April 2018 Newsletter

Here are Josey Wales and Lenny Boy, both Vizslas, playing in the snow and sporting their embroidered collars.

Thanks to Jeffrey Held of Minnetonka, Minnesota for this great pic!

And this cutie is Eli, showing off his new tag!

Thanks to Karyn Zerance who sent in this pic of her niece's dog! Eli lives with his family Nikki & Bo in Skaneateles, New York.

Thank you to everyone who has submitted pictures of their pets! If you have a great picture of your pet (showing off our tag would be nice!), you can submit it here.

If you haven't seen your picture submission in our newsletter, check out our facebook page. Once there, you can see lots of pet pics, submit more and chat with us or other pet fans!

This happy reunion story happened in Israel a couple weeks ago.

A man in the town of Be'er Sheva spread the word that his Siberian Husky had escaped and was lost. Days passed with no sign of his dog.

Several miles away, in a neighboring town, police were out on patrol. One of the officers knew of the missing dog so when they saw some young boys sitting with a ragged looking husky, they stopped to check it out. They asked the boys about the dog and the boys said they didn't know the dog, that it had been wandering around like a stray. Disheveled and looking thin, they wondered if this might be the lost dog, miles from home. They loaded him into their car and took him back to the police station. After giving him some water, they were able to contact the man whose dog was lost. They described the dog but there were no unique features about this dog or the lost dog. They suggested that the best solution was for the man to make a trip over to see if this straggly dog was his lost dog.

Suddenly, the man realized that there was something unique about his dog that would positively identify him. He asked the police officer to play the theme song from an Israeli sitcom called "Shemesh" or the kid's show, "Arthur". He guaranteed them that if it was his dog, they would know instantly.

The police were game to try and quickly found the songs on their smart phones. But first, before playing those songs, they decided to run a small test; they randomly chose a couple other songs to play and see what would happen. The husky barely looked up.

Then they played the theme to Shemesh. Instantly his ears perked up and then he pointed his snoot to the sky and howled along. Luckily, someone thought to film it so the reaction and singing are all on video. The happy owner hurried over to be reunited with his singing buddy.

Some pictures, and of course the video, are available on the Dally Mail website.

Bob Welter and his family live near Venice, Florida and until a short time ago, their family included two German Shepherds. Sadly, Cubbie recently died of cancer. So when the remaining dog Rex got lost last month, it was especially difficult for the family.

It was even harder for Welter's 9 year old son, Chris. Chris has ADHD and Rex, a 5 year old German Shepherd, was his companion and best friend. Welter was even afraid that Chris might wander off to try and find Rex.

“It was unbelievable how we picked this dog out," Welter said. "My son was on the floor, and he (the puppy) came up to him and put his head down on him. I said, 'I'll take him.' He was meant to be.”

Rex's recent ordeal began at the end of March when his family went on vacation. Rex went to stay with Welter's aunt who lives nearby. After a few days at her house, Rex somehow broke out of a screen porch, probably, they guess, trying to get back home to his family.

Welter and his family did all the right things to find a lost pet but they had no leads. After a few days, it occurred to Welter that while not likely, Rex could have crossed a narrow bridge out to Manasota Key, a narrow, eleven mile long coastal island. Welter made some calls and immediately found that the residents of the island had seen a dog matching Rex's description.

Then, eight days after Rex disappeared, they got the break they needed. A kayaker out for a morning paddle noticed a dog swimming nearby, looking very out of place. Her first thought was to rescue the 105 pound dog but there wasn't much she could do except note where he was headed and go get help. She reported it to Sarasota County Animal Services and luckily, Welter had filed a lost dog report with them. The description sure sounded like Rex and now they had a pretty hot lead.

Only a couple hours after the initial sighting, Welter, one of his older sons and a marine deputy from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Marine Patrol were on the dock, ready to go get Rex. A helicopter was dispatched to do an aerial check where the kayaker had seen him last.

Rex was quickly spotted on a mangrove island, a tangle of roots and branches growing in a tight knot out of the swampy water. In less than an hour, with the help of some good Samaritans, they were able to rescue him off the island, get him into the boat and back to the dock.

What a happy ending to a story that needed a bit of luck to work out so well. Rex lost a few pounds and will need a few baths to get rid of the sea smell but I'm sure they're all beyond excited to be reunited. Read more and see pics on the Sarasota Herald Tribune website.

I love these stories that show our pets, while "just animals", are very aware of how our world works, how getting help works and how to communicate with us.

On March 28th in Crystal Township, a small town right in the middle of Michigan, a 63 year old man with Alzheimer's took his dog for a walk. After several hours, he hadn't returned and it was clear that something was wrong. His wife called for help.

Into the night, troopers and fire personnel searched for the man. Just after midnight, they spotted a dog, still wearing a leash, matching the description of the man's dog. The dog was seemingly just waiting on the side of the road. The dog stared at them and waited for them to get closer. As they did, he turned and headed into the woods.

"The dog looked to be trying to lead the troopers into the woods," reads the release from the Michigan State Police.

And that's exactly what he was doing; he led them through the woods, straight to his human companion who needed their help. The man was not far from the road, but he had fallen and was unable to get up. Without his dog's help, his rescue certainly would have taken longer and may have had a different ending.

I'm sure he got some treats when he got home. Good work buddy!

Watch this mama cat entertain her kitten. (20 sec)
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In keeping with the theme, here's the same game but not nearly as much fun for the small dog! (15 sec)
Gfycat

Very funny clip of a very clever chipmunk out-maneuvering a cat. (15 sec)
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You may also call 1-800-543-TAGS and mention the coupon code; one of our happy, helpful customer service representatives will gladly give you the discount.