Dogs Finding Dogs Tracking Stories - Dog Tales (Cat Tales)
Walker's Story
Walker for what ever reason, probably nature, jumped a vulnerable part of our fence when our backs were turned and ran away. We did not know which way to turn. We made up a few flyers, signs for posts and contacted the Humane Society. Then Anne from Dogs Finding Dogs contacted us. Over the next two weeks we spent time with Anne and Janel following the trained noses of Heidi and Lee each time that there was a Walker sighting. All of a sudden, sightings of Walker stopped coming in. On July 3, we received a call that Walker had been found. Tragically though, he was found lying between the North and Southbound rails of the Baltimore Light rail. We positively identified him and completed our goal of bringing him home on July 4, 2009. While we are extremely saddened and heartbroken by the loss of our dear, funny, energetic and tenacious friend, we can thank Walker for being the catalyst to gaining two new friends, Anne and Janel and their faithful companions Heidi and Lee of Dogs Finding Dogs.
The Walker Fund was initiated by Paul and Betsy Marchand of Finksburg, MD in honor of their dog Walker. This fund was set up to help offset the costs of our services for pet owners who could otherwise not afford it. Click here for the entire Heart Warming Story of Walker and how the Walker Fund began. If you are interested in helping continue The Walker Fund, please contact us.
- Paul & Betsy Marchand in Finksburg, MD
Lucy the Pug Stolen and Returned After Tracking Dog Puts on the Heat!
This letter is being written to tell everyone that using a tracking dog is a wonderful idea! My dog Lucy got away from my boyfriend by accident when he fell while he was walking her. We live in a apartment and across the street from us are townhomes. I could not find Lucy so I found Dogs Finding Dogs on the web. I called them and Anne and Heidi, her K9, came out to track. Heidi led us across the street and behind a group of townhomes. As we got closer to one we heard a dog barking on the back deck. It sounded like Lucy. As we got closer we saw Lucy! They quickly scurried her inside. At the exact back of the house Heidi alerted and said that this was the place. We knocked on the front door to a very scared lady. She refused to give us Lucy back. The police were called. After we left and within 2 hours these people were spotted dropping Lucy off in a nearby Pizza Hut parking lot. We were called and got her back home! If it were not for Heidi we would have never found her. They were going to keep Lucy! I am so very thankful!
- Steph in Crownsville, MD (June, 2010)
Chihuahua Survives 100 degree Temps
On 6/22/10 my little chihuahua, Gracie, escaped out of the front door when my husband left for work in the morning. When I noticed she was gone that evening, I immediatley called the Humane Society to see if anyone had turned her in. They said no one had, but I should call Dogs finding Dogs and Findtoto.com. I called DFD first and within 10 minutes someone called me back and not only gave me advice on ways to help find her. We did findtoto.com and within 5 minutes my phone was ringing with calls from neighbors who had seen her throughout the day sleeping in people's yards, walking in the middle of the road, and running from good Samaritans that were trying to catch her. Dogs Finding Dogs came out and brought a tracking hound named Walker. They immediately put Walker to work trying to find Gracie. They and my husband searched for hours, often close on her trail. Unfortunately it got very late and very dark and little Gracie was no where to be found. They had to reluctantly give up their search for the night, but promised to be back the next day to start a search all over again. My husband and I decided to go back out one last time. We drove up and down the same streets we had been searching all night and turned down one last dirt road to see if by the grace of God she was there. We were so relieved to see her at that very moment walking down a little one lane road right about to enter the woods! We got our little girl back and she is in good shape! Our little hero survived 17 hours of extreme heat and dehydration. We truly believe that if Dogs Finding Dogs had not come out to help us, we never would have found Gracie. Their search dog Walker had been in that area right before we stopped for the night, and it was Dogs Finding Dogs that suggested we come back out one last time to look for her. We are so thankful for getting little Gracie back safely!
