Facebook Group Helps Owners Find Lost Pets

The members of the Facebook group "I Live In Cape St. Claire" have helped two pet owners track down their lost animals this week.

Earlier this week, a Cape St. Claire woman posted to the group saying that she found a basset hound walking down the road. With no room at her house, she turned it over to Anne Arundel County Animal Control off Veterans Highway.

A few hours later, other group members responded, saying they knew the owner that was looking for the dog—they had been knocking on doors trying to find their pet.

The owner, Tonya Weldon, was soon reuinted with her dog Gilbert, who is now resting safe at home after a few days journey in the wilds of the Cape.

Weldon said the whole encounter was both nerve-wracking and uplifting.

"I've not seen this side of the comunity in a long time, and it was very refreshing to see everyone pitching in," she said.

This morning, she posted a thank you message to everyone who joined in helping her find her dog.

"To all that helped my family find my beloved basset hound Gilbert earlier this week, thank you!!!!! He is home safe and happy and my gate is padlocked now!!" she said.

Dog Helps Track Cat

Another lost pet, Nila the cat, is still missing, but thanks to some helpful neighbors, the owner believes she has tracked down the pet. Nila's owner Serena Boyd has been looking for her cat for several days, and hopes to have her back in her arms by Saturday.

The Facebook group members offered to help go block-by-block to find the cat. Boyd also employed the services of Dogs Finding Dogs, a nonprofit organization that uses trained dogs to help sniff out lost pets. A German Shepard named Maggie was able to use Nila's scent to track the cat down to a small radius, a few hundred feet from her home.

Boyd said she's going to search again on Saturday morning, armed with treats and traps, hoping to coax her out of her hiding place in some reeds along the shoreline.

"Nila is special to me," Boyd said. "After my husband died and two-and-a-half months later my father and best friend died, I adopted Nila on a fluke visit to PetSmart. She was there and I liked her. She's been with me through all the downs and ups. I rescued her, but in essence, she rescued me."

Dogs Finding Dogs director Anne Wills said the group has 11 volunteers who offer their trained search and rescue dogs. They operate in the Washington D.C., Baltimore and Annapolis region, helping pet owners find their lost animals.

"These dogs are a fancy tool amongst other things owners can use to find lost pets," Wills said. "They help show us things that we human beings can't even begin to figure out."

More information on Dogs Finding Dogs can be obtained on the group's website.

Here's hoping that Nila the cat is just a few hours away from returning home. 

Have you ever been reunited with a lost pet thanks to the help of your community?