AKC is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to akc.org. If you purchase a product through this article, we may receive a portion of the sale.
A miracle happens when dog lovers and friends come together to find a lost dog.
On May 16 in Lake Tahoe, California, a Belgian Tervuren named “Vixen” bolted past her pet sitter and ran into the rugged Tahoe National Forest near her home. The pet sitter immediately engaged friends, and soon a community of 40 people in cars, on electric bikes, and on foot began combing the area for the missing puppy, who was luckily microchipped.
“When I received the call that Vixen had escaped, my heart pounded, and I had to calm myself down before I could take any action,” says the dog’s owner, Donna LaBarge. At the time, LaBarge was in Florida visiting her father. That visit was quickly cut short, and she was on the earliest flight back to California.
This was LaBarge’s fourth Tervuren. Although she had never lost a dog, she remembered joining a search party nine years ago for “Kizzy,” a missing Australian Cattle Dog show dog that was lost in the Nevada Desert. That experience taught her a few things about what it means to look for a lost dog.
Finding a Lost Dog in an Endless Forest
LaBarge was especially anxious to locate Vixen as quickly as possible, long before the July Fourth weekend. More dogs go missing around the fourth of July than at any other time, which is why July is National Lost Pet Awareness Month.
Unpredictable and deafening noises and sudden flashing lights of fireworks frighten dogs, causing them to panic and run away to escape the situation. The clock was ticking to find LaBarge’s beloved puppy.
The surrounding forest posed unique dangers for Vixen, a long-coated herding breed. Living in the Sierra Nevada mountains of South Lake Tahoe, LaBarge frequently took Vixen on walks away from the pine trees, shrubs, and dense forest trails crossing the 850,000 acres of public land. While Vixen had a microchip, LaBarge worried about the trails that crossed roads, and that wildlife might find Vixen before searchers could.
“Porcupines and coyotes were always around, and I once found a bear cub on my front porch trying to get into a food delivery box,” LaBarge says. “I also worried that someone would find Vixen and keep her.”
The Dog Show Community Steps Up to Help
In addition to notifying her breeder, LaBarge called her friend Debbie Vincent, a fellow Belgian Tervuren owner in Medford, Oregon. Vincent immediately stepped into action to help, posting social media messages on all possible pages, including the West Coast dog show’s community list. Through the list, LaBarge met Mo Dimercurio, a Bouvier des Flandres owner who lived nearby.
“People I didn’t know reached out, had eyes everywhere, and forwarded contacts and tips that helped find my dog,” LaBarge says.
“The people who had installed my home security system and owned Vixen’s litter sister volunteered to watch my camera and view the front of my house if Vixen returned while I was gone searching,” LaBarge says.
LaBarge also contacted the El Dorado County Animal Services in South Lake Tahoe and filled out a Lost Dog Application. It required Vixen’s microchip number, but LaBarge didn’t have it with her. “Luckily, it popped up quickly on the AKC Reunite website,” she says.
Animal Control offered a wealth of information, including offering to help set up a trap if they narrowed down an area where Vixen might be hiding.
What Helped and Didn’t Help to Find Vixen
Wanting to do more, LaBarge researched what to do if a pet goes missing. She compiled a spreadsheet, hoping it could help someone who has lost a dog.
“Soon, I was inundated and overwhelmed with a constant stream of phone calls, emails, and well-meaning advice on the best ways to find Vixen,” LaBarge recalls. “The problem was that they conflicted; all I wanted to do was find my dog.”
Should You Call Their Name? Someone said not to call Vixen’s name while searching. If a stranger called the dog’s name, she might go into survival mode and hide. “This felt counterintuitive, especially since I had taught Vixen to respond to ‘come.'”
Should You Offer a Reward? LaBarge and her volunteers put up “Lost Dog” posters around town, but opted not to list a reward. “I felt it would encourage someone to try and catch Vixen and scare her farther into the forest,” LaBarge says.
Put Out Dirty Laundry: Hoping her scent would draw Vixen home, LaBarge left a trail of her unwashed clothing and dog toys surrounding her house. It may or may not help, especially in windy or rainy weather.
Using a GPS Tracker: Vixen didn’t have a tracker on her collar at the time. Now she doesn’t leave home without one. With many types available, keeping a GPS charged and choosing one the dog can’t chew off is the best guarantee it will work.
When to Use an Expert: Someone recommended contacting a local pet-search specialist, but LaBarge felt uncomfortable with the person’s advice. “She said only her team would conduct the search without any outside help, but I couldn’t sit back and do nothing, so I declined to hire,” LaBarge says.
Putting Up Posters — and Posts
LaBarge and volunteers posted about 50 posters around town and told people in the community about her lost dog. “Having feet on the ground and talking to people felt good,” she says. “People were reaching out to me.”
Three miles from LaBarge’s home, a man saw Vixen. He googled “Lost dogs of Tahoe,” and one of the missing-dog posts Vincent filed popped up with Vixen’s information. He called LaBarge and said, “I just saw your dog.” LaBarge says, “He took a photo of her and sent it to me along with the street identification. We searched there for five hours but didn’t find her. Another man came by and reported finding her at another house.”
After three days of searching, LaBarge felt they were closing in on her dog’s location. LaBarge went in one direction, while Dimercurio went in the opposite direction and found Vixen behind a house.
“When I saw my dog pop her head around the house, I said in a soft voice, ‘Is that my pretty girl?’ ” LaBarge says. “I was scared that she would run off, but I dropped to my knees, and she came to me.”
The search was over. “It was a miracle we found Vixen, and never without the help,” LaBarge says. “She was in pretty good shape despite only losing one pound.” LaBarge, on the other hand, lost three pounds and wasn’t able to sleep until Vixen came home. Her paw pads had rough edges, and her coat was speckled with pine sap that took days to remove. “But she was home safe.”