Lucy 

After her family left for vacation, Lucy was being cared for in her home by a relative. Although she had met this relative before, she was not familiar enough with him to be comfortable, especially without her family there. Her instinct was to get away from this uncomfortable situation and she slipped through an unlatched gate after being let out later that evening.

Lucy did not travel far and sightings were frequent. Unfortunately, many well-intentioned neighbors spread out looking for her and calling her name. Lucy was already scared and the people and noise made her even more frightened. She ran whenever she saw or heard someone, especially men.

Matt could tell Lucy was trying to return home, but because there was so much activity and noise in the neighborhood and around her house, she was too nervous to approach. The area around Lucy’s house needed to be made as calm and quiet as possible so that she would feel safe walking onto the property. Matt advised Lucy’s family to update social media posts asking everyone to stop searching and, if they happened to see her, to just ignore her and go about their day. The pet sitter also left the house, leaving it dark and peaceful.

Matt’s plan was to capture Lucy in the family’s garage, rigging the door to automatically close once Lucy walked far enough inside. This works by using a laser beam, electromagnet, and bungee cords. Once Lucy walked to the back of the garage and broke the beam, it would release an electromagnet holding the door open. Once released, the door would slam shut, yanked by bungee cords connecting the door to the exterior wall.

Lucy’s blankets and a pile of high-value food were placed behind the laser beam. With the property quiet and dark, Lucy felt comfortable approaching the garage after nightfall. It took a few minutes, but she walked into the building and toward the food. When she broke the laser beam, the magnet released and the bungee cords slammed the door shut. Lucy was safe!

Fencing was placed around the door in case Lucy tried to bolt once it was opened. Because she was scared of men, Matt waited outside while Hannah from CNY SPCA dog control went into the garage to greet Lucy and get her on leash. Hannah lived nearby and knew the family, who agreed that Hannah should watch Lucy and her canine sibling until they returned from vacation. Lucy was rescued just before cold, rainy weather set in. Thankfully she would be in a warm, safe house and be back in her family’s arms within a few days.

Zoey

In late June, Zoey was on vacation from Illinois with her family in Pittsfield, NY when she was let out of the house off leash and ran out of the unfenced yard. She was seen a few times in the immediate area but then disappeared. In early September, she resurfaced 13 miles away in Sherburne. She was thin and it looked like she had been through quite an ordeal while she was lost. She would not get close to people, but was seen near houses. When lost dogs approach houses like this, they are looking for food. The best thing anyone can do is feed them. This gets them much needed nourishment and also gives a rescuer a place to capture them without having to go find them.

A kind resident began leaving food for her. She also reported her sightings of Zoey on social media, trying to determine if anyone was looking for her. She eventually made contact with the local dog control officer. Together, they tried to trap Zoey, but unfortunately it did not work – Zoey stretched out while trying to get the food at the back and her body was still partially outside of the trap when she set it off and she backed out when the door was released. Stretching to get the food at the back of a trap is a sign that a dog is unsure about the trap and nervous to be entering it.

The rescue was then contacted for some extra assistance. Because Zoey had been scared by the first trapping attempt, Matt advised to remove the trap and just leave food and water. Zoey began to return every six hours for a meal. The food was being left in a big, vacant garage, which is where Matt assembled the large enclosure trap the next day. He left the trap unset for the first night so that Zoey could get used to it and he could observe her behavior. This would let him know exactly how to set the trap for her when she was ready.

Zoey was comfortable enough to enter the trap and get all the way to the back on the first night, but was nervous enough to keep stretching out as she made her way in. Since she was coming frequently to this spot, the next day Matt decided not to wait until nightfall and to try to capture her during daylight hours. He set the trap in the early afternoon and Zoey showed up shortly after. She cautiously made her way into the trap, still stretching out to reach the food. But she was brave enough to make it to the back and trigger the door to close. After three months on her own, hungry and scared, she was safe at last.

