So depressed, dog missing

[Xraywolf]

My 3.5 year old German Shep for the 1st time ever got lose out of the yard ,,, Didn't notice for about 20 minutes then I saw the open gate, dang !
Wasn't too concerned, I often walk him without a leash and he stays right with me, when I'm there I can leave the gate wide open and he doesn't step foot out of it.

But apparently, without me there he feels free to bolt, which I can understand.
So I wnet looking and calling for him, expecting him to trot up any moment. Minutes turned to hours, now its been about 5 hours and I can't sleep, have to go to work in 3 hours I am a mess.

Went driving all around for hours, not a trace. Granted, its tough to find a black dog at night ,, But he knows the sound of my truck well, I'm sure he would have bolted to me if I passed him, in fact I was worried I might run him over.
Live in a pure residential area, mostly little side streets but large roads near by, I'd like to think they are a barrier to him but ,,, I think there are 2 possibilities.
1 obvious possibility, hit by a car and dead. The other, lost his way and is wandering around somewhere trying to find home. I've walking him plenty but never beyond 5 blocks are so. I know they say dogs have a homing instinct, I don't know.
Its 37 degrees out tonight, he is a house dog and has never spent a night in the cold. Survivable for sure, but I don't think hes enjoying freedom so much he doesn't want to rush back - He is either dead or lost, I feel like a part of me suddenly died.

Obviously I a hoping or the latter, today is crucial, if he is out roaming he will likely be picked up by the dog pound. If there is no word on him by 3pm or so, I don't think I'll ever see my boy again ... Hope for the best.

 

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[Treasure_Hunter]

Hope he turns up soon and still healthy. I know what it is like, I use to raise boxers, owned 9 in my life time, had 2-3 at a time for over 20 years, several decided to go exploring from time to time by jumping the fence, a 4 foot fence at that. Lost one to a car too, she was my first boxer, only 15 months old......

 

[GB1]

so sorry i'm a dog lover too about last year i lost jack russel terrier to age he was 13

 

[G.A.P.metal]

Sorry to hear that,hope he just comes back home... good luck !
Gary

 

[against the wind]

I'm thinking he is okay. Just a little cold and not going to wander off again.
He'll show up,, but put up a few signs and check with the local pound.

 

[Tpmetal]

check any and all local pounds and shelters. It always amazes me people don't do this(not saying that you havent thought of it). I see them in shelters around here for weeks because people don't think to look.

 

[SD51]

Hope he comes back soon. Contact your Police department too. Dogs are strong and will come to a stranger soon.

 

[Xraywolf]

Well, thing about shelters, he got out around 9pm last night, shelters open at 9 am - A full 12 hours missing on a cold night is not a good omen ,,, But yes, thats the 1st thing I had my lady do.

I had to go to work 6am, couldn't make it past lunch I am just a wreck.
Going to try craigslist lost and found, other than that its in the lap of the gods. He does have tags, including one with my name and number, but it is barely legible.
He is a very friendly dog, best people dog I ever had, I guess the possibility exists he was dognapped, just jumped in someones car.

I would think if he was lying dead in the road being a 95 lb animal the city animal control would pick him up, and notify me since they know I'm missing a black shep.

Thanks for the well wishes, I have a slight shred of hope but the realist in me is shouting loud and clear - It would take a miracle to make it home.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

I'm sorry for your pain. I'm a dog guy myself....currently on #14. Had 7 German Shepherds over the years. I have no great ideas that others haven't expressed. He's probably our chasing girls. Hopefully, he'll show up.
Jim

 

[Kace]

I'm so sorry about your dog...Kansas City just had a big news story about a missing dog...'Truman'. His owner put ads on FB, CL, Flyers, Got the news involved etc. Truman (German Shepard Dog) had unlocked the vet office during the night after his surgery...Anyway, the word got out and some not so good people were holding him waiting for a reward...neighbors of theirs turned them in.

Truman Was Safely Returned Home!!

I hope you have the same outcome Soon!!

Kace

 

[Terry Soloman]

Prayer offered for you and your Pup. I hope he ends up back at the Casa.

 

[PullTabSlayer]

Most dogs will find their way home if left alone, however most people that see a dog wandering wont leave it alone, odds are someone took him in.

 

[Xraywolf]

Thanks again for replies, makes me feel better.
Gotta say, I have always been very nice to this dog, a little tap on the butt is all he ever got from me when he misbehaved. Paid alot of attention to him, every day even after hard days work I'd walk him or at least throw his ball for a while.
Always greeted eachother when we met, sometimes a dozen times a day, when I got up at night for a drink he'd be so tired he could barely raise his head, I'd scratch his head and belly which sent him into grunts of pleasure. took hi to my camper alot, most often of the leash and he'd always stick right by me. [Posted about that recently by chance]
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/my-daily-snapshot/558364-dog-girl.html#post5587661
Had a great relationship, at least I can say I have no regrets, unlike some of my other departed dogs.

Anyhow, I received this email reply to my craigslist lost ad, I was touched to say the least, I'll post it in its entirety.

