From Deb - a professional animal control officer:
It will be a long and arduous process to get Misty to go to someone she doesn’t know, but it can be done. If she is spotted (please God, let her be spotted) it is imperative that you keep her away from the Lougheed or Dewdney Trunk. Driving very slowly, keeping a vehicle between Misty and the highway will keep her safe.

She hasn’t travelled far, but the area in which she has been spotted is large. The more people on the ground searching, of course, the better. If Misty is spotted, and it can be arranged, Yvette, Dave or Stan should be the people who try to lure her to safety. She knows them best, and at this point, a touchstone could make all the difference. (Unfortunately we are too far away - I wish I were closer)

She’ll be hungry, take something that smells great (Safeway/Save-On-Foods/Superstore/Extra Foods cooked chicken, hot and fresh, has never failed me). If you can get her to think more about her belly than her surroundings, you’ll have it made.

If, no, not if, when someone spots Misty, s(he) should call every other tracker (I assume everyone has a cell phone) and they should all meet within the area she’s hanging out. If there are enough people to make a large circle (say around a city block) around her, do it. Look for a house with a fenced yard in the area, tell the homeowner what you are doing, and start to move your circle so that Misty and the target house are surrounded, then start to close in.

Misty will be terrified, don’t shout once you have visual contact. Say her name quietly but firmly “Misty come”. Everyone should have chicken or whatever really tasty treat you can grab, just in case someone other than Yvette, Dave, Stan or Jim get to her first. Don’t make eye contact, try really hard to just behave normally (while your pulse is somewhere around 150 beats per minute). Call the other trackers if they are not in sight, they should get close. You need to back her into a safe place. A fenced and gated yard is ideal, of course. Ask permission from the homeowner before you open a gate, you never know who or what might be in the yard.

Jez and I have caught more dogs than I can count using this method. It’s not a magical solution, just tried and true. The reality is that Misty doesn’t want to be on the run anymore than Jim wants her on the run. She’s just scared, and getting her back will require patience.

Good luck. Misty, be safe, babe.

And from Beverly to help a dog come back:
Poor Misty…tonight will be rough for her and may push her much farther away Crying or Very sad

I have a code word with my Mals. A word I use at NO other time except FREE TREAT time every night. It’s a don’t-have-to-do-anything, no-reason treat time.

They ALL will come to that word when no other words will work. If I use it it’s free food time so they come a running.

Our code word is “Scooby-Doo” lol. Silly as it is…it has saved Mal butts several times.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

It snowed like crazy overnight - everything was covered with a blanket of white. Then to top it all off - we ran out of coffee this morning!! How could that happen? It just isn’t the same to start the day with tea. It is hot, liquid, has caffeine but somehow just doesn’t cut it as a breakfast get-um-up-and-going beverage. We will survive I am sure.

The rafters are going up today as is the wall of the carport. There was young men here today to ehlp out - thank you guys!

The work is progressing well.

Misty has not been found yet. She is trying to cross the Lougheed Highway and looks like she wants ot go back to the airport. She is a very smart girl and a survivor. Hopefully Jim will find her today - he has her favorite squeaky toy to call her. Find Jim Misty - go home to Jim. Let people help you.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

Another migraine. Too much stress. Too much to do, too little time and too little money. It always happens this time of year. Too many dogs coming in, and winter is fast approaching. We need to do our fundraising earlier so we can do what we need sooner. And we need less grandiose projects! Mind you we have needed an adoption center for a long time now. Showing prospective adopters dogs in the pouring rain or freezing cold is no fun! Many a time I needed two or more pens as they froze up signing adoption papers! The new room will be bright and warm. I will be able to shut the door to the main common room - and invite prospective adopters inside. What a novel idea! I will be able to bring one or two dogs into the room for viewing. How cool is that!

Here are a couple Turtle Gardens faces:

Panda - 4 year old spayed shih tzu:

Jillian - 7 month old pom/chi:

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

Thank goodness for good coffee - these days are hard to get going. Both Dave and i are stiff and sore for that first hour - Dave cuz he and the guys are building rafters - 12 of them. Each one has over 500 nails!! There are 2 left to build today than it is putting them up and finishing the front and roof. Money has run low so the tin roofing is a problem. They are thinking of taking down the trailer behind the house (the old leaky storage rooms)- it has rotten walls and floors but the roof is fairly new. It was built over the original roof. More work but it is the only way to finish it before snow flies!

Who let the dogs out?

Is it a coincidence that in the pile of old magazines in the recycling shed at our landfill there was a British Columbia Magazine of Winter 2004 with an article about Taltan Bear dogs?
The article was written by Rosemary Neering and it had pictures in it.

Tuya sort of looks like a taltan mix and her personality is similar but I wonder if Ava is one too? She looks like one, is the right body shape and size of one, acts like one so could be a mix alright. Telegraph Creek isn’t that far north of here and in the pine mushroom area! What do you think?

Dave picked up the Burns Lake Pound pups yesterday. Not two but three!! Now this one is a mystery - breed guess? She is a young female, now spayed, playful and moved in as if she has always lived here. She is confident, good natured - a real doll!! But what is she? And why did they dock her tail? She sort of reminds me of Hercules. She is quite thick in the chest and still needs to fill out. She needs a name too.

The other big guy - now he looks like a big chunky lab and he sure acts like one - what a super nice guy! He needs a name too. He also moved in as if he knew us - he likes chairs and comfort. He must of had a home!

