In October of 2014, my sister’s dog, Bandit went missing. I shared briefly about it on BTC that month. You can read that post HERE.
Since this month is Lost Pet Prevention month, I thought I’d share what I can remember about what happened to Bandit.
Bandit is lost.
My sister lives on 11 acres in New Hampshire. They have a turn out pen for the dogs, but some days, especially if my sister or brother-in-law are outside, they let the dogs out onto the property.
This particular day the three dogs (Bandit, JD, and Gordon) wandered out into the woods. Only two came back.
Delilah, Gordy (in the back) Sampson, Bandit and J.D.
What my sister thinks happened was Bandit got nailed by a porcupine, which sent him wildly running. He ended up about 1/2 mile down the road at a local farm, where the guys were out back shooting. The sound of the gun shots sent Bandit running even more.
That was the last anyone saw of him for 12 days.
As soon as my sister told me Bandit was missing, I started feeding her all the information I had about finding a lost dog. Most of which I’d learned from following Lady’s saga on No Dog About It Blog. (If you click HERE you will find a post that recaps ALL the posts pertaining to losing and finding Lady.)
About five days before Bandit was found, my sister and brother-in-law stopped by on their way to Florida. My sister and I were telling my brother-in-law that if he was found, Bandit might not recognize the immediately.
“Bullshit!” my BIL said, “I can’t believe a dog I’ve had for 12 years wouldn’t recognize me.”
My sister and I gave each that knowing look. 😉
My sister was sure that Bandit was gone for good. She lives in a very rural area, teeming with all kinds of predators.
I tried to reassure her that dogs can manage on their own for quite a while, and little dogs have the advantage of being able to hide in a hollow log, or under brush, etc.
Bandit is found.
On day 12, someone saw Bandit 10 miles from my sister’s house. The person who saw him, called his Dad who happened to know my BIL and called him. My BIL left work at a dead run and headed to the area where Bandit had been spotted.
As soon as he pulled up, he saw Bandit and got out of the car and called him. Bandit looked at him, turned and started trotting off. My BIL said he felt sick to his stomach, but he remembered what my sister had told him and he immediately dropped down onto the ground and calmly started talking to him. Bandit paused, listening, but it wasn’t until my BIL said the magic words of JD and Gordon that Bandit actually realized who he was. Then he came right up to him and my BIL took him strait to the vet’s office.
He’d been quilled, had lost about five pounds and was shaken up, but otherwise unharmed. He has some different anxiety issues, but otherwise, he seems to have recovered.
The best news, is he was found.
Tips if your dog goes missing.
- Contact animal control, the police and local veterinarians to get the word out.
- Make posters with key information about your dog. Include a current photo, names your pet answers to, coloring and distinguishing markings, indicate where they were lost, and what the circumstances are.
- Most states have a lost dog page on Facebook. Contact them, they may be able to help with posters, and searching. They will definitely be able to help spread the word.
- If possible, leave an article of clothing or something that smells like home in the area where your pet was lost.
- If you think your pet would go into a humane trap, check into getting one and leaving some food with the article of clothing in it in the area your dog was lost. Have someone check the trap three or four times per day.
- Never give up. Dogs can last a very long time on their own, and many of them are very resilient.
All month, the great folks at Pet Hub have been working with pet bloggers to get the word out about ways to prevent pets from getting lost, as well as wonderful tips for helping lost pets find their way home.
You can check out all the posts on their Facebook page.
This post is sponsored by PetHub, I have been compensated for participating in Lost Dog Prevention month, but I will never share information or products I don’t use myself.
What a story. Bandit is as tough as he looks. We love him.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
My mom is terrified at the thought of either of us running way. We lost a cat and never saw him again and that was bad enough. This is such a wonderful story with a great ending. We are so happy he was found and was alright after his issues were treated.
Oh, I remember this! That was a very, very long 12 days. Great reminder for all of us about what to do and not do.
While we all hope we will never need this kind of info, it’s great to have a lots of material on the topic!
It is truly amazing how resilient they can be. So glad he was found, and in pretty good condition.
I’m glad he was found okay. 5 pounds is a lot of weight for a small dog to lose!
Great tips! So glad they found him.
So glad Bandit was found. The most shocking thing I learned about lost dogs is how quickly many of them start to adopt “feral like” behaviors. It can make getting them back so much more challenging since many of them don’t approach strangers, and sometimes they’re even skittish around their owners. Once again I’m so glad he was found, it’s a heart wrenching experience that can make you feel so hopeless.
I think loosing a dog (as in actually lost) must be the worst thing a dog mum can go through. Not being with them to look after them, and make sure they are safe… So glad he was found.
Small dogs seem to have wild animal instincts that allow them to survive for surprisingly long times in the wilderness or in urban settings. “Found dog” are two of the most beautiful words in the language.
Quite an amazing story! Glad there was a happy ending (despite the porcupine encounter which probably wasn’t so happy) and that Bandit was reunited with his family. Despite it being one of those “oh my gawd” kind of panic moments, clear heads (and a bit of luck) seemed to win out. Yay! 😉
I know of some people, through Granite State Dog Recovery, in your sister’s area who lost their dog and he was never found. I can only imagine the horrible feeling when this happens, and I’m so glad it ended well for Bandit!
It can be great to look for a group like GSDR because so many people who have been through it are willing to help. They’ve had a lot of success with traps too but you have to have sightings for that to really work. Bandit really went far – it is amazing (and scary) how far dogs can go sometimes!
So wonderful and miraculous that he was found! A lost dog is one of my biggest fears. Great info!
Dogs can travel a far distance when lost. Years ago I lost a pet for 15 days, finally found her 12 miles away. She had been hit and killed by a car on the highway. I was always amazed how far she got.
I am sure glad Bandit was found. Isn’t it something how they forget you when they are gone? I remember when I picked Thunder up from the trainer where he had been out of state for about 6 weeks. He had no idea who I was. I do not think he got it until we turned onto our street.
12 days, wow I would be frantic. I’m so glad she got him back.
I remember this very well. As I was back then, I’m very happy Bandit was found and reunited with his family. I know it was a great relief for your sister and BIL!