Snowman, Sweet Pea, and Disasters

Snowman, the lost Great Pyrenees, never had anyone call to claim him. He is now up to date on his shots, is neutered and this week had his treatment for heart worms. He is no longer a Silverwalk dog but a National Great Pyrenees Rescue dog (I just happen to be fostering him). He'll come home from the vet tomorrow and then, if all goes well, should be available for adoption on the NGPR site in about a month or so. As you can see in the the top left photo of the collage, he and the very youngest Silverwalk dog get along just fine.

Sweet Pea has completely recovered from parvo - and is the most energetic puppy I've known; more so than Margie, who came to me about the same age. Sweet Pea had her first puppy shots, will get her second set in a couple weeks, then her third with her rabies and spay - after her spay, she, too, will be available for adoption. This is a smart wee Beagle with a very good nose!

It was brought to my attention via some comments to the Lost Dog entry that not only do we in this area need to consider all dogs "lost" but also whether or not they may be "lost" from the tornadoes in Joplin, MO and now Harrisburg, IL.  I've heard of dogs adopted after Katrina, then found by their original owners whose adopters refused to return them. I won't do that; were I to find and adopt a dog who could later be proved to belong to someone who lost everything, I would return that dog quickly and with gratitude, happy to keep her safe for her true owner.

So, new caveat - check out the Facebook pages for lost pets from both Joplin and Harrisburg. There are several and not all dogs & cats may be listed. As for me, I'm on a mission to microchip all my dogs, personal and rescue; I want others to know from where they came and to whom they need to return; collars can be pulled off un- and intentionally.  My expectation of every shelter and pound is they all will check for and act on microchips. If they don't have a scanner, vets will check chips for free, too.

Be sure to register your microchipped dog so they come back to you. You need to do this even if the shelter or rescue from whom you adopt them is the one who microchipped them.

Watch, check and be alert to lost dogs who may be from disaster...they may be the only "thing" left for a beloved family who lost all else.