That's the question, and one raised by a Yahoo article about a woman and her missing mini Pincher. How far would you go to find your animal companion? (If you're in a hurry, just skip to the last paragraph, and how you can help find Maddox.)
If you live in or around OK City, please share, RT, '+' or what have you. And if you don't, what the heck, maybe you know someone that does.
If you're of the mind that a "pet" is just an animal, you can move along, because this article is not for you. It's not that I dislike you or your mindset, I just don't understand it. I don't understand how a creature that obviously has feelings and intelligence, laced with a bit of primal emotions, can be looked down upon as "just an animal." Just because they don't talk doesn't make them less of a living entity than you or I.
Our "pets," or furry family members (FFMs?) are much like the children of a family. Even though they can't speak, they show things in other ways.
Sure, some animals aren't that bright. I have a cat that would probably walk into a burning building to see what's up. But then again, I've watched people evacuate a building because of a bomb scare and then stand around outside the front lobby door. So there's no difference there.
And I find it amazing that my ACD can watch something and learn how it works with one viewing. Or that he has associated words and deeds without training him. He's learned things faster than some people I know.
And the emotions they have aren't random. My ACD knows when he's done something wrong. He knows when someone gets injured. He knows what to do in each situation, or at least what he thinks he can do. All without being trained for it.
But this woman in the Yahoo article says it all.
She was worried about leaving her FFM with someone. Folks mean well, but not all animal owners have the same regard for precaution as others.
I am hyper careful when it comes to how I do things around my dog. I can't see any general pet-sitter being the same way. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "He just got out!" While leaving out the catch phrase, while I stood there with the door open. (Last week I returned a lost dog to its owner. I rescued him from the middle of a very busy street. When I got him home, the owner called him over to him and left him to sit in the front yard. When I asked if he should put his adventurous puppy inside, he said, "No, he'll be fine." Are you f*ing kidding me? I just saved him from playing in traffic over a mile away, but the moron says "he'll be fine.")
In this woman's case, she did choose to leave her pet with a friend. She went against her own instincts and now she's paying the price no "pet owner" should ever have to deal with. Never mind that animal's personal, harrowing experience right now.
She left her mini pincher, Maddox, with a neighbor and within the day, Maddox escaped. The woman cancelled her vacation and has gone on leave from her job to find her life-long friend. She's taken several extraordinary measures, and yet, 80+ days later, she's still without her FFM.
On the bright side, she's helped locate several other mini pinchers and the Maddox is microchipped! (If he can be caught.)
This is a horribly sad event. I helped search for a dog in the foothills of my local region a few years ago, spending whole days in the countryside hiking and trying to track down a lost dog, but to no avail. It's frustrating for me, and for how his humans must be feeling. I can't imagine how I'd feel if my buddy got out.
Here's how we can help...
I'm going to add a real crazy thought... folks between OKC and his home in CA should keep a look out. There have been stories of dogs that have traveled great distances to get home. My grandmother forgot her cat one summer when she headed to her summer vacation house. The cat traversed the land from Providence Rhode Island and found its way to Leeds, ME. My jaw dropped when I saw this cat come limping up the driveway a few weeks into the summer season. So nothing is improbable!!!
If you live in or around OK City, please share, RT, '+' or what have you. And if you don't, what the heck, maybe you know someone that does.
If you're of the mind that a "pet" is just an animal, you can move along, because this article is not for you. It's not that I dislike you or your mindset, I just don't understand it. I don't understand how a creature that obviously has feelings and intelligence, laced with a bit of primal emotions, can be looked down upon as "just an animal." Just because they don't talk doesn't make them less of a living entity than you or I.
Our "pets," or furry family members (FFMs?) are much like the children of a family. Even though they can't speak, they show things in other ways.
Sure, some animals aren't that bright. I have a cat that would probably walk into a burning building to see what's up. But then again, I've watched people evacuate a building because of a bomb scare and then stand around outside the front lobby door. So there's no difference there.
And I find it amazing that my ACD can watch something and learn how it works with one viewing. Or that he has associated words and deeds without training him. He's learned things faster than some people I know.
And the emotions they have aren't random. My ACD knows when he's done something wrong. He knows when someone gets injured. He knows what to do in each situation, or at least what he thinks he can do. All without being trained for it.
But this woman in the Yahoo article says it all.
She was worried about leaving her FFM with someone. Folks mean well, but not all animal owners have the same regard for precaution as others.
I am hyper careful when it comes to how I do things around my dog. I can't see any general pet-sitter being the same way. I can't tell you how many times I've heard, "He just got out!" While leaving out the catch phrase, while I stood there with the door open. (Last week I returned a lost dog to its owner. I rescued him from the middle of a very busy street. When I got him home, the owner called him over to him and left him to sit in the front yard. When I asked if he should put his adventurous puppy inside, he said, "No, he'll be fine." Are you f*ing kidding me? I just saved him from playing in traffic over a mile away, but the moron says "he'll be fine.")
In this woman's case, she did choose to leave her pet with a friend. She went against her own instincts and now she's paying the price no "pet owner" should ever have to deal with. Never mind that animal's personal, harrowing experience right now.
She left her mini pincher, Maddox, with a neighbor and within the day, Maddox escaped. The woman cancelled her vacation and has gone on leave from her job to find her life-long friend. She's taken several extraordinary measures, and yet, 80+ days later, she's still without her FFM.
On the bright side, she's helped locate several other mini pinchers and the Maddox is microchipped! (If he can be caught.)
This is a horribly sad event. I helped search for a dog in the foothills of my local region a few years ago, spending whole days in the countryside hiking and trying to track down a lost dog, but to no avail. It's frustrating for me, and for how his humans must be feeling. I can't imagine how I'd feel if my buddy got out.
Here's how we can help...
"For now, she's relying on determination and the help of strangers to bring Maddox home. If you'd like to help, check out his Facebook and Twitter accounts or his website Bring Maddox Home. Best of luck!"PS:
I'm going to add a real crazy thought... folks between OKC and his home in CA should keep a look out. There have been stories of dogs that have traveled great distances to get home. My grandmother forgot her cat one summer when she headed to her summer vacation house. The cat traversed the land from Providence Rhode Island and found its way to Leeds, ME. My jaw dropped when I saw this cat come limping up the driveway a few weeks into the summer season. So nothing is improbable!!!
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