- Julie in Towson, MD (June, 2010)
Best Friends Fur Ever Calls DFD on Behalf of Pet Owner
My Dog Sophie, a Chocolate Lab, and a very intricate part of my family had ran off and got lost..so I searched for her on my own for 2 hours, went to the humane society to no avail, fortunately on my way home I stopped at Best Friends Fur Ever in Joppa, Maryland. This place is awesome, they actually showed heart felt concern and got right on the phone and called Dogs Finding Dogs for me. The 2 girls from DFD, Ashley and Kayla, were at my house within 20 minutes of the phone call which was incredible, for it was getting dark and we had no time to spare. They asked us a series of questions, then told us how they are going to proceed in detail, which I thought was very professional! Then after the dog, "Walker," got the scent of my dog off her bed, we were off to the races. We tracked through fields, marshy areas, woods, open fields, along the road and through underpasses to finally end up at the creek! The dog was constantly on my dogs scent the whole time and took us places were only my dog would know of, so I knew that Walker was right on the Money! We ended our tracking when the sun set and could go no further. When we got to my house they showed me how to make flyers, set some traps to track my dog myself and went into detail about what to expect, I could not believe that they loved my dog as much as I did. After they left, about an hour later my dog turned up in my backyard, my dog had found my scent from the track and followed it back to my house, if it were not for Dogs finding Dogs coming out and tracking with me, my dog would probably still be missing! I would recommend their services and expertise to anyone that is heart broken and trying to find their dog !! Their success rate is off the chart!!! I WILL BE FOREVER GRATEFUL FOR THEIR CONCERN AND THEIR SERVICES !
- Pat in Joppa, MD (June, 2010)
Sanchez Hides in Woods for 1 Week
Sanchez is home! Thank you so much for coming out and tracking for Sanchez! It was remarkable to find out that he stayed in the woods right where I last saw him run off. 1 week and he is back home! I would have never thought that it would take him to see my other dog to make him feel safe enough to come to me. Sanchez came right out of the woods where we tracked him. He would follow me around, watch me but never come to me. Thank goodness you told me to put food down while he watched me and to have my other dog along side. This was the magic that was needed for him to trust me to come over. It is such a wonderful feeling to have him back! Now, Sanchez will be visiting the Vet to get fixed, microchipped and whatever else we need to do to protect him.
- Crystal in Roland Park, MD (June, 2010)
Pitbull Puppy Stolen then Given Up to Shelter
Boh is a pitbull puppy and we love him dearly! My friend and I both own him and he got loose from our yard. Janel and Lee of Dogs Finding Dogs helped us find him. Without their help Boh would havenever been found. Janel and Lee tracked him from our yard to a thick awful patch of woods where he was hiding. He would not come out so we tried to lure him out with food. He was seen coming out to eat. Janel brought Lee out again and there had been a chase at the woods that led to a fenced area. Boh had been stolen! It wasunder the direction of Dogs Finding Dogs that we get in touch with the shelters. We did this and Boh was found! A person stole Boh with the intention of keeping him. He took Boh 25 miles away to his home. After seeing that Boh was a puppy and full of energy, this person called Animal Control and turned him in! What wonderful people at Dogs Finding Dogs to help in everyway to get a pet home. It is a big relief to have Boh back safe and sound!
- Jo & Angie in College Park, MD (May, 2010)
6 Month Old Pitbull Puppy Stolen and Dumped When Heat was Turned On by Tracking Dog
Bud was given to me with his sister, Kitty, for XMAS. Both my children had their own puppy now. Somehow, Bud got out of our yard in East Baltimore and made it across a busy street into another neighborhood. Dogs Finding Dogs brought Heidi out to find him. We had 1 possible siting of him at a playground. Heidi tracked for Bud thru the alleys and across yards and then stopped and alerted on a backyard. She was telling us that Bud was here! There were fresh mud scratches on the back door as well. We spoke to the owners and they said that they had not seen him. They cleaned the back door, cut the grass to throw off a tracking dog and much more! We put flyers up right outside their home as well as the rest of the area and they were ripped down. Heidi came out a second time and the same thing! He was there! We had Dogs Finding Dogs write a formal letter to the home owners appealing for help! A neighborhood child saw Bud in these peoples' car! The same day that the heat was turned up on them Bud was found all the way across town in the worst section of west Baltimore tied with a rope to an abandoned house. When I went to Animal Control I found him there, ready to be put to sleep because he was deemed unadoptable because he was scared! I was extremely angry! Put a puppy to sleep! Of course a puppy would be scared! Needless to say, we were reunited with Bud and my kids are thrilled. Bud's sister is no longer sad that he is gone. Dogs Finding Dogs were the only reason that we found Bud! Without their help Bud would have been gone forever. I shudder to think what those awful people were going to do with him!
- Angela in Baltimore, MD (May, 2010)
Chapel Lost from Transport at Catonsville Community College
Chapel was one of the lucky dogs who was pulled from a shelter down south to be sent to a wonderful rescue in New York to find a forever home. Unfortunately, Chapels trip was interrupted at CCBC in Catonsville, Md when she slipped her collar in the parking lot during an exchange of drivers. She then enjoyed the surrounding neighborhood for almost 1 month. Chapel had alot of fun! She was very entertaining to the neighbors but a little mischievous. She would steal the morning papers, childrens balls, shoes and her favorite was to take any type of box that she could find and play with it and rip it into shreds all over the lawns. Chapel also played with all the dogs and even went for a swim in a fish pond. What a fun character she was!