Zoey was cared for without charge by a local boarding facility after she was trapped. Sadly, Zoey’s family had had to return to Illinois without her. They made the two-day drive back to central NY to pick up Zoey, who had a joyful reunion with her mom! Zoey is now back home, warm and safe with her family.

Butch

Butch was being cared for by a pet sitter while his mom was on vacation. During some outdoor time, the line he was attached to disconnected from his harness and he took off out of the unfenced yard. After a sighting was reported the following day the pet sitter requested help from the rescue.

Matt was able to get to the area of the sighting that evening and set up feeding stations at strategic locations. Within an hour, Butch was caught on camera at one of the stations! Matt set up a trap at this site the next morning. Around the same time, someone reported a sighting of Butch close to the woods behind a nearby business. Unfortunately, the pet sitter went to this location and came face-to-face with Butch, who turned and fled into the woods upon seeing her. Butch had been headed in the direction of the trap, but became so scared when he saw the pet sitter that he never got close again. This is an example of the damage that can be done by going to the location of a lost dog sighting. Dogs in survival mode will not come to anyone, even their own family, and may become so scared when they see a person that they move to a new, unknown location, putting rescuers back at square one.

Day after day dragged by with no sightings of Butch. Matt continued to scout the woods in the area and found animal tracks that looked the right size and shape to be Butch’s. It seemed that Butch may still be nearby but staying out of sight. Matt set up a camera at this location, but did not see any animals coming through and could not confirm that the tracks were Butch’s.

It was feared that Butch was not going to be seen again. But then, after five days with no sightings, he resurfaced less than a mile away in the town of Phoenix, NY, caught on a security camera passing through a homeowner’s yard! Butch was seen in various locations running around the town that day, obviously very scared, and then went into hiding. He was seen again the next morning, still in the town of Phoenix. Unfortunately, people attempting to catch him chased him and the next sighting was about a mile away near a local business. Butch had found a spot to rest, but then the workers at the business approached him and he took off into the woods.

Matt thought there was a good chance Butch was hunkered down, waiting to emerge from the woods in the evening when the surroundings became peaceful and quiet. Around 6:30, Matt set up a trap on the edge of the woods. About 45 minutes later, he watched from a distance as Butch found the trap and gobbled down the food near the entrance. Less than a minute later, Butch was safely in the trap with the door closed behind him! Shortly thereafter, he was reunited with his pet sitter. She called Butch’s mom, who had been having a miserable vacation worried sick about him. They cried tears of joy and relief at having Butch safely rescued. Butch and his mom were reunited when she got back into town a few days later – both grateful to be back together!

Teddy

When Teddy showed up in Parish, he was in bad shape - he had clearly been lost for quite some time and had not been finding enough to eat. Some kind people left food out for him and Teddy’s condition improved. However, he was very scared and would not go within 50 feet of anyone. After an unsuccessful attempt to trap him, Matt was contacted with a request for help.

Matt worked with homeowners in the area to set up feeding stations. Teddy found one in a backyard that he often visited. After Teddy had come to this feeding station several times, Matt set up a trap at the edge of the yard. The first trapping attempt had likely made Teddy nervous about standard-size traps, so Matt used a large enclosure called a Missy Trap. Because Teddy seemed so anxious, in addition to food, Matt left toys and bones for him at the trap. Teddy could relieve some of his anxiety by chewing on these things.

The first time he found the trap, Teddy was willing to go in, but only about halfway. He took the first several bowls out of the trap to eat the food. He then took the toys and bones one at a time, carrying them into the woods. Over the next few days, Teddy became more comfortable going in and out of the trap, walking all the way to the back to get the bowls of food. He was also caught on camera having a ball playing with a stuffed toy!

Teddy seemed most at ease in the mornings, so on the day Matt planned to trap him, he drove up early. Teddy had the same idea and just as Matt pulled up, pictures started coming in from the remote cameras showing Teddy at the trap. After Teddy left, Matt got everything set up and then went out of sight to wait. Unfortunately, Teddy had seen Matt at the trap and became very nervous. He returned to the trap, but was too scared to go all the way to the back, where he needed to be to trigger the door to close. He took the bowls closest to the door and ate the food, but then retreated into the woods. It seemed like it would not be the day to trap Teddy, so Matt unset the trap and hoped he would have better timing the next day.

