Gatekeeper K9 Rescue, Baldwinsville, NY (2025)

04/21/2025

The generosity of our dog loving community never ceases to amaze me.

When we created our Amazon wish list we discussed how it would be nice to have the ability to print our own fliers. We decided to add a laser printer to the list never expecting anyone to order it.

A few weeks ago we got the biggest surprise when Aria's mom Crista sent us the printer on our list amongst other things.

Crista will tell you I never let her rest when it came to fliers , esp in targeted areas such as Strathmore in Syracuse.

Those fliers are the only reason Aria is back where she belongs with her mom.

We've had an amazing relationship with Syracuse Printing Center for several years now who gets us fliers even same day at times and at less than his cost. But the ability to have zero down time waiting for fliers is a game changer.

I hope to get this machine set up soon and ready for the next lost soul that needs it.

Thank you Crista. More dogs will have happy endings thanks to you.

03/31/2025

I think about your dog, but I am only 1 person.

There are few things in life as consistent as change.

I have put this post off for a few months now. For over a year my life has been in a period of transition. Most recently I have relocated to Oswego NY where I had to integrate my 4 dogs with Wendi Czirr 5 dogs. The best interest and safety of all dogs is of utmost importance to both of us.

If you've submitted a help request in the last few months you've seen a note stating i wont be responding. This, among other things is the reason why.

Few people reading this can appreciate the work that goes into recovering a dog and how that trickles down into your entire life.

I recently made 4 trips from Oswego to Baldwinsville in one day to capture a dumped dog while trying to work on things I needed to get done for myself.

Not long before that I had two dead batteries in my truck 3 hours away after capturing a dog in Olean NY after months of others attempts. Not being able to shut the truck off I had to stop at a Walmart and buy the batteries and tools I needed to change them at midnight so I could go to work the next morning.

Just 2 examples of what it takes to live this life. I have many more I wont bore you with but the point is your plans for the day are never yours as was the case this past saturday because someone else decided to dump their dog on Amber Rd on Onondaga.

In many of these cases my phone blows up with dozens of messages of how sad the situation is, the dog needs immediate help, the dog wont survive, the dog is injured, the dog is in the road, and the list goes on.

Yes it is sad, but almost never is any of the rest of it relevant. The process is the process. It cannot be rushed for any reason. We are all on the dogs time. The rest of the drama only brings uneeded attention to a situation wed prefer be invisible. Social media is the worst thing to happen to many of these dogs. I lost count of how many people I asked to move along Saturday afternoon.

So when i see comments like "no sign of the trapper", "WTF why wait until tomorrow, the dog needs help now" along with all the other expert advise that is spewed on social media like "you need to post sightings so we know where to look" it wears on you.

I was even recently berated by someone who begged me to help get a dog back that they gave away online pregnant and after giving birth those upstanding folks dumped the dog in a wildlife preserve. After returning said dog i recieved a screenshot that she was listed on FB for free once again. I asked them to "not do that again. Let me find a rescue so she gets properly placed once and for all". They didnt like that. I later found out this person runs a free pet page locally and is one of the many contributing factors to the endless mess we are in. No worries, this dog is now in an amazing forever home. No way was I going to turn my back on the dog.

I am frequently unable to make contact with dog control and am left housing dogs overnight and having to deal with it in the morning, cutting into my work day.

Why do I say all this ?

Beyond the work it requires to first get the dog eating,then place a trap, then sometimes change traps or make adjustments and condition the dog I have to factor in the entire scenario. Do i have a responsive owner ? How public is this case, how much interference am i likely facing ? How big will the waste factor be on this case ? Meaning how many hours or days will be wasted due to folks interfering with the process. Do we have to flier ?

Almost none of the lost or found or sighted posts include any useful information such as location which means those details have to be tracked down. Most often manually because the poster will never respond. The list goes on.

Ive said it a hundred times, if i agree to take the case i will see it through..... sometimes that means months of daily work.

I think many believe I drop a random trap in a random place and the magic box presents a dog. The majority of the work is usually leading up to that which can take weeks in some cases.