Dogs Finding Dogs brought out Heidi and Lee to track for Chapel the following day after her escape. Heidi led the track on this hot muggy day and found Chapels hiding place in the woods that surrounded the homes. Lee, who happened to come from the same shelter as Chapel, also helped in tracking her. Once we knew where her new home was we set up a 6'x10'x6' kennel run with an automatic door on it to catch her. For over a week of baiting up the trap with food better than most of us were eating, Chapel finally was caught.
All of the wonderful volunteers and neighbors came out at 10pm to see her in the pen and to wish her well. All of us are going to miss Chapel! She was so much fun to watch with all her antics. She is now in New York getting a little obedience training and then will be off to a wonderful home! It took alot of persistance and big hearts to not give up on catching her during this month. Hurray to Chapel! She will have a wonderful life now!
- Mama's Rescue, Duffy's Rescue, K9 Lifesavers, Dogs Finding Dogs, MAGSR and all the neighbors! in Catonsville, MD (May, 2010)
Erica Home After Four Days
We recently lost our Sheltie, Erica. Two days after she went missing, we connected with Dogs Finding Dogs. They were at our home within two hours of our first call.
Our team was Walker and Kayla. In addition, Ashley and Kim assisted during the tracking, offering us explanation of the process and support during the tracking time. The tracking was truly a unique and enlightening experience.
Walker was intensely focused on his mission of tracking Erica's scent. He was all business and remarkably his tracking path took us to the very few locations where neighbors had seen Erica the morning she went missing.
Walker eventually led us to a wooded area about a half mile from our home. Although we did not locate Erica during the tracking, we focused on the area where Walker led us. Instead of looking for the proverbial "needle in the haystack",
we were able to focus our efforts, lost dog signs, flyers, food and foot search in that specific area. Without Walker we would not have had any idea or direction to look. On the fourth day we received a call from a good samaritan who
was following Erica on foot in the vicinity of that specific wooded area. Remarkably the woman's foot pursuit brought Erica almost to our front door. We were so happy to have her return back home after four very long days. We can't say enough about the kindness and concern displayed by Kayla, Ashley and Kim as well as Walker who is truly an amazing tracking dog. You should be truly honored for the service you provide and the fee charged is so small in relation to what you do and the comfort you provide to caring pet owners in helping locate their lost animals.
- Donna & David in Abingdon, MD (May, 2010)
Dogs Finding Dogs Tracking Stories - Cat Tales (Dog Tales)
Figaro, Figaro, Figaro! We found you!!!
Figaro has been FOUND!!! We thank the man at 3 PM, and then the couple at 7:30 PM (both today) who saw our flyers and called us! We thank the great people at Dogs Finding Dogs who came out and also gave us great tips, as well as Anne from DFD. We thank our neighbors, some who went out themselves looking for Figaro. We thank all for their messages of concern and compassion. You all are GREAT!!!!!!
He looks good, he's quite hungry, eating LOTS and he will be going to the vet in the morning. He's super affectionate with us, my dog was ECSTATIC when we brought him in the door (but we kept them separated as my dog was TOO MUCH for Figaro, so they will have to reunite later). We wish everyone else the ABSOLUTE BEST OF LUCK in finding your pet. Don't give up. :)
- Brandy in Baltimore, MD (July, 2010)
The trick was FindToto!
I wanted to let you know that we got Zany back!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH for all your advice! The trick was FindToto! We had 2 calls from neighbors about 3/4 mile away and one of them said "we're looking at him right now" and we were on it! I had never heard of that website, but that was a Godsend! I will spread the word about them for anyone who finds themselves in our situation. Thank you for everything you did to help us. We are so happy and feel like we can finally sleep again! We want to make a donation to you all in appreciation for everything you do for all the animals! God Bless you ALL!
- Carolyn and George in MD (June, 2010)
Dogs Finding Dogs Helped Us Find Our Cat for the 2nd Time!
DFD has been out to my home 2 times now. First time my cat was trapped and found in the kitchen cabinet. It had been there for 3 days. This time my sweet Betsy ran out of the yard and was gone for 4 days. Heidi is a remarkable dog! She scented up in my back yard. Tracked frantically to the end of my neighbors back yard which was at the waters edge. There was a huge overgrowth of weeds and honeysuckle there. Heidi smelled Betsy under it but could not get in it. Then she ran around the edge of it and onto the pier. She was trying to leap into it. They went into the water and Heidi went into the weeds. It scared Betsy out where I could scoop her up and get her inside. I am so glad that I do not have to feel crazy anymore looking for her. If you are missing a cat then these are the people to go to for sure!
