Missing lgd

[Skiesblue]

I swear I saw a black jaguarundi 4 years ago.

 

[Carla D]

I swear I saw a black jaguarundi 4 years ago.

I’ve never heard of this animal before. I had to look them up. They are a bit elusive from what I can gather. Not many in the US. You got really lucky to have seen it.

 

[Dee Mini Pigs]

View attachment 55212 This guy (Sam) and his partner went missing a couple of mornings ago. Coyote(s)had dug under one of my fences and must have been confronted by the dogs and chased out thru the hole they dug. The dogs went all Rambo enlarging the hole and following. They chased the coyote(s) to a seasonal creek, lost them and meandered - all in the wee hours. We discovered and started searching with clues from our neighbors who didn’t recognize the dogs and didn’t call. The area is densely wooded and some is inaccessible. Today is day 3 and additional info had both dogs chasing a coyote 2 hours before partner came home injured. But no sign of Sam. I’ve papered the neighborhood with fliers, talked to lots of people, social media, shelters and vets. Front gate is open for him. It doesn’t look good but maybe he’ll beat the odds.

 

[Dee Mini Pigs]

Gday,
Did you ever find Sam? Where are you at now?

 

[Skiesblue]

No sign of Sam. We have at least 2 packs of coyotes in the vicinity according to neighbors. And six new lambs. One bottle baby who is a hoot. We continue to hope.

 

[Skiesblue]

I’ve never heard of this animal before. I had to look them up. They are a bit elusive from what I can gather. Not many in the US. You got really lucky to have seen it.

North Texas is north of its range. Wandering or escaped exotic? Years ago someone had African lions in the county. Wouldn’t want those out.

 

[Carla D]

North Texas is north of its range. Wandering or escaped exotic? Years ago someone had African lions in the county. Wouldn’t want those out.

No , I don’t think lions in Texas are a good idea. But everything in Texas grows bigger. A BIG kitty?

 

[Ridgetop]

I am so sorry about Sam. LGDs are efficient at their job and just running off a threat is not always enough. If the threat has been constant, often they will decide that permanent termination is needed. Luckily his partner returned, but if Sam were able he would have come back too. But the coyote pack is not the only reason he may not have been able to return home.

Three possibilities for Sam, one is sad and I don't have to tell you what that is, we experienced it with our old Pyr. The other two happened though - one to me, and the other to an acquaintance who runs a commercial sheep of several thousand merinos on a government lease. And the ending was happier.

These are long stories to take your mind off things and give you some hope.

Years ago, before microchip ID, our last LGD, Poppy went missing after an attack by a pack of wild dogs. 8 of them still lazing in the pasture in the am - took off when we brought out our rifles - DH hit one but unable to get more because of the proximity of neighboring house. It had been a wet winter and stormed that night. Lots of strays were escaping from yards when fences went down of=r washed out underneath We expected Poppy to return like all our Pyrs did, so did not advertise for the first day. The second day we went looking, climbed down in the gully and searched through the brush, etc. on foot hoping to find an injured but living dog. Or the alternative. No dog or remains. Saddled up and went through the surrounding hills since she might have been injured and unable to get home from farther away. Still no dog. We posted fliers and haunted the animal shelter. After a week we had just about given up on Poppy. Her mom had been killed by the same pack the previous year, and Poppy was the runt - only 70 lbs. - small for a Pyr. DS2 was working at the local grocery store. A lady came in and mentioned finding a "lost dog" during the storm. She had locked her up in her garage. She said the dog was a big, friendly, white female with an ear infection. Because the dog was wet and muddy, wandering in storm with an ear infection, she thought the owners had abandoned her. She had wanted to keep her but was now rethinking it. DS2 immediately recognized Poppy and got the woman's phone number. After arguing with the finder over the phone about identification, I finally convinced the finder that Poppy was ours and I had photos, her ear prescription, etc., proving it. The lady agreed to bring Poppy to our house so she could judge whether poppy was actually ours or not. She also said the dog would not eat, would barely drink water, and had not defecated at all in the past week. She had tied her to the big wooden tool bench in her garage and poppy had "eaten the tool bench leg off" to get loose. This was why she had decided not to keep our dog. When she and her friend arrived at our house I came out through the gate to meet them. She had Poppy on a rope and as soon as Poppy's feet hit the ground she tore free and raced past me into the yard and out onto the field where she immediately pooped! She had apparently been holding it in a strange place for a week! After roving that the dog was ours (Poppy was still on the field doing her rounds) I paid the lady for the vet bill for the ear, explained about the nature of LGDs, thanked her profusely and sent her on her way. I still wonder at her thinking she could just keep a stray dog without looking for the owners.

First story, happy ending.

Second story, Ben runs several thousand head of sheep in the hills above Bakersfield on government lease. He and his shepherds go up in trailers, and live with the sheep and his dogs - he has about 10 - 15 Pyrs which run loose in the mountains with the sheep for obvious reasons. One year his best dog, a big male, disappeared. As usual with LGDs protecting a large flock, Ben and his men figured they just had missed seeing him for several days. After a week, Ben drove down the mountain to place a lost ad in the paper. The dog did not turn up. At the end of the season, Ben brought the sheep down from the mountains, with the remaining dogs. About a week after he returned home an acquaintance called and said that he had been 50 miles up the valley on business and heard the local shelter had a large Pyr that hadn't been claimed. The shelter figured it belonged to a local rancher and had ket it longer than they were supposed to expecting it to be claimed. One of the workers liked the dog so much she had decided to adopt him if necessary. Apparently some hikers had found the dog doing his rounds (we all know how far out Pyrs designate their "safe' zone") caught him and taken him home with them, thinking he was lost. After posting an ad in their local paper they had finally turned the dog into the shelter. Since the ads were so far apart neither saw the other's ad. 50 miles from where he went missing, the dog was recovered.

If your dog is friendly to strangers when off his property, and had access anywhere to a road, some one may have picked him up thinking he was lost. Most people don't know anything about LGDs and if they come across them out of sight of a house think they must be lost. There is still hope. Otherwise, listen to your husband. Our dog work for us, love us, and often lay down their lives for us. It is why we have them, and not all of them can survive to retire. They would not be happy that way anyway. I am so sorry.

 

[Skiesblue]

Thanks for the stories. One my dogs is from an urban rescue that had knew nothing about LGDs. They did try to locate an owner with no success. So I have somebody’s LGD maybe Sam caught a break. Who knows?

 

[Ridgetop]

Let's hope so.