Return 2 Home Lost Pet Resources And Old Dominion Humane Society Provide Tips And Resources For Lost Dogs

There’s a feeling in the pit of the stomach when a beloved dog suddenly gets loose and runs away. With a mix of fear, frustration and helplessness, many people don’t know what to do first to bring them home. Old Dominion Humane Society (ODHS) has, on occasion, asked Return 2 Home Lost Pet Resources (R2H) to help retrieve rescue dogs. The two nonprofit organizations want to help educate the public how to effectively and safely reunite animals with their families.

Ducky and Priya were rescued from a large-scale hoarding situation, where they lived outdoors with little human contact. They arrived at Old Dominion Humane Society (ODHS) afraid of humans, causing them to be labeled as “flight risks.” Although they didn’t escape, precautions were followed to ensure they were safe and contained at the facility. Both dogs are excellent with other canines and have slowly learned humans can be trustworthy. Ducky was adopted, and Priya is waiting for a forever home. On the rare occasion when a dog gets loose at ODHS, Return 2 Home Lost Pet Resources (R2H) helped to safely return them. The two nonprofit organizations have a goal to help educate the public to effectively and safely reunite animals with their families. For more information about R2H, visit www.return2home.org.

R2H, in Spotsylvania, has rescued approximately 450 animals since it was founded by Melissa Felts and Laura Green in 2021. That number of rescued animals would be stellar for an organization with a full staff, but it’s even more exceptional considering R2H has three volunteers, including one who is part-time. With their years of experience and success at safely trapping elusive pet dogs and cats, as well as stray canines, the volunteers from R2H provide tips on what to do—and what not to do—when a dog flees.

“We’re trappers, and our basic tools include various sizes of box traps, cellular trail cameras and a Missy trap, which can be disassembled for transport and reassembled in the field,” said Felts. “We don’t get involved with the happy-go-lucky dogs that will respond to anyone. Instead, we help in situations where the dog’s brain ‘flips,’ and they go into fear/flight mode, as well as skittish dogs that don’t go to anyone.”

To trap a dog, it must “settle” in a location, according to Felts. Once there’s a sighting, R2H deploys a camera and puts out food. If the crew is able to capture a dog on camera, a trap is set up. One of the biggest obstacles is when well-meaning people try to capture the dog, resulting in pushing it away further from the area.

R2H’s mission is to provide guidance to pet owners and the public about safely locating and settling animals for trapping. Making an effective “lost pet” poster, determining when to involve a tracker and using scent articles properly are some of the resources the organization uses to aid in the safe containment of the animal.

Felts offers tips on what To Do when a dog is loose:

• Snap a picture of the dog, and post it on the local lost-and-found page. Post on social media pages that focus on an area within five miles of the neighborhood where the dog went missing.

• Be aware of the dog’s response when trying to capture it. When moving toward the dog, slowly take a step or two toward it, and talk softly. You can also sit on the ground, turn away from the dog and try to calmly lure him to you. If he doesn’t come to you, call the local animal control office to report the loose dog.

• When reporting a loose dog, call the animal control office and NOT the animal shelter.

• Make signs, which are the most important tool for getting sightings. They should be simple and easy to read from a vehicle. Include “Lost Dog,” a full-body photo and a contact phone number in large font covering ¼ to 1/3 of the page. (Using two sheets of paper—one with “Lost Dog,” and the other with the photo and phone number on it—is even better for visibility.)

• Many dogs return on their own after dark. If an outdoor camera is available, place food within view of it and turn the notifications on to hear if the dog returns.

• When guests are visiting, make sure they don’t leave doors open without knowing where the pet is. It’s important to let guests know the rules of the house where pets are concerned.

R2H recommends watching https://youtu.be/cmiZzB643is?si=bOsBoobtmpNuxJlm about calming signals. According to Felts, many dogs that get loose go into fear/flight mode. They don’t recognize their owners, their name or anything else. They only know they need to get away from humans. It helps to use calm signals that will, in turn, calm the dog enough for recognition to return.

Do not:

• When a dog is running loose, don’t chase it. This is one of the biggest problems R2H faces when trying to capture a dog. If your movements, voice or eye contact is causing the dog to move further away, stop the behavior.

• Chasing after a dog runs the risk of pushing it into traffic, and it’s unlikely a person will outrun it.

• Don’t take a leap and try to grab a dog. It will likely result in a bite to the face.

• Search for 30 minutes to an hour. After that, you’re probably pushing it further away.

• Finding out where the dog is “hiding”—where they feel safe—will disturb it and cause it to relocate. This even happens when the owner finds the “hiding” place.

“We’re fortunate to have the resources of R2H in our community,” said Chrissy Hamilton, ODHS founder. “It’s devastating to lose a family pet or a dog that’s extremely afraid of humans. Learning the things we can do to help in a successful capture is invaluable.”

For more information about R2H, visit www.return2home.org.