So please dont ask for updates 2 hours after i say im working on it.

The number of dogs being dumped is unprecedented which means the number of people willing to do such a thing is much higher than I'd hoped. And in too many of these cases I work my ass off trying to be everywhere and work against everything possible only to have the dog euthanized once caught. I know we cant save them all but its disheartening to say the least.

Stop having "accidental litters".

I try to keep these posts educational and heart warming. I don't do drama, but the reality is the reality. The really great happy endings are not the norm.

Rescues, please do all you can to get folks to take the flight risk seriously. Insist on martingales. I know you can't make anyone do it and you are all drowning. But I see the exact same scenario over and over until infinity.

I was asked not long ago if I regretted starting this. I will never regret helping a dog in need. I regret the hope that I would see more good than bad.

I absolutely love helping these dogs, and feel such piece out in nature working to be in the right place to give your dog a lifeline to help....just me and the ticks 🙄

Many have said you need to charge for this and make it your job.... I struggle with this idea immensly. Who pays for the dozens of dumped dogs and who pays for the dogs of less fortunate folks who love their dog more than anything. Its not the dogs fault.

Maybe I'll attempt a social media/patrion push someday. Although I hate that idea.... something to keep thinking about I guess.

I still have a lot I'm trying to get thru for myself so please understand I'm doing more than I really can daily and if I cant respond its not because I don't care.

I think about your dogs, but I am only 1 person.

Here is a collage of most of the innocent souls I've helped since my last post ...... almost all of them are dumped dogs. Please stop throwing your dogs away.

I dont normally say boo to anyone, but I'm tired. Compassion fatigue is real folks.

Much more I could say but I'll stop rambling. Thank you everyone for your continued support. I definitely can't keep going without it.

I think about your dogs........

11/29/2024

April

In mid October I was contacted by the Cortland County SPCA Cruelty Officers and dog control requesting help with a dog they had been attempting to trap for about a month.

As always I had too many irons in the fire but knew I had to help this poor pup. It had been determined that this girl had originally been dumped on state lands on Taylor valley Rd on or about April 1st.

In 6 months she had only moved about 5 miles where another homeowner had been seeing her daily in her yard.

Being unwilling to enter a standard trap I advised SPCA to simply leave food and pull their trap entirely and I would make the hour trip down in the coming days when I could arrange some time. If you read Aria's story recently, this was the dog I was referring to.

My best option was setting up the enclosure and conditioning first to see her behavior. Later that day she made her first visit and entered nicely.

The next morning before sunrise I made the hour drive once more to set the trap and bring this girl to safety.

After 10 hours staring at my steering wheel she finally returned, ending her 6 month long lonely journey.

After just 10 short minutes sitting quietly with her she was getting pets and showing us how much she appreciated the help.

I will never find words to describe being the first humans to have contact with a betrayed dog after 6 months of avoiding humans at all costs. It is simply one of life's most incredible experiences. I am lucky.

April is safely at Cortland County SPCA awaiting her forever home. One where she will never be alone, hungry, or scared again. One where she will be .

Don't forget

11/25/2024

Another wish list thank you, this time going out to Heidi O'Rourke and Rhonda Hutchins. I can't thank everyone enough for the amazing support.

Our wish list can always be found on our website under the donate tab. Along with all other methods of payment/donation.

https://www.gatekeeperk9rescue.org/donate

11/23/2024

A big thank you to Judy Scatko and Ann Kulak for the donations this week from our Amazon wish list. It will all get put to good use getting lost souls back home or onto a better life. Thank you !

11/17/2024

Aria, I'll do my best to keep it short.....

I have been thinking about what to say on this post for the last 3 weeks I've been working to capture her.... I've been running from one to the next for weeks .....

Aria's family recently relocated from Buffalo NY to Fayetteville NY.

Upon her very first day alone in her new home Aria was able to escape her crate, jump on the kitchen counter, lift an ajar window, tear out the screen and escape. Initially, she would stay in her new yard for a short time but as neighbors saw her alone in the yard and attempted to help her, she was left with no choice but to retreat.

