An almost REALLY bad day

[glencorgi]

Permission to cross post was granted. The dogs involved here were Cardigans and as there are several forum members in the PNW, it would be a good idea to alert you.
Debbie
------------

I'm going to post this to multiple lists so apologies in advance. This is one of those situations where you think "it couldn't happen to me". Well it almost did.

I live in a good neighborhood in Spokane. We live a couple blocks off a major road but our road is quiet and seems safe. I have a 4 1/2 to 7 foot chain link fence (really high in the back because of the alley) with a padlocked gate in back and the other gate in front, clipped, right outside the window by our computers. The yard sits back from the street. There is still a bit of snow and ice in our yard and the neighboring ones - but not enough for the dogs to climb. And while Wally is athletic and could probably climb a fence - Hannah is a slug and can't jump easily on the couch or in the car.

My husband wasn't feeling good last night so got up at about 3:15. The cardigans said "oh it's time to go OUT!" so he let them out to potty while he sat at the computer reading email. About 3:25 he heard ONE single bark so he got up to let the dogs back in.

No dogs.

Well it hadn't ever happened before but he thought they just got out. He ran up and down a couple blocks then jumped in the car and did the neighborhood grid. No dogs.

He came back to the house at about 5 when I was getting up (and got REALLY mad he didn't wake me up right away). We both canvassed the neighborhood, worried about the major road a couple blocks away where the morning traffic was starting. No dogs.

I came back and checked the gate and fenceline. Secure and no doggie footprints in the snow (which was melted only by our gate. The dogs, while cute, are not too good at opening, reclosing, and clipping gates - they have no thumbs.

Of course by this time I am frantic inside but managing to hold together. I call mom for microchip numbers, call the emergency clinic nearby and leave the info, call Denise (the localish rescue contact who didn't seem too mad I called her at 6:15am thank dog!) in case someone picked them up and calls her, make a flyer and quick lost post to Craigslist.

Hubby goes back out in the car. At 6:50ish he is driving slowly and passes an old truck with a homemade pigwire cage in the bed. It has Idaho plates (Spokane is probably 30 miles from Idaho).There's a rather mean dog in the front of the truck. He's got the window down and whistling and WALLY pops his head up in the back of that truck. Of course he stops right away! The guys are out of their truck and going different directions - both towards yards with dogs in them...

The men - both rough sounding in jeans and flannels tell Henry that they found our dogs (and the other 4 in the bed/cage of the truck) wandering loose and that they work for the local county animal control. When he tells them that those are OUR dogs they hand them right over, don't want any info or verify it and leave very quickly. Back of truck is just full of dog poops (yes they had to have baths, it was that awful).

Sounds all wrong to me....of course we were SO happy the dogs were safe that we didn't think at first but then Henry called Spokanimal (who they claimed to work for) and they confirmed that they don't have anyone canvassing neighborhoods at night AND this truck has been seen on video with people taking dogs out of the overnight drop box there. WHAT!?!? Why haven't we heard of this!!! Not a thing in the media. The police are investigating....

Our thought - and I had blown off all the reports of dogs being stolen that I had heard - is that the dogs were taken for either dog bait or the rumored medical testing facility in Couer d'Alene. FWIW I don't know but I do know my yard was secure and my dogs will go with anybody. Tomorrow I'm going to contact some media and see what kind of stink I can make.

So if you have friends in this area, or hear of things like missing dogs going up sharply in other areas, don't discount it. Spread the word. I am putting a real padlock on the front gate and the dogs are only out under our watchful gaze for now.

And thank dog this all turned out OK for my dogs... I don't know about the others in the truck and feel awful now that I know more. I thought I was in a safe area with our neighboorhood watch and quiet street...

Mandy Katasse
baledwr@c-myste.com
Spokane, WA

and a really tired Hannah and Wally....

[MyPemCharlie]

That's really scary! I'm so glad that the Katasse's were so vigilant about searching during the wee hours, and lucky to happen across the thieves. Very brazen for people to come right to a fenced yard and take dogs. The thieves should be thown in pig wire and used for bait. Hope they catch them.

[Bailey's driver]

Wow.

A small dog was taken from a car in a big shopping plaza not far from here.

One night I looked out in my fenced yard and some kids cut through my yard over the 5 foot chain link fence, the four foot chain link fence, and the 6 foot stockade fence. They hopped over like it almost was not there.

Another morning someone had left open the clipped gate at night. I noticed it was open before Bailey got out.

[jamierene79]

I am glad to hear there was a happy ending to this horrible situation. Yall are very lucky. I don't understand how people can be so heartless and cruel. It has happened quiet often back in my hometown of Little Rock. It is never in the news...unless there is some sort of happy ending. Last summer the police pulled over a u-haul on the interstate that had around 40-50 dogs in it! The people were arrested and charged but, you know they will eventually get out of jail. Most of the dogs were able to be adopted. Others not so lucky. We lived in a cul-de-sac and had a very big backyard. I caught some teenagers back there one day and scared the dog poop out of them with my rifle. We had a bigger problem with someone who owned a dobermann. It escaped their yard a lot!!! It would jump my fence and roam in my yard. It was agressive. Because of this irresponsible owner, I got in the habit of supervising the dogs while outside.

[Michael Romanos]

Never heard of a Corgi been stolen in New Zealand. But one must take precautions and in some places and in certain circumstances, I wouldn't leave a Corgi at the front of a property which has a low fence. I have left Taylor outside the door of shops including supermarkets ever since he was four-five months old. But it is a little on the risky side in NZ for a cute, little dog such as a Corgi and I never stay long in the shop. At some shops, the shop staff tell me to bring Taylor inside.