Just as Matt was about to drive away, Teddy came back! He seemed more comfortable, took more bowls of food out of the trap, and then walked away. Matt decided to give it one more try, so he reset the trap and waited. Sure enough, Teddy returned a short while later, this time brave enough to walk to the back of the trap. He triggered the door to close, finally safe after months of living lost and scared.

After consulting with the local dog control officer, it was agreed that Teddy would be fostered at the home of the director of a nearby wildlife rehabilitation center. Although very nervous at first, Teddy settled in and before long was playing with the resident dogs! Teddy’s adoption will be managed by a local rescue.

Ollie

Ollie was enjoying some time outside with his family in their front yard when he decided he wanted to visit a canine neighbor across the street. Ollie was not secured in any way and simply trotted out of the yard and into the road. To the horror of his family, Ollie crossed in front of an oncoming car. The car was slowing down at a stop sign and bumped into him. Ollie was not badly hurt, but was so scared by what happened that he entered survival mode and took off running.

Fortunately, Ollie did not travel far or stay hidden and there were several nearby sightings. Ollie’s family worked with Matt to set up feeding stations, which Ollie found and began returning to. Ollie’s family hoped that he might approach them if they sat a distance from a feeding station and waited for him to show. However, because Ollie was in survival mode, when he sensed them nearby he moved farther away, staying completely hidden in the woods while they were there. He wouldn’t even make an appearance for his favorite person, his 9-year-old human brother. A dog in survival mode avoids all people. Sadly, even members of their own family are perceived as potential threats.

After Ollie was consistently visiting a single feeding station, Matt set up a large enclosure called a Missy Trap for this big boy. Ollie found the trap the next morning and with just a little hesitation entered and moved toward the back, triggering the door to close. His family lived just a mile away and hurried as fast as they could to the trap location. By this time, Ollie had come out of survival mode and was overjoyed to see his mom, dad, and brother as they approached the trap! Ollie is now safe again in his loving home.

Bruno (now Brew)

After first being spotted in Nedrow, this boy made his way to Onondaga Hill and was seen at numerous locations over the next week. Matt then became involved, starting at the location he had spent the most time. However, he never visited the feeding station Matt set up. It became apparent that he had decided to move on and was already gone by the time Matt got there. A short time later, he turned up in another backyard nearby. Rescue efforts shifted to this location.

The family whose backyard he had chosen began calling their visitor Bruno. Bruno spent most of his time lounging in their backyard. While most lost dogs in Bruno’s circumstances would be in survival mode and run when they saw people, Bruno seemed happy to be near them. He would walk right up to members of this family when they stepped off of their back deck into the yard. If he wasn’t in sight, they would normally find him in his other favorite spot a short distance away, and he would follow them back home. It was impossible, however, to get Bruno by hand. Although he enjoyed being near people, he was scared enough that any time someone moved a hand toward him, he would retreat.

The homeowners allowed Matt to attempt to trap Bruno in their backyard. As Matt set up the trap, Bruno stood just a few feet away and watched. Matt left food in the trap, but did not set it so that Bruno could get used to going in and out, a process known as conditioning. Unfortunately, a miscommunication resulted in the homeowner closing the trap later that night. It is not good for a lost dog to see a closed trap. If they are smart enough, which Bruno was, they can understand that they could become stuck inside the trap. After Bruno saw the trap with the door closed, he was not interested in going in it. Matt switched to a large enclosure called a Missy Trap and positioned it next to the back deck. Although Bruno would walk in and out of this trap, he would never go more than about halfway in, staying close enough to the door so that he could quickly get out. Talk about a trap-savvy dog!

Bruno became more and more comfortable with this family over the next few days. He seemed particularly interested in the family’s two dogs and began playing with one of therm. Then, just like that, he followed his new friend onto the deck and into the house! The homeowner closed the door behind them and Bruno was onto a new life!

