your dog. One a good head shot from the front, the other a full body photo.
7. Know how to find the links at the bottom of the Lost and Found page of The Doodle Messenger and develop an emergency plan you can immediately put in place if your Doodle goes missing. See if your local animal services/control AND local Humane Society also has listings and photographs of Lost dogs in your area and get to them quickly.
8. Forget trying to reach most town, city, or county shelters after five in the afternoon or before 8 in the morning. We imagine there must be millions of animals in shelters with no human being at night to look after them, this is worrisome enough. Speak with the "right" person.
9. If you have a shelter with a night drop box, drive by if you are passing at night and see if people are leaving or taking dogs! Call the police if you see something unusual.
10. Unexpected "bolting" of a Doodle appears to be more common in Loss of a Doodle than any other reason. Keep windows, doors, and gates shut and locked. Get a little paranoid if you have to!
11. Make sure the Doodle's collar and tags are sturdy, change the collar if it appears frayed or loose.
12. We have promised the Shaw family in Canada that we would post thier concern for themselves and express it to all of you. When you leave your dog in the care of someone, whether a day or a week or longer, make sure the person has all of the safety issues above available and has thoroughly dog proofed their home, AND, they feel from this brutal experience the best place for a Doodle is a location like your Veterinarian or boarding kennel where there are lock-able large cages and a basically escape proof environment rather than a run-free home of a friend or acquaintance. They are convinced their Coal jumped out an open window in search of them. And they last saw Coal two months ago.
13. Keep a written description of your dog, any identifying marks, coat type, how the tail is held, training words known-one paragraph that describes how your Doodle looks and acts. Change it as necessary, but keep it with your important papers for immediate use if necessary.

While we could have placed this information on The Messenger itself, we felt it was too important to not share and discuss among all of the Doodle forum readers. Please spread the word as you can by any and all e-mails for these lost Doodles, and create a family plan for yourself in the event this happens to you.

The Founders Board is working on a policy statement to go to all Veterinarian Boards and the major organizations in this Country that deal with canines, shelters and rescues with regard to mandatory wanding and proof of record keeping in this regard. We will let you know when it is complete because we will need your help in encouraging this into law in this Country.

Thank you for reading and understanding what we have encountered in helping families with lost Doodles, AND, send your e-mails as you check the Messenger at least weekly for updates on those Lost and Found. Five of us cannot do this alone, we need your help, and so do the owners.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thank you, I will save this information as well as sending it to all of my dog-owning friends.

[Deirdre]

Thank you, great information. I have a secret word for "lie down" if Gus is ever lost and found or in a shelter it's a way of indentifying him. When I picked him up from the Vet after his x-rays the vet tech said "you know you might want to get him into some training classes he doesn't seem to know how to lie down on command" I looked at him used my secret word and down he went! I did apologize for not informing them of the "word" it now in his file. He is chipped this is just an added measure

[Dr. Judith P. LaVorgna]

Wow, that's smart. Never thought of that, never saw any suggestion for that. Keep reminding people who are training dogs. Fabulous idea. Right now my colleagues on the Founders Board are "mad" at me for making the post so long...they are probably right (I love them, they love me, we all work well together). Thank you for reading and for the idea. As the neighborhood kids here who hang out with my Doods say, "That's hot!" :)

[shelly]

What a great idea!! Kind of like a secret code word we teach our kids in case anyone ever tries to say their mother or father sent them to pick them up...

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thanks.

[Deirdre]

Guess I've always been an overly protective mom. If you have 2 dogs make sure it's the same secret word. It can be for anything you want to train them to do "look up" use sky, clouds, sun etc. I started Gus with his secret word when he was 10 weeks old. It's also Bears secret word. I learned this about 30 yrs ago in training with my first GR before the internet and rescue, made since to me.