- Kelly in Annapolis, MD (June, 2010)
Jinx Found Under Plywood
Jinx is home. He is worn out but otherwise OK. He ate, drank from his favorite source,
the fishbowl and rested by my side the rest of the evening. Thank you for the wonderful service that you provide.
Kim, Kayla and Walker did a fantastic job. Walker really helped to narrow down the area and confirm that Jinx
was close by. He happened to be in a yard that was closed off by a high fence but Jinx got under it and was
hiding under some plywood. Kim and Kayla worked very hard. My energy was waning after 2 days of searching
all hours in the heat, so I was really grateful for their enthusiasm, diligence and high energy. They left no stone unturned
and they approached everyone that we passed on the street. If it weren’t for Kayla insisting on looking
under EVERYTHING, I may not have looked where I looked as I didn’t even think he could fit in there.
So thanks again for this wonderful service. They were true professionals and all the tips and advice really
paid off in the end. I will definitely recommend Dogs Finding Dogs and truly appreciate this unique service.
- Teri in Baltimore, MD (June, 2010)
Cat Rescued From Life Threatening Situation - Found Tangled in Vines Upside Down in Tree with Injuries
I just want to take the time to thank you for helping me find my cat LillyBelle. When I placed an ad on Craigslist I really did not think I would get a response. It was only 1 day later that you responded. Due to your quick response we were able to find LillyBelle quicker, which was vital to her well-being, for she had been missing for almost a week! You had immediately called for someone to come out to my house, that evening, to help me find LillyBelle.
On May 19 I had the privilege to meet Lynn and her dog Mabel. Lynn made me feel very comfortable and confident that Mabel would help find LillyBelle, even when I was doubtful. After giving Mabel the scent of LillyBelle, off she went to search for her. It was like she knew she had a job to do and acted very professional. It was as if she was a human-being, but only better! Mabel started her search and I was amazed of how diligent she was.
Mabel took us on a 30 – 40 minute search for LillyBelle. She took us through neighbors yards, down to a wooded area. Lynn and I walked, sometimes running, with Mabel through weeds as high as our waists, streams, up and down hills jumping over fallen trees and broken branches. I thought there is no way my LillyBelle could have traveled this path. I was getting more and more discouraged and sad of not finding her. I was almost doubting Mabel’s ability. We were about 40 minutes into the search when Mabel just stopped. I thought we were going to turn back to my house. But then Lynn was saying to Mabel “check check”, Mabel looked at one particular tree. I looked at the tree and hesitated then looked again and saw something orange. Not sure of what it was I went closer to the tree and wouldn’t you know it THERE WAS LILLYBELLE. I COULD NOT BELIEVE MY EYES! I WAS SO AMAZED AT THIS! I could not help but to cry of joy and relief of finding her.
LillyBelle was stuck in this tree with her tail literally tied around the branches, hanging upside down, tangled all up. There is no way LillyBelle would have been able to break free of this tangle without the help of a human-being. There is no way LillyBelle would have been found by a human-being, even if it was a mass man hunt for her. The only reason she is here today, alive is because of that wonderful DOG NAMED MABEL and her owner LYNN. Lynn was amazing of how she knew exactly what and how to handle Mabel. The connection between them was indescribable. I have never been more amazed and emotional in any thing like this experience. It was a true privilege to work and watch Mabel and Lynn at their best.
LillyBelle suffered dehydration and major cuts and wounds to her tail but will be just fine, thanks to Dogs Finding Dogs organization!
From the bottom of my heart, I THANK ALL OF YOU for being a remarkable team of a miracle!!
- Jill in Eldersburg, MD (May, 2010)
Ringu's Playtime Outside Foiled by a Black Shepherd
Ringu always comes out on the front porch with me but one day he jumped away. I posted him up on the computer and Dogs Finding Dogs called and offered help on the phone. They told me of some things I could try and then if I needed help they would come out. After no luck we had Heidi come out to search for Ringu. She immeidately smelled him in the yard and Anne said it was a strong scent and that Ringu had probably just been in the yard. It led to the back corner of the yard and then up 2 homes. We could not get into all the yards to check under the sheds but we knew which one he was in. We put food out for him and he came right back home crying for more. Ringu is never allowed to go outside without a harness now. We have told every person we know of your service! Thank you to K9 Heidi!
