If you have been reading for any given time you would know my love for hiking. Basically the outdoors in general. I spend a great deal of time when the weather is nice hiking, camping or just being outside.
I stayed with the dog until the owners came, they got lost a few times and called me back a few times. I had to hold on to his collar because the pup obviously wanted to walk. The husband and wife came up to me and the dog got very excited. They had another dog with them as well. The husband tried to give me $20 for lunch but I politely refused. I know if it was Seamus I would be besides myself and would want someone to help.
A good PSA is to make sure your pet has an ID tag with a number to call in an emergency. I know Seamus has gotten loose a time or two where it would be helpful, though I was always chasing behind him calling his name and cursing.
Are you considering doing your own Act of Kindness? If not, what is stopping you? Grab a button if you would like to spread the word. The change that we seek in others has to first come from within. This year I hope you decide to Be the Change You Seek.
I am also Guest Posting over at Cupcakes and Crossbones with a Summer Strawberry Salad recipe so head on over for a peak.
sso glad this story had a happy ending!! charlie got loose once. i had a friend dog sitting him, and her dog and charlie escaped through the fence. luckily, they live in a cul de sac and were found down the road by a neighbor, who’s a vet! let me tell you that was not a call i wanted to get while on vacation!
Oh no, poor Charlie and you, for I am sure being terrified. Dogs can be escape artists for sure. I am glad they were caught and by a vet no less.
My act of kindness this week was helping an older gentleman that couldn’t get around very well on his own. He could barely stand in his own, so I let him “cut” the line in front of me, and then told him to take a seat, and when his order was ready I would bring it to him…nothing grand…but even a little something to help someone else out, does my heart good.
That was so nice of you! Yes it is the small kindnesses that seem to be lost that we need to bring back!
In my old neighborhood, I was forever returning dogs to people. I’m nosy so I knew which dog belonged to which owners even without their collars. There was one dog that deserved so much better than the people gave him that I told my husband we were keeping him if he got out one more time. Just thinking about it makes me so angry.
My guys typically don’t wear their name tags (actually, I think they need new ones) but they are microchipped. If we’re in a park or something, they will have their tags.
I love that you did this. Most people would be too afraid or not care or would take out their phones to take a picture and post something scorning the owners no social media ( “can you believe someone let this dog go”) instead of doing something about it.
That would make me angry too! In my Dad’s neighborhood this woman never realized when he dog got loose and unfortunately didn’t have a happy ending one time. Seamus is microchipped and licensed in my town but not on his collar, though I will be getting one now.
I think volunteering at the shelter and dealing with so many dogs over 2-1/2 years no dog scares me unless they are really aggressively growling. How horrible to think people wouldn’t help, if you have a dog it more likely has happened at least once so no shaming needed. Mistakes happen.
Twice Oliver has gotten loose (once while I was walking him on the leash and once he ran out of the house). Both times I was so panicked that I’d never find him or worse, he’d get hit by a car. So terrifying for a pet owner so I’m really glad you were able to reunite the dog with its owner.
-Sharon
The getting hit part is so terrifying! I was just glad I happened to walk by as he was just chillin in the stream to help! Glad Oliver wasn’t too hard to catch.
I’m so glad you found him and returned him to owners who were truly concerned! We caught a dog in our neighborhood once who had a half-torn leash. Another neighbor said that it belonged on another street, so as we headed that way and ran into the family looking for it. The little girl was so happy but the dad almost looked annoyed that the poor thing was returned. I hated to leave the poor thing with that guy but what can you do? I had no way of knowing (though the torn leash was troubling…)
Oh that is horrible. Yeah you have to give the dog back but it is hard, it would seem like he left the dog out too long and it took off on purpose. How sad. 🙁
He looks like such a sweet dog! That’s awesome that he had tags with the proper contact information! I’ve been seriously jonesin’ for a dog lately but have to wait until we move into a different apartment first :\ Trying to be patient!
He was so sweet and very gentle. It is so hard being patient!! I want a second dog but I don’t think my house is right for two dogs right now. Waiting is never fun!
I’m so glad you found his mom and dad!! I’m also glad he let you get close enough to him so you could see his tags. I see dogs roaming around my complex all the time, but they’re timid and won’t let me get close. I always wonder what happens to them.
He was a very calm and friendly dog. It took forever to see the number under all the fur! Hopefully they all got back home. 🙁 Seamus doesn’t do well with strangers so he would never let a stranger catch him, it actually took Animal Control 4 DAYS to catch him when he made it to the shelter before I adopted him. Though he will run for awhile then sit when he’s tired and wants me to catch him. 😉
So true!! I can’t imagine how frantic they were!! Luckily their pup was encountered by one of the nicest people on earth 🙂
Awww you are too kind. I just did what I would have wanted someone else to do. Thank you. 🙂
Today, before Tabata this old lady locked her keys in her car.. but her window was just open enough for me to shimmy in and unlock the doors.
Act of Kindness for the day DONE.. ALSO… I’m a superhero!
hahaha.
Today is TWIT Thursday.. come check it out!
That was so nice that you stopped to help her. That always frustrates me so I am sure she was very grateful. Yeah for long and slender arms, those workouts are paying off! 😉
Awesome, Kerry! I know I’d be a mess if I lost either of my dogs. Glad you could help the owners find their “baby” <3
Thank you. I was glad I was in the right place at the right time.
