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LOST – AND FOUND by Susan Horrocks

There’s always something comforting about seeing the “Found” notices
on bulletin boards or in the newspaper. They mean that someone has a
very good chance of reclaiming a lost animal or personal item that is
important to them.

The “Lost” notices are another story, of course. Our “adventure” took
place several years ago, long before we moved up here full time. It has
a happy ending, though, so don’t get discouraged. We’re hoping you’ll
find some useful information here that you can share with friends with
second homes, or who visit our area often. Holidays are a particularly
good time to have this handy because it’s when families merge, friends
gather, and assorted pets co-mingle in strange, loud and hectic
environments. Things happen, as they did with us.

My husband and I were deep in the Chequamegon Forest with our two
Brittanys, Ernie and Otis. It was late November and cold. Otis was only
about 9 months old and, if you know Brittanys, they’re completely hard
wired to the woods. As always, both dogs were wearing their training
collars and we kept them within clear sight the entire time. Until…Otis
caught sight of a deer and exploded after it. No yelling or reminders
from the collar would stop him. Three hours later we were still looking
for him but reluctantly decided we needed to head back home to post
notices and get the official process of finding him underway. On the
edge of the woods we stopped at the first small bar and left a scribbled
note on a napkin for anyone who may have seen Otis. Couldn’t hurt, we
told ourselves, and rode home in silence.

Naturally, these things tend to happen on a Sunday afternoon, right?
You’re set to head back to the city for another busy week. Nearly all of
the local city services and resources are closed until the next day. And
now you’re stuck with the prospect of a long, upsetting night and you
know there’s a good chance it will be longer.

We decided that divide and conquer was the best strategy. I stayed at
the cabin, made phone calls and small posters, and went through a box
of Kleenex. Kevin took off to return to the area where Otis was last
seen and said he’d drive until….well, he didn’t know. He’d just drive,
holler, talk to anyone he could find and post “Lost Dog” notices.

It was a fruitless search and he was nearly back to our cabin when I got
a call from the first bar where we’d left the note. Two construction guys
had just come in for a beer and happened to see the note. When asked
if they’d seen a dog they said yes, they saw a little brown and white dog
about two hours earlier, in an area a long way from where we’d last
seen Otis. I called Kevin and gave him the news. We agreed he needed
to turn around and go back to look in that area of the woods.

There’s more to this but I’ll fast-forward to the end. Kevin drove out to
the general area Otis had been seen and on a whim pulled into the
Spider Lake Golf Course, which was closed for the season. He pulled in
to turn the truck around and when he stopped to change gears he
caught a glimpse of something right outside his driver’s side window,
somewhat illuminated by a street light.

There sat Otis. A bedraggled, worn out little dog. Shivering, but safe
now and very happy to see his owner. In the eight hours Otis had been
gone we figure he must’ve traveled four miles (as the crow flies)
through swamps and dense forest only to be found when these two
buddies stumbled upon each other. It was remarkable.

Next week’s article will be about preparedness! What to have in place
in case this happens to your pet.

Northwoods Humane Society – Susan Horrocks

This is the continuing article based on the adventures of the ‘lost and
found’ Otis. Otis was lost for eight ours in a forest area that he was not
familiar with. It was found because his owners persistence and the
attentiveness of two area construction workers. Naturally, there was a
joyful reunion back at the cabin. And since then, several friends have
been in similar situations with their pets becoming lost, injured or sick
while visiting our area. In the spirit of pet safety, here’s a list of tips and
resources for taking care of pets while away from your primary
residence, or seeing friends at theirs. There’s a very good chance you
have a story like ours, so share this with your friends and family.

1. Proper pet identification. Make sure that your pet is licensed and
tagged. Your cell phone number and cabin address on an ID tag will
insure access to you 24/7.

2. Establish a relationship with a local veterinarian. We have several
excellent professionals in our area and should your pet become injured
or fall ill, having your pet registered with a local veterinarian, with
current medical records, is a very smart thing to do.

