Bollinger County Stray Project

Report for Dec. 23 to 30

Your dog disappears. Maybe for a half day, a full day or several days. It happens to a high percentage of dog owners.

Thoughts race through your head. Is your dog hurt or stolen? Was it killed by coyotes or that big cat you heard was in the area?

Someone in our area also shoots dogs. We know that after what happened to Cooper, the Great Pyrenees, a few weeks ago.

One of our dogs (pet of the week) has been missing since Dec. 28. My husband adores this dog. He is restless and worried to death about this white Lab, or Lab-mix, that was named Tank by his former owners, who abandoned him and a Basset-mix.

Tank was a jerk of a dog when he first came here and was still intact. He was a bully of a dog that enjoyed picking on every other dog, especially the poor Basset-mix he came with.

I wondered. Who names a dog Tank that weighs only 50 pounds soaking wet? The dog would not listen, and for sure would not listen to being named anything else, so I called him Tank You Ain't.

Imagine a dog that walked around with a grudge and a facial expression that showed a hateful bossy eye, like he was a prisoner with a grudge on all his inmates, two- and four-legged.

Then one day a female almost twice his size had enough of his bossy behavior and took him to the ground so fast he didn't know what hit him. She whacked him! She just stood over him as he was lying on his back, showing his belly and peeing on himself, scared to death to make a move. Eventually, she walked away; and when he got up, I swear she had neutered him a second time. He was a bully no more!

Honestly, the expression in his eyes changed. It was like he had retired from a job he never really liked. Free, free, free at last!

He was free to be nice, and it was wonderful that he seemed to enjoy being nice. We grew to love this dog that no one had wanted before, and Michael wanted to keep him.

So, now Tank He Ain't is missing, and we sure do want him back. He is comfortable here, and we are not at peace without him.

Dogs held for other rescues:

• McCloud Trout, a black-and-tan hound-mix, is still here.

Returned to owner, placed in other rescues, foster or adopted:

• None.

Dogs with erlichia, special needs or euthanized:

• No dogs; however, a coyote shot in the county was covered in mange. It might be the contagious type since several people said they have seen mangy coyotes. If you shot such an animal, dispose of it in a hole and then cover the hole, or burn it to stop the mange from spreading. Check "What's Happening In Bollinger County" (posted Dec. 21) for details on the location where the coyote was shot. It was close to (and growled at) the property owner. Discuss with children to be leery of such a strange-looking animal. The property owner did not know it was a coyote because it had lost most of its fur.

Lost and found animals in area:

• Small female dog, either pregnant or just had pups, is missing in the village of Zalma.
• Several dogs that are found or missing are listed on our Facebook page and also the two Bollinger County "What's Happening" pages. Don't have FB? Then call us so we can try to match lost pets.

Miscellaneous and contact info:

We were caring for 19 dogs and pups at our home Dec. 30. If you have a stray camping out in the yard, don't wait. Call us at (573) 722-3035 or (573) 321-0050.

MARILYN NEVILLE is director of Bollinger County Stray Project.