After consulting with local authorities, it was decided that this family would foster Bruno for several days. When no owner came forward, they considered keeping Bruno. He had chosen them, after all. Understandably, however, they decided three dogs would be too many. Bruno was transferred to Powerful Paws Rescue and a new foster family. After shortening his name to Brew, they fell in love and adopted him several weeks later. Brew is loving his new life, especially hanging with his canine sister!

Although in the end Bruno/Brew did not need to be trapped, we wanted to share his story because he was such an unusual lost dog - seeking a family but too scared to let himself become part of one. In the end, it just took time for him to let his guard down and find his way home.

Max

Max’s story is one of survival, determination, and perseverance. Max escaped in late summer from her backyard through a gate that had not fully latched when closed. Although there were several sightings, Max was unable to be definitively located and the trail ran cold. Then in late November, nearly three months later, Matt received a call in response to flyers he had hung for a different dog. Someone had seen a loose black dog in his backyard. Matt was willing to help, but the sighting information was vague and it was unclear if this was actually a lost dog. Because lost dogs tend to repeat patterns of behavior, Matt asked the person who reported this sighting to call him if he saw the dog again.

At the start of January, Matt received another call. The black dog had been returning to the backyard again and again for the past six weeks to eat cat food left out for strays. The dog could also be heard barking in the woods at night. This was good news, but would have been even better if the person had called when he saw the dog again after talking to Matt the first time. It is not a bad idea to feed a lost dog because it gets the dog coming back to the same spot repeatedly, which is what a rescuer needs in order to trap them. However, it is crucial to report sightings of the dog quickly so that they can be rescued and taken out of harm’s way as soon as possible. In this case, the depths of winter were approaching and it was feared that the dog would succumb to exposure if not rescued soon.

Matt immediately set up feeding stations in the woods that bordered the property. The black dog found the food. Trail camera footage showed distinctive white markings on the dog that identified her as Max. She had resurfaced four miles from home.

It seemed this would be a typical dog trapping that would take a few days. Matt placed a trap but left it unset for several nights to allow Max to get used to it, a process known as conditioning. Max became comfortable enough to walk in, eat the food inside, and then walk out. On the night Matt set the trap, Max walked in as usual. However, when she triggered the door to close, the sound of it releasing scared her and she was so fast that she was able to turn around and burst out of the trap a fraction of a second before the latch secured. It is not unusual for dogs to become scared as they are trapped, but Max was particularly sensitive to the noise and much quicker than most. (Matt has since changed the latches on the trap to ensure this will not happen again.)

It is not often that a dog gets out of trap like Max did, but when it happens it is devastating for a trapper. Max being scared by the trapping attempt was disastrous. What had seemed straightforward had in an instant become a complicated, intensely delicate operation. After this incident, Max would not go near anything that looked like a trap. It also made her scared of picking food up directly off the ground, so all food had to be placed in bowls, which she often liked to pick up and move to a new location before eating. Most difficult of all, Max now associated Matt with a scary experience, so any time she sensed that he had been somewhere, most likely by smell, she avoided the area.

Max was still at large when bone-chilling subzero temperatures set in. But she was a determined survivor and made it through the worst of winter. Rescue efforts never ceased, including providing food each day. Matt tried several different kinds of traps, but Max would not approach any of them.

At this point, flyers were distributed house to house in the neighborhoods surrounding the wooded area Max was staying in. Max had become elusive and Matt needed to know if she was getting food at any other locations. If she was, this would make it difficult to get her repeatedly coming to a location to trap her. Matt received over a dozen calls from people who had seen Max, nearly ten of whom had been providing food to her or had seen her eating food they left out for stray cats. One sighting went as far back as September, just weeks after Max became lost. Until a flyer was received and people knew who to call, however, none of these sightings was reported. Everyone agreed to stop leaving food out so that Matt could attract Max to a trap location.

