Maynard, an 8 year old Mastiff mix, was turned into the Erath County Humane Society shelter in Stephenville, Texas, 3 weeks before Christmas. He was very emaciated. The shelter manager scanned the dog for a micochip and got a number. She tried to trace it via telephone, but didn't have any luck for days. There just didn't seem to be a record of the dog anywhere.
So she asked me (I'm the vice president of the Erath County Humane Society) if I can help her track down the owner online since the shelter doesn't have a computer.
I managed to get a hit at the Austin TLAC Rescue Office. Thank you Kathryn!!! From then on the 2 Yahoo Groups (tlacrescue and centraltexasrescue) took over and before I knew it, there was more information available. What a networking! Thank you so much to everybody who got involved!
All traces ended with Charlyne's Pound Puppies where Susan ended up finding a record of the microchip number, the date he was adopted out and to whom!
In the meantime, Maynard's last day was nearing at the shelter. There is only so much room and funds available and Maynard was kept longer than usual already. So I decided to foster him at least over Christmas and try to find him a home. But it never came down to that.
Thanks to Susan who made a few phone calls, Maynard's original owner called. She explained that she had gone through some hard times nearly three years back and had given the dog to her parents for a short while. Until then the dog had lived with them, slept in bed with her 2 children who grew up with him and loved him with all their hearts.
When the time came to retrieve the dog, he turned up missing. After months and months of putting out flyers and making endless phone calls, they presumed him dead. They believed that he must have eaten some of the poison the neighbor had put out for the coyotes.
So imagine when she received the phone call that her dog was found alive and well. A little bit thin, but that's nothing that can't be changed. What greater Christmas miracle is there?
So please, microchip your pets! Activate that chip too! Read the description that comes with the chip!
And also go to the next shelter, make a donation or adopt a pet if you happen to be planning to purchase one. Don't buy - adopt! Too many pets are losing their homes in these hard times and the donations at the shelters are down. It's the dogs and cats that are paying with their lives. They give us so much, it's time to give back!
Happy Holidays!