"
I⁣ drive ⁣near th⁣at area⁣ everyd⁣ay to w⁣ork, so⁣ I'll k⁣eep my ⁣eyes op⁣en! The⁣re is a⁣nother ⁣website⁣ you ca⁣n use t⁣oo to g⁣et the ⁣word ou⁣t calle⁣d www. ⁣MyLostP⁣etAlert⁣s.Com. ⁣I used ⁣their a⁣lert se⁣rvice p⁣ackage ⁣when my⁣ cat es⁣caped a⁣nd was ⁣missing⁣ for ov⁣er a we⁣ek, the⁣y basic⁣ally ro⁣bo call⁣ed hund⁣reds of⁣ homes ⁣and use⁣d Faceb⁣ook adv⁣ertisin⁣g to sh⁣ow my c⁣ats pho⁣to near⁣by. It'⁣s reall⁣y smart⁣ that t⁣hey use⁣ Facebo⁣ok ads,⁣ that's⁣ ultima⁣tely wh⁣at work⁣ed. The⁣ day af⁣ter pos⁣ting on⁣ mylost⁣petaler⁣t, I re⁣ceived ⁣an emai⁣l sayin⁣g "i th⁣ink i h⁣ave you⁣r cat. ⁣please ⁣call me⁣". Appa⁣rently ⁣a young⁣er coup⁣le had ⁣thought⁣ he was⁣ a stra⁣y and w⁣ere goi⁣ng to k⁣eep him⁣ until ⁣they sa⁣w the a⁣d. Than⁣kfully ⁣they re⁣turned ⁣him to ⁣me... A⁣nyway, ⁣I felt ⁣compell⁣ed to w⁣rite yo⁣u becau⁣se I kn⁣ow how ⁣hard it⁣ was fo⁣r me wh⁣en he w⁣as miss⁣ing, I ⁣cried a⁣lmost e⁣veryday⁣. The m⁣oney sp⁣ent on ⁣the ale⁣rt was ⁣well wo⁣rth it.⁣ You sh⁣ould al⁣so sign⁣ up for⁣ Nextdo⁣or and ⁣post th⁣ere, it⁣'s free⁣. Hope ⁣you fin⁣d them ⁣soon"

Sent a sincere thanks back and really poured my heart out a bit, but when I went to this lostpetalerts.com I notice they have a basic free service which is basically nothing, just a flyer printout, then "packages" from $50 to $2
00 + ,,, At that moment I thought most likely this is a scam to get desperate people to sign up, and probably sends the same nice message to every lost pet ad posted.

I could be wrong of course, what do you guys think ?
[I posted a generic lost cat ad from a different local city under another email, if he/she/it replies to that one too, I'll know]

 

[Xraywolf]

Never did hear back, but I did forget to attach the "lost" prefix - I'm inclined to think its a $$ grab.

 

[dts52]

Hope your buddy returns home safely, I know they become part of the family. I was a Labrador man most of my life, now that I'm older I've got a spayed JRT. Hopefully yours is just out having some guy fun. My prayers out for his safe return.
HH
dts

 

[Xraywolf]

Most dogs will find their way home if left alone, however most people that see a dog wandering wont leave it alone, odds are someone took him in.

Nailed it - Got him back today.

The night he disappeared and I was driving around looking for him, I saw a lady walking and stopped and asked is she had seen a dog, she said no.
Me and my nephew put up a bunch of flyers next night, today at work I got a call, she said are you the guy who lost a dog ? I said yes, she said I know where your dog is. I said where ? [Wasn't too excited with this, she really sounded flaky to the point of being mentally handicapped, so I thought there was a good chance she was playing games].
She said he is tied up in a yard ,, I asked her how she knows its my dog, she said I have seen you walking your dog before, I am the one you stopped and asked if I had seen your dog. I know your dog, it is him.

So that perked me up, I again asked where and she said she would like to meet in person and tell me, and asked there is a reward, right ? [She had seen one of the flyers we put up, thats how she got my number]
I said yes indeed. Luckily I was working only 15 minutes away so I arraigned to meet her at my noon break.
So we met and she told me exactly where he was, she said I just saw him, he is tied to a garage in the back yard. She asked please please, don't tell them I told you, just say you were walking around and saw him. I said don't worry about that, I'm getting my dog and am not going to take any questions from these guys.
It was right down the block and as I pulled up I saw my dog and he heard my truck and stood up, he was roped to a garage. So I slammed on my brakes and jumped out, by the time I got to the gate he was there, must have easily slipped off the rope .
Gate was tied with a long bungy in knots, I had a razor knife on me and cut it and recovered my boy. Didn't hear or see anyone from the house.
Took him home, couldn't spend time rejoicing as I had to try to make it back to work on time, so before I sped off back to work I went back to the lady and gave her $100.

Guys that had my dogs are arabic teens, no telling what they might have had planned, maybe to sell to a cousin as a junk yard dog in Detroit or something. Disappointed my dog allowed himself to be captured like that, hopefully will learn a lesson - When I got him in my truck he was shaking like a leaf, apparently 2 days and nights tied to a garage wasn't much to his liking.

 

[Jim in Idaho]

Very glad to hear you got him back! One lesson from this is to lock your gate. In the event someone wanted to steal him, it means they'd have to lift him over the fence. Not a big deal, but just one more obstacle for them to overcome. The lock also prevents kids, or anybody else, from leaving the gate open. There are professional dog thieves among us. Large breeds are especially desired. Don't make it easy for them.
Jim

 

[Xraywolf]

Not too worried about a backyard theft, he is very protective of the property and would likely attack intruders, outside he is just the opposite.

Wouldn't be a bad idea anyhow, my last dog learned how to lift the latch with his snout, didn't put a lock on it but a put a carbiner clip in the hole to prevent him from nosing his way out. Anyone could take out the clip, but beyond a dogs capabilities.

 

[GB1]

great news so happy for you

 

[Kace]

I'm happy you got your pup back!!