What to do now that Max would not go near a trap? There was a backyard Max visited that had a shed. With permission from the homeowner, Matt could rig the door of this shed to close when motion was detected inside, essentially converting the structure into a trap. As with most lost dogs, Max was hesitant to enter small enclosed spaces. The technique used in these cases is to gradually ease the dog into the space by placing food farther and farther in as the dog becomes more and more comfortable going in and out.

Matt started by leaving a bowl of food just a few inches inside the shed, but it proved difficult to make progress getting Max to step fully inside. She would put her front feet in but not her back, eating the food close to the door but no farther. To try to make Max more comfortable, Matt got her toys from her mom and put them near the shed door. Max seemed to recognize her toys and took many of them to a spot in the woods. But still she would not go in the shed. Even though he had been taking measures to disguise his presence, Matt suspected Max was nervous because she could sense that he had been there. Matt decided to remove himself from the equation and enlisted a volunteer to help by visiting the shed each day and leaving bowls of food. Two days after the volunteer started, Max began walking fully inside! Each time Max ate food at one distance, the bowls were placed a few inches farther the following day.

Matt needed Max to be comfortable enough to walk ten feet into the shed before rigging the door to close. Knowing how fast she was, Matt would place the motion detector ten feet deep so that Max would not be near the door when it was triggered to close. It took over a month of inching food deeper and deeper into the shed for Max to comfortably walk ten feet in. Matt had to return to the location at this point to install the equipment necessary to trigger the door. Making changes at a trap location often causes a lost dog to become nervous, so Matt hid everything behind objects already in the shed. He then returned the next morning to put food inside the shed and rig the door to close. Max appeared at her usual time, but took one sniff of the shed and turned around. Whether it was the scent of Matt, the smell of the new equipment in the shed, or both, Max knew something was up and would not go in.

Max needed to be gradually worked back into the shed. Fortunately, it only took six more days for her to walk 9’6” inside. Expecting her to be comfortable enough to walk ten feet in the next day, Matt taught the volunteer how to rig the door so that he would not have to enter the shed himself and leave behind any indication of being there. Early the next morning, everything was set. Max showed up about two hours later and didn’t suspect a thing! As she liked to do, she took the first three bowls out one by one. She then entered the shed to retrieve the fourth bowl, ten feet inside. As soon as she moved to pick up the bowl, the motion detector activated and the door slammed shut. Finally, seven months and one week after becoming lost, and 94 days after rescue efforts began, Max was safely trapped!

Before opening the shed to release Max, Matt placed fencing around the door. It was possible that Max would try to run and every precaution needed to be taken. A crate was then placed in front of the door. With Max’s mom on one side and Matt on the other, Matt opened the door. Max surged forward and into the crate. She was then transported in her mom’s car and into her house while still in the crate. She immediately knew she was home and when released from the crate jumped into her mom and dad’s arms. A long awaited, joyous reunion for all!

Stella

A few days after being adopted, Stella was still nervous in her new surroundings. Scared and looking for an escape, she seized the opportunity to slip past her new parents and dash through an open door. It happened in an instant and she was gone before anyone could react.

Two sightings placed her in nearby woods, making it clear that Stella had picked up the railroad tracks next to her new home and followed them across a bridge to this location. Matt tracked Stella’s movements and found an unsettling discovery: her footprints near the bank of a fast-moving river.

Continuing to scope out the area, Matt suddenly came face to face with Stella! Not wanting to scare her any more than she already was and cause her to run farther away, Matt immediately got low to the ground and moved out of the area. After retreating far enough, Matt quickly set up a trap and placed food inside. He then left and waited, watching the trap through the feed from a trail camera. In just an hour, Stella found the trap. Ten minutes later, she was safely inside and ready to get out of the cold! Matt quickly returned. Stella was then reunited with her very relieved new family.

Saffron

Saffron bolted before even setting foot into her new home. She was newly adopted and nervous of her new surroundings. Her new owner did not have a secure grip on the leash as Saffron was walked from car to house. Saffron became frightened and bolted, ripping the leash from her new owner’s hand.