3. Introduce your pet to your neighbors. Folks in our area tend to look
out for each other and can be very helpful in locating a lost pet.

4. Keep a good photo of your pet handy. Most of us have tons of
photos of our animals and should yours become lost, your pet’s face on
a “Lost” poster is very effective.

5. If you don’t have a computer for printing “Lost/Found” posters,
identify a place to get them copied. For example, Marketplace Foods
will make copies for you at their service counter.

6. If you’ve lost or found an animal, we recommend that you call the
Sawyer County Dog Pound first, followed by the Sawyer County or Lac
Courte Oreilles sheriff departments depending upon where the pet was
lost or found. Post notices on bulletin boards and call the local radio
stations.

7.        Reminders for the Holidays:
-        Keep your pet away from harmful foods, like chocolate, grapes or
alcohol. Plants, such as poinsettias, holly, lilies and mistletoe are also
toxic to pets, so keep an eye on your pet around the food table and
festive plants.
-        Holiday decorations like lights or ornaments (if chewed) and tinsel
or hooks (if ingested) can be very harmful.
-        Loud noises, like fireworks and large crowds, can be upsetting to
an animal and could frighten a pet to the point of running off. Make sure
your animal is safely secured in a separate room during these times.
-        As always, make sure that your pest have good food, lots of fresh
water and get regular exercise. In fact, let Santa take them for a walk.
Santa could sure use the exercise.

Best wishes to you and your furry pals for a healthy and safe new year!

                                                Animal Care Resources
Lost/Found Animal Contacts

Note: We recommend calling the Dog Pound and Sheriff’s offices as first
points of contact.

Sawyer County Dog Pound & Animal Control Office
(715) 634-5139
Hours M-F 8:15am-11am

Sawyer County Sheriff   (715) 634-5213

Lac Courte Oreilles Sheriff (715) 634-8350

Lac Courte Oreilles Animal Control (715) 699-4011

Northwoods Humane Society
10812 N. O’Brien Hill Rd, Hayward
(715)634-5394
Hours: M-Sat 11am-3pm. Closed Sunday.

Radio Stations:
WHSM AM/FM (715) 634-4836
WRLS 92.3 FM (715) 634-4871
WOJB FM-89.9 (715) 634-2100

Veterinary Clinics

Cable Area Veterinary Clinic
14895 N. Riverside Road, Cable, WI
(715) 798-4458
Hours: M-F 7am-5pm; Sat/weekends with appt.

Care Animal Clinic
10186N Hwy 27, Hayward, WI
(715) 634-5050
Hours: M-F 8am-5pm; Sat 8am-12pm

Dr. Haugen/Family & Farm Veterinary Clinic
12370 W. Twin Lake Road, Hayward, WI
(715) 462-4949
Hours: M-F 8am-4pm

Hayward Animal Hospital
15226 W. County Road B, Hayward, WI
(715) 634-8971
Hours: MWF 7am-5pm; Tues/Th 8am-4pm (1 mi east of Hayward on Hwy B)

John Mundahl, DVM
12942 County Road OO, Hayward, WI (1 mi east of Seely on OO)
(715) 634-5996
Hours: M-F 8am-4pm

After Hours Veterinary Emergency Service:
Several clinics provide emergency services on a rotating basis. If you
call a veterinarian after hours you should be referred or given
instructions.

Boarding Kennels

Canine Cottage
13353 N. Murphy Blvd., Hayward, WI (2 mi past Spider Lake Golf Resort)
(715) 462-3037
Hours: Morning and afternoon hours, 7 days a week.

Hayward Animal Hospital – See listing under veterinarians, above

Timberlawn Pet Care Center
Timberlawn Road, Hayward, WI
(715) 634-8712
Hours: M-F 8am-Noon, 3pm-8pm. Sat 8am-Noon. Sun 4pm-8pm.