In most cases a dog in this scenario would simply return home overnight, even if only briefly to eat..... Why I always suggest food at the point of escape.

Aria, however, is different. She would quickly travel to Wegmans and then to the vicinity of Woodchuck Hill Road. The next sighting would be from Christine on a trail camera she used to monitor cats. Christine just so happened to be a friend of one of our board members, Amy. So the dots were quickly connected and Christine began leaving food for Aria in case she returned. Two days later she did however the food was already eaten by the cats. Aria would once again relocate.

She had now made her way to the Jamesville Grove neighborhood adjacent to Jamesville Beach and park. Once again we encountered wonderful folks who left food for her and allowed us to use their property to capture her. One home in particular she had made several visits to. That night a trap was placed there but not set with the plan to set in the morning. Her times were always the same, mid morning thru mid afternoon. Pretty much opposite most lost dogs.

I have a rule for myself which is one at a time. I fully commit to any dog I agree to take which means 24-hour-a-day work until they are captured. That's the only way to be successful. But, anyone who knows me well will tell you I don't use the word "no" often. Which puts me in very tough spots frequently. I was also supposed to be in Mcgraw the following morning to capture another lost soul dumped 6 months prior in state lands. I had promised Cortland County SPCA Cruelty officers I would be there prior to the most recent info on Aria. As hard as I try I still cannot figure out how to be in more than one place at once. Not wanting to let either dog down the plan was for Amy and Christine to set the trap that morning while I was in Mcgraw..... Unfortunately Aria would once again encounter folks in their yard and move on yet again and never make another attempt to access food at the trap.

Next she would spend a couple days in the Lafayette Road area along Route 81. Again that was short lived and she moved across route 81 and was then spotted on the south side of Syracuse.

Whenever I have a dog in Syracuse I contact everyone's favorite DCO Barb to give her the info in the event dog control was getting sightings. To my surprise after sending pictures to her, she replied, I saw her today !

Aria had now moved to the west side of Syracuse on the border of the Strathmore neighborhood. A feeding station was placed here and 4 days later after no sightings she hit the food and spent 10 minutes eating.... very typical behavior.

Given the 5 cats, 1 opossum, 2 raccoons, and countless crows I was also feeding I decided the enclosure was best to place since I can control what triggers the door. After 5 nights of no sleep she would return once again for 42 seconds and leave never returning again. It is my belief the cats were protecting the food and Aria was not going to stand up to them. She was never very food motivated anyway.

After another week of no sightings, Aria's mom had been busy placing fliers all over the area and we finally got the call we had been waiting for. Aria had been spotted twice a day for the last 8 days on Will Ave in the Strathmore neighborhood. Matching up the provided pictures with what I was seeing in person I was able to locate the exact location she was seen bedded. She was still there so the trap was quietly placed nearby and a scent trail laid leading back to it. In less than 30 minutes Aria's month long ordeal was over.

Aria's mom was once again traveling back from Buffalo when this happened so she hung out with me in the warm truck getting some snacks waiting for her mom to arrive.

In an interesting bookend to Aria's story I trapped yet another dumped dog this morning, just 12 hours after she was reunited with her grateful mom.

There is not a single person in animal rescue who is not burnt out at the moment. We are all doing more than we can and it will never be enough to keep up. Thats the hard truth. My greatest wish is that someday every rescue will be "out of business".

I will post the stories of the two lost souls abandoned by their people in the near future. I simply have not had time as is often the case.

Funds are dropping daily and we could really use the support of our community that has always kept us afloat. Besides the dozens of hours each dog requires, they also require hundreds of dollars to capture. Our biggest ongoing expense is fuel and food.

If you are able to donate, please do so. I cannot continue the exhausting yet rewarding work I do otherwise. I have always been so humbled and shocked by the support my work has received.

https://www.gatekeeperk9rescue.org/donate

Thank you to Christine, Carol and her husband, Amy, Crista - Arias's mom and all the folks that took the time to call in sightings... You are the reason she's warm tonight.