Cattle dogs are notoriously difficult to trap and Saffron was no exception. After hundreds of flyers were hung, a sighting placed her in a large, hilly patch of woods not far away. Extremely fearful and too smart for her own good, Saffron’s behavior and patterns of movement were unpredictable and evasive. Matt tracked Saffron for two-and-a-half months, trying every technique in the book to safely trap her.

After hundreds of hours of dedicated effort, on the 76th day of her being lost and scared, Matt succeeded. Saffron’s new owner had decided that Saffron was not with the right family and it would be in her best interest to return to the rescue she was adopted from. Matt transported Saffron to the home she had been fostered at. Saffron had been at this home for months and was comfortable there. She easily settled back into her routine. About six months later, Saffron was adopted into her forever home!

Brass

After escaping from his yard, Brass seemed to vanish, until two months later when he appeared on a home security camera about seven miles away. Brass was on the front porch helping himself to some cat food the homeowner Ed had left out for strays. Ed kindly reported the sighting by creating a post on social media. Brass’s parents saw the post and went to the location during the overnight hours that Brass had been caught on camera. However, Brass was in survival mode and would not make an appearance.

At this point, Matt was contacted for help. Brass would not enter the first trap Matt set up and instead tried his best to pull food out through the bars. The next night, Matt placed a larger trap with food inside, but did not set it. He wanted to give Brass some time to get used to the trap, a process known as conditioning. Brass was comfortable with the larger trap and walked in and out of it. The next night, Matt set the trap and Brass walked right in for his evening meal, triggering the door to close behind him.

Brass and his parents were joyfully reunited at the trap location and spent some time with Matt and Ed before heading home. Brass is safe and sound again, thanks to just one reported sighting!

Arthur

Arthur slipped out of his house and decided to keep moving. After Arthur had been running around Syracuse University’s South Campus for four days, Matt was contacted with a request for help. Unfortunately, Arthur was one step ahead and left the campus before Matt got there. He was then spotted from one end of central NY to the other, traveling from South Campus to Eastwood, then Dewitt, Mattydale, Cicero, and finally back to Eastwood, where Matt was able to catch up with him.

When a dog is moving as quickly and covering as much distance as Arthur, the strategy is typically to get ahead of them and place a trap. When Matt got word that Arthur was sighted back in Eastwood, he knew this would be a good spot for a trap. Lost dogs usually establish a route that they like to travel, and Arthur had made Eastwood part of his. Matt set the trap and placed food inside.

While Matt was waiting to see if Arthur would return, commotion from sirens, lawn mowers, and people nearby caused so much noise that Matt thought Arthur would avoid the area. As he was scoping out a possible alternate trap location, Matt started getting notifications that the trail camera focused on the trap was picking up movement. It was Arthur, and he was walking into the trap!

After two weeks of running, Arthur settled right down after the trap door shut. He was then reunited with his family and had a very good night’s sleep!

Romeo

Romeo had just been adopted and brought into his new home. He was nervous in these new surroundings and was startled by the sound of a screen door closing. Romeo was not secured in the house and before the door could be securely latched he seized the opportunity to escape, pushing the door open and taking off.

Romeo was spotted twice in the same area later that day. Matt set up a trap in the location but it appeared that Romeo had moved on. There was another location nearby that looked to Matt like someplace a lost dog might visit. He was right - a sighting of Romeo was reported in that spot the very next day. Fortunately, neighbors who saw Romeo running loose did not chase him and simply reported their sightings, letting Matt take it from there.

Matt relocated the trap and placed food inside. He also laid down a heavy trail of a special scent mixture that is used to draw a dog to a specific spot. Matt then waited nearby, monitoring the trap through the feed from a remote camera. Romeo found the trap in the late evening and made short work of stepping inside and triggering it to close. A few minutes later, Romeo was back in the arms of his very relieved new parents!

Scottie (now Skeeter)

This boy became known as Scottie because he was rescued in the Scottholm neighborhood of Syracuse. Matt became aware of Scottie when someone from the neighborhood reported that she had been feeding him daily for eight months. Scottie came each night to eat the food she left in her backyard and then retreated to the nearby woods to spend his days. There were no other reported sightings of Scottie, even though there were hundreds of houses in the vicinity.