And the third guy. He is an honest to doG corgi mix - he has the body shape for sure! I have named him Ruedi! He is also a happy, confident little guy. He slept beside my bed - he moved in easily and without friction. Thanks Char - this is a wonderful NICE group of poundlings. Why on earth were they in the pound?

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

We need positive thoughts for Misty and Jim who must be worried sick! -If you see her send me a quick email for -Jim’s phone #

Jim wrote:
Have some bad news about Misty. I lost her today in Pitt Meadows while on a hike along the Fraser dyke. I had parked at the Pitt Meadows airport and then walked west along the dyke towards the Pitt River. Misty never lets me out of her sight and she was running along the dyke in the grass. When we were about two miles west of the airport, near the Pitt River she heard gunshots in the distance and got really scared. She started to head back from where we came and hesitated momentarily when I called her but then picked up speed and ran full tilt east along the dyke. The loud bangs in the distance continued as the farmer must have just turned on the blasting machine to scare the birds. We headed back and started running as she got out of sight. When we came across any people they said she did not stop but bolted past them like she was on a mission. I was hoping she went for my car at the airport, and people said she had run there, but when I arrived she was not there. We could still hear the bangs at the airport parking lot so she would have still been upset. I spent hours hiking east from there on the dyke and no one else had seen her.

The good news is her collar was on with the City of Vancouver license, and I had made up another tag with my name, address and phone number on it. It seems all I can do is wait and hope someone phones me. She has been my shadow since I got her and I have taken good care of her as I know she is quite timid and likes to stay in the house. She has never been for a walk out there before, so will be completely lost.

Let’s hope she turns up soon with some good citizen.

Cheers,
Jim

Jim and Misty

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

I seem to be in a slump these past few days and I can’t really figure out why. There is a lot going on; somedays maybe too much. The construction is going well - the rafters are almost all built. The sauna tubes are in the ground for the posts for the car port foundation. That’s right - Dave will be able to back right up to the step to unload supplies out of the weather! There will be 4 foot high plywood walls then fencing/clear plastic above so light can come into the room. Maybe next spring we can put windows in and frame the walls as a garage or another room. Who knows what the future will bring.

Our next fundraiser is in the works. Possibly in March of next year. I heard that it will be a pub night and silent auction. Of course I will have to have another holiday!! How cool is that?

All the dogs are enjoying the activity just outside their door. They are underfoot checking out who/what/why/how and where. Thank doG for patient workers who really really like dogs. It couldn’t be any other way.

The days are getting shorter. The night are downright cold. Every dog is vying for bed space. They sure love my feather duvets! I have several under the covers as well as bodies stretched out all long me - both sides. It is definitely time for hibernation. The last of the chores are nearly done - for this year. We have accomplished pretty much what we planned. And more. The new fence is next as soon as the adoption centre is finished - next week for sure! Careful management of our money should see us through. Then it will be wood getting time and settling in for a long winter enjoying the company of dogs.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

Brrr it is cold outside!

Grizzly decided it was too cold to get up this morning! -8 is not warm enough for a little guy! Squire of course stays close to his best friend as does Sweetpea. They didn’t get up until I finished washing the floors - they knew then I wasn’t coming back!

At my feet - at my computer these guys are well socialized. I promised Wendy pictures of the planets - there is a rough coat jrt among them. He is so cute with his bad hair day look! And one who looks like a teeny tiny blue heeler!! She is very colorful. So here they are with their babysitter Tallulah! And Curly one of the cocker/terrier Gracie pups.

And at my feet when I am busy in the kitchen!

And the new arrival - a stray in Telkwa outskirts where there is no animal control therefore very few options. He sure looks familiar - not him exactly but his type!

There are two in the Burns Lake Pound to pick up. Dave and I both forgot it was Friday yesterday! Oops sorry Char - Dave will get them asap!

Oh and I forgot the foster to adopt guys - Ben and Newman! Ben is gone to a property in Telkwa where he will have two older kids to play with and a trainer/mom to help him learn all his boundaries. He is a good dog. He will be neutered/vaccinated and vet checked at Babine Pet Hospital (Thank you Dr. Mike!) next week then his adoption will be finalized. IF he passes cat 101! Either way he will be neutered while fostered. How cool is that!

Newman is gone to a perfect home - lots of cuddles for our little guy.

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.

or I am just a freaking idiot! The first box we received on Monday was from Cynda!! Mary Jane sent a letter - very pretty too! So thank you Cynda! The box on Wednesday was from Mary Jane of Nevada!! So now I got it right!! I still love the werthers and have to protect them from Sunny who also LOVES them! Her four remaining planets are doing well! They are venturing into the common room already. They sure are small - the small pups (Gracie’s cocker/terrier boys) looks huge next to them!

Hercules had a great check up! He is healing very well - no swelling or infection. He can stretch the leg backwards and forward ie scratching the ground after a pee!! He stands on to it too - again to pee! But this confinement is no fun - he whines and cries and wants to go out and play. Sorry Herc - 6 more weeks!

Back to building today - sunny but -5 is too cold in the mornings - the puddles were solid ice this morning. Lots of help today so the walls will be up by tonight and trusses started for the roof. Soon very soon I and the dogs will be enjoying our wood heat! And our adopters will be signing their papers in comfort. How cool is that?

©Turtle Gardens Animal Rescue Society. Have your pet spayed or neutered today.