Welcome home Aria. I have no doubt you will be the rest of your days.

Always remember and .

Welcome home sweet girl !

10/28/2024

106 days ....

Chloe was lost in Bolivar NY while out for a walk with her Dad and K9 buddy.

The simple act of removing her leash would result in 106 days of work.

After months of trapping attempts with traditional traps including a large enclosure it became painfully obvious Chloe was not having any visible trap.

Chloes Dad contacted me regarding the use of the collarum to finally capture his beloved family member. The collarum is placed beneath natural ground cover and is released by the pulling action of the dog. A cable is thrown over the dogs head to prevent them from escaping. A highly effective tool if deployed correctly.

Due to the 3 hour drive I advised him I would be happy to help her if he could handle the prep work which is extensive and highly detail oriented.

He was happy to help any way he could and in no time at all Chloe was conditioned to the location we needed and it was time to bring her home.

I made the 3 hour drive to Bolivar, set the collarum and we waited only a couple hours for her to arrive. In true lost dog fashion she made me sweat with a teaser visit earlier than her normal time, but did return after dark when all was quiet and she felt safe.

After more than 3 months on her own Chloe was going home.

While the gratitude these dogs show for being helped is obvious, I so wish I could read their minds.

Welcome home Chloe. I'm so happy for you.

10/13/2024

Griff now has a family of his own ....

It's not unusual for me to go out to capture a dog with no idea what I'm going to do with said dog once captured. That's simply the reality of the absolute mess we are in with unwanted pets.

Normally after a night with me I can figure something out. Griff took 6 months to figure out.

After being one of over 1000 dogs abandoned on the streets of Syracuse yearly Griff was a very scared boy. The night he was captured he would not allow touch from anyone.

After spending that night in the trap decompressing he slowly became the amazing boy I struggled to hand over to his very own family a few weeks ago.

I had become his person immediately, literally helping him off the street. Something that I've experienced all too often. But after 6 months of our routine that I somehow added to my day it was time to let him experience his own family.

A family that I must thank for not having unrealistic expectations and willing to put some work into making Griff part of them. All too often we see dogs returned because they didn't fall perfectly in place the first 24 hours in their new strange house. Griffs family has put no timeline on his comfort level, and for that I thank you. Griff thanks you.

I miss our nightly routine buddy, but I'm so glad you have your own house now and I can confidently say you'll be forever.

Thank you to Seventh Heaven Rescue for not only coming out that cold March night to lend another set of hands to me but for also taking him into your program and handling his medical needs and finding him what I believe Is the perfect home.

While this journey has shown me the worst of mankind, I like to think it's shown me more good than bad. And nothing exemplifies that like the thankless work everyone in the rescue community does daily.

I hope your happy buddy. I love you. I've been checking on you.

09/23/2024

Bo was rescued from a hoarding situation where he lived with 40 other dogs in Canada.

After making his way to his foster mom in Martville NY he unfortunately escaped the house on 7/21 and ultimately traveled 16 miles north to the Murray St area in the city of Oswego.

For over a month attempts were made by his foster mom, dog control, and neighbors to capture this scared boy with no success.

With numerous sightings on Murray St along the powerlines I started there.

Just as I was finishing my first feeding station I looked to my right and there was Bo headed straight to me. I immediately picked up my things and walked away pretending not to see him. Establishing a feeding station was the first priority.

I watched from a couple hundred feet away as he cleaned up his meal.

Once he left I placed the 60" trap and felt best to condition him knowing the fear this poor guy had. As suspected it was evident that trap was not going to work.

So the next night the enclosure was placed and I waited. It was apparent once again he wasn't gonna make it easy on me. So more food was meticulously placed and I gave him the night to work on it in the quiet neighborhood. A couple more days of this and he was finally ready.

Just as he appeared at the trap on trap night a truck pulled up and drove down the power lines sending Bo to the safety of the woods again.

"Give it another hour" Is a phrase every trapper knows well and that is what we did. So later that night Bo was safe once again.