It is not a bad idea to feed a stray dog because it gets the dog coming back to the same spot repeatedly, which is what a rescuer needs in order to trap them. However, it is crucial to report a sighting of the dog after seeing them for the first time so that they can be rescued and taken out of harm’s way as soon as possible.

To rescue Scottie, Matt used a drop trap, which rests on the ground on one end and is raised on the other. When a dog walks underneath the trap into the right spot, the trap is triggered to drop, safely capturing the dog. Drop traps are typically used when a dog is too scared to enter other kinds of traps.

Scottie was rescued on a cold winter night. Matt transported him to the Syracuse city shelter, where he was later adopted and renamed Skeeter. Skeeter is now safe and loving life with his family!

Blanco

Blanco was being cared for by a local rescue. He was out for a walk with a volunteer, who slipped on some ice and dropped the leash. Blanco immediately took off.

Matt tracked Blanco for two weeks before catching up to him. Blanco cooperated perfectly with his rescue, walking right into a large enclosure called a Missy Trap. After the door closed and he was safely trapped, Blanco sat and patiently waited for Matt to arrive.

Sadly, Blanco passed away about a week after he was trapped. Although he was rushed to the vet when he began showing symptoms of illness, they could not save him. It seems that while he was lost he ate something toxic, most likely rat poison.

When a lost dog is found, it is important to take them to the vet as soon as possible for bloodwork to make sure they are healthy. As in Blanco’s case, they may appear healthy but could be very sick. When a dog ingests rat poison, if it is caught early enough, measures can usually be taken to treat the dog and give them a good chance of survival.

Jake

Jake was the first stray dog that Matt rescued. He was initially seen in West Monroe on Toad Harbor Rd, at the edge of the Three Mile Bay Wildlife Management Area. Sadly, Jake had been dumped at this very secluded location. As lost dogs do, Jake established a pattern of behavior. His routine was to travel back and forth along a 10-mile stretch of trail between West Monroe and Cleveland. Along this route, he often stopped for a day or two in certain locations to search for food. He also enjoyed jumping into people’s backyards to play with dogs he met along the way.

About two weeks after Jake was first spotted, Matt was requested to help. He was able to pinpoint one location that Jake repeatedly visited. Matt attempted to get Jake eating at a specific spot near this location by leaving special scent trails to feeding stations. This is a common technique in lost dog tracking that works for most dogs - they simply follow the scent until they find the food. Jake, however, was not interested in the scent and just kept on with his routine.

Matt knew Jake was the kind of dog that needed to have food and a trap placed directly in front of him on the path he normally travels. Matt first tried a large enclosure called a Missy Trap. Unfortunately, before Jake got to the trap, the door somehow closed. It is not good for a lost dog to see a closed trap. If they are smart enough, which Jake was, they can understand that they could become stuck inside the trap. After Jake saw the trap with the door closed, he never went near it again.

To capture Jake, Matt built a drop trap, which rests on the ground on one end and is raised on the other. When a dog walks underneath the trap into the right spot, the trap is triggered to drop, safely capturing the dog. Drop traps are typically used when a dog won’t enter other kinds of traps. Matt placed the drop trap in Jake’s path with food underneath. Jake did not have a problem with this trap and walked right under it to eat the food. The trap was left unset at first to get Jake used to eating calmly in the spot he would need to be to trigger the trap to drop. After five days, he was ready to be trapped. The food was placed as usual and the trap was set. It took three visits, but Jake finally moved into the exact spot to trigger it to fall. The trap dropped and Jake was captured - safe at last!

After no owner came forward to claim him, Jake was fostered by Matt’s family. It proved difficult to find the right home for Jake and in the end Matt realized he was already there. Matt’s family adopted Jake into his forever home several months after his rescue. Jake enjoys spending time with his canine siblings, cuddling with his humans, and sleeping on the back of the couch.