- Brinn in Lanham, MD (May, 2010)
Sylvester the Kitty Out Smarted by a Hound Dog
I had almost given up hope that our cat Sylvester would come home after being gone for three weeks. I had Dogs Finding Dogs come out as the last resort to find our little guy but was not expecting much. Janel, Anne and Lee the tracking dog came right out and started the search. They explained that even though Sylvester had not returned home it did not mean that he was not in the area. While we were out tracking we told everyone that we were looking for a black cat. Some of my neighbors that we talked to said that they had seen a new black cat hanging out around the area over the past few weeks. Lee showed us a few areas that Sylvester was hanging out in and with in a few days we had caught him! Lee is an amazing tracking dog and both Janel and Anne are so full of information it is wonderful to know they are helping you look for your lost pet.
- Brandon in Crofton, MD (May, 2010)
Sweet Pea Found in Kitchen Cabinet
Sweet Pea had been lost for 3 days. Thinking that she had gotten out the front door when we were moving furniture we search day and night to find her. We thought a neighbor may have trapped her and taken her away. We saw Dogs Finding Dogs on the internet and a friend of ours actually used them for her cat. We called them and they came out to look for Sweet Pea. There was not scent path off of our house. We have a very large home on the water. They kept saying that Sweet Pea had to still be inside. Using the dogs to search the house Sweet Pea was locked in a kitchen drawer by mistake. She made 1 little meow. She was so happy to be released from her prison. What a relief. Thank you so much for helping us out! We thought we had looked everywhere.
- Kelly in Annapolis, MD (May, 2010)
A Bit of Advice Goes a Long Way in Finding a Binky
I contacted your organization Monday May 3 at 8 pm about my missing cat, Binky, in Woodbridge, Va. I was given some amazing advice from a caring and empathetic expert. She told me to go to Home Depot and buy a Havahart Live Animal Raccoon Trap and put wet food inside, with flour around it to track the pawprints. I did this immediately, and within 2 hours, my cat was inside meowing! My cat had been missing for 3 whole days, and I had contacted numerous animal shelters, vets, other organizations, etc. and no one provided the personalized, helpful advice that your organization did. I had not even heard of these traps before. I cannot thank you enough- you have no idea how much it means to me to have my precious cat back! Thank you again and keep helping people and animals- it is much appreciated!
- Stephanie in Woodbridge, VA (May, 2010)
Pickles, the Most Famous Cat in Md. Outwits Us All!
When Pickles went missing I told anyone and everyone my tale of woe, and after a couple of days a friend at work told me about Dogs Finding Dogs. I thought this was the best idea I had ever heard, and called Anne immediately. Yoshy and Lee came out with Anne to search for Pickles the next day. Pickles was on the move, and hard to pin down. Throughout the next week and a half Anne and Janel helped me with useful advice on how to track him down, and Heidi worked to sniff out any evidence. One night Anne brought me a motion detector camera to find out what was happening at my house at night, and Heidi picked up Pickles' scent right on my front porch! This reenergized my hope, and helped me focus my energy on the porch baiting it with lots of food, the flour to track his paw prints and an open window in case he decided to come home. I stunk up the outside of the house with his litter and lots of smelly wet cat food. After several days of trial and error with the camera I caught Pickles return on film. Everyone at Dogs Finding Dogs not only helped me search for my friend, but helped me find humor in the situation. My heartfelt thanks go to Anne and everyone at Dogs Finding Dogs, without them I might have given up hope.
P.S. from DFD: Pickles also was on the radio and his mom Caroline is known by almost everyone in Md. We got calls from all over asking if we were looking for Pickles because people knew of him. If you look at his pictures you can see that he refused to take the bait and even tip toed into the window!
- Caroline in Catonsville, MD (May, 2010)
Found! (with help from DFD)
 Friend (11/08) |
 Hagan (12/08) |
 Jasmine (11/08) |
 Rosie (10/08) |
 Jack (11/08) |
 Gibson (12/08) |
 Ralph (12/08) |
 Misha (12/08) |
 Loki (2/09) |
 Jessie (2/09) |
 Mouse (1/09) |
 Toby (2/09) |
 Poncho (2/09) |
 Norman (3/09) |
 Rich (3/09) |
 Bernie (4/09) |
 Sierra (4/09) |
 Reggie (4/09) |
 Damian (7/09) |
 Barley (8/09) |
 Jewel (9/09) |
 Onyx (9/09) |
 Paisley (9/09) |
 Pepe (9/09) |
 Dewey (9/09) |
 Sunny (11/09) |
 Zeke (2/10) |
