During this recent COVID-19 crisis, many animals were lost and few have found their way back to their owners. A look at Facebook indicates how many grieving pet owners are trying to locate a missing pet.
With the stay-at-home rule, fewer people are driving about to see or notice a lost animal on the road or elsewhere. The shelters are closed to the public. So even if an animal is rescued by someone, there’s a question for many how to surrender it or if that’s the best way to find its owner.
My Australian shepherd Badger went missing on March 15. He managed to escape the house and I believe ran down our drive looking for our truck when we drove into Ignacio. We were gone less than an hour, and as soon as we returned and realized he was gone, began searching, phoning neighbors, driving up and down nearby roads, calling and looking. We notified shelters right away, put ads in the papers, put signs at intersections, posted on Facebook.
There has been no sign of our dog and no “found” report for eight weeks. I check every day and read sadly of many more lost dogs.
If you have found a pet you believe is lost, please try to find the owner. Notify shelters, post on social media with a photo, return to where it was found and look for signs or posters. No one needs additional grief right now.
Please help if you can.
Caryl Helmin-SchmidIgnacio