While we waited for his foster mom to come get him he laid calmly with us but refused to look at us. The sad reality of the mental state these innocent mill dogs experience brought into this world as a commodity instead of the amazing creatures they should be appreciated as.

Thank you to Bo's foster mom for giving him the chance he deserves to be forever.

And thank you to Whispering Woods Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation for the assist once again since I was in your backyard.
Always remember .

09/06/2024

Yukon was lost in Clay NY after escaping an open sunroof at a shopping Plaza.

As is often the case In these scenarios Yukon did not leave the area and stayed along the power lines directly behind the stores.

Yukon's family attempted numerous hand captures unsuccessfully and decided to leave food behind.

The food was being eaten overnight but with no way to know who was eating it I advised them to put a camera there and let me know what they saw.

Once it was confirmed it was infact Yukon eating a trap was set for him close to his usual time of dusk.

Just a few minutes later he appeared and after about 10 minutes of studying he was captured and safe once again.

I commend Yukons family for leaving food for him. Leaving food is normally the last thing folks think to do when it's actually the first and most important thing to do.

Welcome home Yukon. May you be the rest of your days.

Always remember these two important things : .

08/25/2024

On August 20th I was contacted by Hannibal dog control regarding a large stray that had been around for about a month.

Some kind folks had been feeding him but no one could get near him.

Since there was already a feeding station established I was simply able to go to that location and set the trap.

A few hours later and this big boy was safe. Once we got to the shelter he gave us all some thank you licks and zoomies.

If you have any information regarding this amazing boy please contact the Oswego City shelter.

A big thank you to Wendi from Whispering Woods Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation for always being my Oswego county helper of all things 4 legged.

Most importantly a big thank you to the Lindsley family for being a voice to the voiceless.

The unwanted animal crises we are experiencing all across the country only gets worse by the day.

08/07/2024

Samara

July 17 th Samara would slip out a fence gate left ajar from the landscape company in Camillus NY.

She would quickly make her way to the East Hill Ski Hill Park as I suspected. Unfortunately, well intentioned attempts to catch her sent her fleeing into an adjacent neighborhood with a mix of open woods, thick woods, cliffs, and many raised decks and sheds.

With very few options for water my biggest concern for her was dehydration as temps were in the high 90s.

Every few days a single sighting would come in and I would spend hours trying to determine where she ducked in next.

Eight cameras and 20 gallons of scent later I had pulled everything including neighborhood dogs but no Samara.

Finally after another 4 days of nothing a sighting came in that led me to believe an area I had interest in all along could be what we needed.

After making contact with a few homeowners to get permission to access the area I set up 3 more feeding stations with 10 more gallons of scent and as I was waiting for another dog my phone dinged with a picture of Samara.

FINALLY, she found a feeding station. She spent the night coming and going as many do. A trap was set for her by dark the next night and 30 mins later she was safe once again.

Samara's family suffered another loss a few days after she escaped, the details of which are not mine to share but I was happy to be a small part of getting her home where she belongs to help her humans mourn and heal. Which is, afterall, a dogs purpose.

With the help of Whispering Woods Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation we also treated another mangy fox I encountered along the way. Please support them with a follow, share, and monetarily if possible.

Keep fence gates locked until the need arises to open them. Once the use is over re lock the gate immediately to prevent accidents like this. Also, signage reminding workers to keep gates latched could be helpful.

I know you will be the rest of your days Samara.

From all of us at GKK9 Rescue we extend our condolences to the Griffo family for their recent loss.

Lastly, Thank you to all the homeowners that left water out and allowed me to get where I needed to be to help Samara. It may surprise some that I often get no cooperation so it's much appreciated when I do.

Always remember !!!

08/06/2024

Recently while working to find and capture a Bichon named Samara a sighting came in off a Iocal Ring camera.

While the location and behavior was a bit off for what I would expect I will be the first to tell you to never underestimate a lost dogs ability.

I didn't expect this to be samara but could not tell for sure off the ring video. So I figured either I'll get samara or help another lost soul.

The homeowner, Dillon did everything right and left the dog food and water and didn't go looking for her.

