Last week an overseas dog newly arrived in the UK was lost and found tragically killed on railway tracks. This poor dog was from Cyprus but this story is not unusual amongst dogs from overseas, too many sadly go missing within a very short period of time of their arrival in the UK to live with their new owners and next week there will be another tragic story.
Photo courtesy of Kabul Small Animal Rescue
But these are tragedies that can be avoided by some simple safety precautions carried out by rescues and owners, unfortunately even when rescues do stipulate certain criteria they are often ignored by owners and things like this latest case happen. As someone involved in an overseas rescue (www.warpaws.org) and have been for a number of years I can't tell you how frustrating, depressing and so very sad it is when our advice based on experience of ourselves and similar rescues is ignored by owners or dog walkers in some cases who think they know better.
Sadly not all rescues are responsible but a good one will provide certain instructions to new owners to care for their dogs and how to keep them safe on arrival and for several weeks. This latest case in question like so many other times before, the dog had only been in the UK a couple of weeks and was let off the lead, the lost dog pictures showed a dog displaying a nervous stature and hardly surprising it bolted. A lot of people were out searching for this dog however, the owners actually gave up and the search was coordinated by some very kind people several sightings were found of the dog but it was moving around and ultimately this beautiful girl - lets call her Star unfortunately found her way onto the railway tracks and was tragically killed.
The people who searched collected Star and have arranged a cremation for her and a memorial, things that a loving owner should have done but unfortunately it's left to people who never knew the dog in life but care and are saddened by what has happened and so Star is loved by so many people who never met her.
I wish this story was unusual but it's not as the owner of three overseas rescues and a trustee for a charity working with dogs overseas I hear an awful lot about dogs going missing and also what rescues go through. Now there are some really bad rescues but there are some really good ones too but the crux of the matter is overseas dogs are different to domestically bred dogs and this is frequently overlooked. These overseas rescues are generally dogs from the streets or who have been abandoned by hunters their whole involvement with humans is different, in some cases they have an inherent distrust of humans because of what happened with perhaps dog catchers on the streets or they may have suffered trauma by being caught on the street.
And don’t forget some unscrupulous rescues are akin to puppy farmers by just picking dogs off the streets that don't want to be rescued who are not suited for domestic life. These dogs are then suddenly transported hundreds of miles away from where they are familiar into a setting that is so alien to them and they can't cope and the first opportunity they have to escape they will do exactly that!
- On transferring from transport to your vehicle use a Y shaped harness that fits well and collar and 2 leads this is crucial to prevent Houdini type dogs escaping, a slip lead is useful as the 2nd lead for this reason.
- Use a tracker, I like Tractive trackers attached to the dog for at least the first week just in case, although the clips are useless so do utilise gaffer tape to affix to a collar. This is not a tool to use instead of a good recall! >>>>>> Tractive
- The dog should not be let off the lead for weeks if not months until you have built a solid recall and tested it in a secure field - some of these dogs have a real desire to roam and so off-lead may never be possible and it is important to bare that in mind - I know my 2 legged dog if he had 3 legs would never be let off the lead as he has wanderlust but I can run faster!
- Fences in garden minimum 5ft and higher is better - make sure there are no holes and check frequently and ensure patio furniture is not in a position to use as a spring board to get over a fence.
- For the first few days take the dog into the garden on a long line for extra security and so you can assess them.
- Make sure all gates and doors are locked and visitors adhere to this strictly too
- Let the dog decompress before taking it out for socialising - this will depend on the history of the dog which a good rescue should be able to give you at least info how they came to acquire the dog. But if you don’t have info best to err on the side of caution and leave it a few weeks until the dog is comfortable in the home and building a bond with you.
- A harness and a double ended lead is added security when going for a walk and utilise long lines when you do eventually (if you do) let the dog off the lead but keep in mind point 3 - still needs a solid recall.
- Make sure the microchip is registered with you and the dog has a tag on the collar too.
- Finally, if you are in the worrying position of the dog going missing - stay in the area - dogs will often return to the last location - register your dog on www.doglost.co.uk and on Drone SAR For Lost Dogs on Facebook - there is an amazing crowd of people who will help but prevention is always the best option.
For Star, may you shine so bright and know that there are so many people who will never forget you.
Run Free at Rainbow Bridge xxx