I do not know what I would do If I lost my puppies!!! When my husband and I first moved into our house our beagle managed to get out. We were walking around the neighborhood screaming her name for a good 20 minutes before I decided to head back to the house and get my car to see if she went further…when I got home she was sitting on the front porch like ‘where the hell have you been?!’ little brat…lol
Haha! Oh my goodness! What a heart stopping moment. Love that she went back to the house, but so scary for you.
I stop for any and every dog I even think might be lost. I always have treats on me, and the most random thing – if you calmly say SIT very loud, most dogs will do it! Even the runners! And they’ll usually come over because they want to see Hawkeye. All the ones I’ve gotten have been neighborhood dogs, either backyard escape artists or the owner is running around the streets already yelling for them so it’s been easy to reunite them. And Hawkeye doesn’t stray from me, so I can always take her leash off and put it around the lost pup. I would hate for a dog to get hit by a car 🙁
It was crazy but this one just stood there looking at me. He was very calm. That is a very good tip though. Yes, I don’t take Seamus there because there is too much for him to get excited about and I would be frantic if he pulled to hard and got away from me. So glad you help when you can or see a lost pup.
They were lucky it was you who found the pup and not someone who might try and sell it. I have heard of that awfulness happening. As usual, you are the change!
People would actually try and sell it?! What, that is crazy. Thank you.
Bleesssss your heart girl. Oh my goodness I would have offered up my whole life’s savings if someone found my lost furbabies. It’s SOOO important to have the necessary info on them at all times!! Good karma girl. All day long. 😀
They tried to give me money but just being able to reunite them was enough for me. Furbabies are so important to us, so just paying it forward is enough.
We always stop for dogs on roads and busy streets and call their owners if there is a tag. Once, we brought two filthy wet dogs into our HOUSE and called their owner. He said, “Oh, yeah they got out this afternoon. I can come get them. Let me finish cooking and eating dinner and then I’ll be over.” I was so mad. If it were me, I’d be excited to get my dog back. But I’d also go ASAP to not inconvenience them with my dogs. Not to mention, I told him they were dirty and wet. Apparently he didn’t care. He rang our doorbell an hour later and took them and all he said was “I hope they learned their lesson.” Not even a thank you. I feel bad that those dogs had him as an owner.
That is horrible, sounds like he couldn’t be bothered!! Seamus is my baby as I know your are to you! I would be frantic! Hate to see owners that are so ambivalent!
I will always try to stop and corral a dog that’s on the loose. I’m glad you did and that you got in touch with his owners so quickly.
Our dogs don’t wear collars because of their throats, so if they got out it would suck. But our whole neighborhood knows them.
It is good your neighbors know them! Seamus is a runner so I always worry! They were so close but looking all over. The dog probably wouldn’t fit in my car it was so huge!!
When you dog gets loose, it is the scariest thing ever! You just want them back safe and sound, so I can only imagine this couples gratitude towards you to stay there with the dog until they had him! My Gracie has a microchip, but unless you are a pet owner, you don’t think about having them scanned if you find a dog. Having some way to get a hold of you is certainly smart!
Yes most vets and shelters have scanners but if they get out an id tag is the best option for someone to get to you quickly!
Kerry, one thing I have noticed since you started doing this, is how “situations in need” come to you now. For instance, how you randomly stumbled upon that soldiers covered grave, and now this. You are such a special person, and it’s like this energy is coming back to you because you have such a heart to make it right. I love your stories so much about this.
Thank you! I think they do come to me but I think you have to have an open heart and eyes to see the opportunities to help!
Every time my dog makes “the great escape” I panic, if she would just learn to look both ways before crossing streets I’d be a lot less worried. I know those people were so happy to have their dog back.
It is so scary when they get out! They were so relieved, I was just glad I could help.
So glad you happened upon him! 😀
It was such a pretty dog too!!
So glad he had tags and that his owners answered!
Yes the tags really helped though I probably would have hung out at the enter above till they checked there! Yes, I’m crazy for dogs.
Aww, I’m so glad you were able to help that couple get their dog back! And so sweet of you to turn down the lunch money too 🙂 I love that you run after Seamus “calling his name and cursing”; Max has only run away from us once, but that was pretty much how I reacted haha. He’s usually SO good off leash and just wants to stay with us, but that time he saw a rabbit and chased after it. And of course, it was the one time that he was out without a collar on! The phone number is always a good idea.
Haha! Yes, the sheer fear just makes my mouth less polite! 😉 Yes, rabbits, squirrels and bird are free game. Always better to be more cautious and get them back safely.
awwww so happy that you found him and got him back to his owners. and this is a good reminder to get new tags for my dogs. they are indoors or in our yard most of the time but you never know!
Yes, mine is indoors too but you never know when something might catch their eye and they take off. Better safe than sorry.
I always have a collar on Weiser when we go somewhere, but he doesn’t always wear it at home, which is STILL a bad idea. He ran out the front door the other day, and my first thought was “Dang! He doesn’t have his collar on!” Great job girl!
Thank you. Yes, I don’t have a tag that has my number on it for Seamus so I need to get on it. Though he does have a chip and a Town registration ID tag but you just never know when they might see a squirrel and bolt!
Omg what an amazing story!! You did the right thing and am so happy the doggy was fortunate to have someone as kind as you to help him! Just recently my b.f was driving in our neighborhood and saw a wandering small dog. It was running up the street! After some investigating my b.f finally tracked the owner. My b.f then drove around to get it, put it in his car and drove it right back to its rightful owner. It turns out it slipped through the gate. Luckily my b.f had spotted him or he probably would have been lost for good! Great post Kerry!! 🙂 XO
Lisa,xo
Thank you. So glad he was able to find the owner. It can be so scary when our pups get out.