I made contact with him and he was happy to let me do whatever I needed.

So that night I was set and ready before dark and shortly later she was safe.

The long nails, matted hair, sagging underside, skin infections, and fleas tell a story of a life of breeding until she was no longer of use and tossed out like garbage.

All that didn't stop her from climbing right in my lap for the ride to the shelter after spending the night with me.

I've decided to call this little lady Dillon for obvious reasons. It just fits.

Better days are ahead Dillon where I have high hopes you'll be forever.

Samara is also safe, story to follow soon.

Don't forget just as it did for Dillon.

07/17/2024

Delayed post :

Recently there have been several local hoarding cases. In one instance involving over 100 dogs. In each of these instances the dogs being adopted a short time later are finding themselves alone on the street. And in some cases the same dog more than once in the same week..... you can only trap a dog so many times.

This is Ivy's story.

On june 21st Ivy was at her new home just a few hours when she was left unattended in the fenced backyard and found her escape route...... if the head fits, they fit.

Lucky for Ivy her new Dad, Austin is amazing and would stop at nothing to get her home. Being in utica I don't normally watch those posts all that closely, but I happened to see a comment with a picture of a trap that Austin was using to attempt catching her.

Having done this a few times I saw some mistakes and felt that with proper setup he could get her with the trap he had. So I sent him a message asking him to call me.

As the hours ticked away that night she never returned to the trap which surprised me since she knew there was food there, but he did get a sighting on the other side of the river and the thruway.

Austin, having never experienced loosing a dog had been updating her location by the minute thinking that was the best option to keep folks aware. Unfortunately, this brought well meaning helpers to the area ultimately pushing her out and across the river and thruway. One of the first things I advised him was to stop updating anything. "Nobody needs to know nothin" is something you've heard from me if I've helped you.

So with her new location he reset and tried again. She spent hours at the trap but would not even attempt it.

It was time for the enclosure. Being unable to get to Utica right away I met Austin in a parking lot near the job I was on and gave him a crash course on enclosure setup and off he went.

By 10 pm that night she was safe again and back home where she is cherished.

Austin, you are a natural and I applaud and appreciate you. Not only did you do ALL the work 24 hours a day for a week, you listened and did exactly as I suggested you do and I thank you for that.

The word "decompression" gets thrown around a lot. No dog can decompress in a loud, overcrowded shelter. Not properly anyway.

Every dog coming home should be going thru a proper decompression. If done correctly this simple step would prevent almost all new adoption escapes I see on a daily basis.

Bringing a new dog home is exciting for people. It's an unknown, scary, uneasy feeling for the dog. Most of the time being forced to meet friends and neighbors, go for walks, go to sporting events, etc. The amount of overstimulation is off the charts and the first chance they see to flee, they take.

I hope to bring you more on proper decompression soon. It's a vital, rarely used tool that will set your new dog up for success.

Until then, remember .

No one wants to see these dogs safe more than me, but please remember you CAN help a dog to death. Probably my favorite rescue saying.

I see many more days for you Ivy being .

Thank you again Austin for being you. Thank you Beth Jones for lending Austin your equipment as well. You are always ready and willing to help.

07/02/2024

Tiss the season .....

The daily posts of dogs running off after fireworks or thunder is well under way.

They will only increase over the coming week, and frankly weeks.

🐾 Never bring your dog to a fireworks display.

🐾 Give them an active Day prior to the event taking place In the evening.

🐾 Provide a safe space for them to retreat to during fireworks with background noise and chew items..... chewing is an anxiety reliever for any dog.

🐾 Ideally stay home with them. Dogs have been known to break thru patio doors, push AC units out, and even jump off roofs to escape the sounds of fireworks. Never underestimate a panicked dogs ability.

🐾 Be sure to update all chip Information should the unthinkable happen. If you recently adopted you have to do this, the shelter or rescue did not. (In most cases)

🐾 Be sure your dog has updated contact info for you on their collar as well.

Do your part to keep them .

Gatekeeper K9 Rescue