05/22/2026
Sometimes it's the right place, but the wrong dog. After posters went up for a recent rescue, Goldie aka Mango, in Goleta, California, the phone finally rang with the kind of lead we had been hoping for. A woman named Lisa called to say she thought she had seen the dog we were searching for near the dumpster outside her apartment building. She said the dog was standing there quietly, but the second it noticed her, it bolted. That certainly sounded promising and we hoped it would be Goldie.
Not long after, another woman named Sarah called with a possible sighting of her own. She was not completely sure the dog was alone, but she could not confirm that the man nearby was the owner either. The dog had no collar, no leash, and as Sarah drove away, she watched in her rearview mirror as the dog and the man went their separate ways at the crosswalk. The most intriguing part? These sightings came from different addresses on the very same street. That was enough to make us think the dog was on the move—and that we needed to move and get there fast. Goldie or not, this dog needed help.
Justice was thrilled to get the information. After a couple of nerve-rattling days of waiting for sightings on Goldie, even a slim lead felt like a lifeline. She headed out right away to check both addresses, hoping to spot the dog—or at least get one step closer. Unfortunately, the dog was nowhere to be found, so she kept canvassing the area. Then, the next day, another call came in. A man named Bill reported that he thought he had seen our dog a few days earlier in the exact same location Lisa had described. He said the dog got scared when it saw him and darted into the bushes.
Bill could not remember the precise day, but we confirmed it had been within the last few days. That was all we needed. Justice and Goldie's owner were together and moved quickly, thinking this might finally be the break that would lead them to the missing pup.
When they arrived, Justice immediately spotted signs that someone had been feeding a dog there. Right beside the dumpster sat a bowl of water and a few small loaves of bread—hardly a gourmet spread, but definitely a clue. Justice quickly and quietly removed the bread, then set a trap baited with something far more convincing: tasty kielbasa. With our live camera set, she and the owner slipped around the corner to wait and watch.
They did not have to wait long. As they monitored the footage and saw a dog step into the trap, their hearts jumped—then did a complete double take. The dog on the screen was not the one they had been searching for at all. Sadly it was not Goldie/Mango.
When they reached the trap, they did everything they could to comfort the little dog. They had no idea how she had ended up living out in the bushes, but one thing was obvious: she had been out there for a while, and she needed help. It was a miracle she had not been hit by a car since she was running right near a busy intersection.
She looked recently groomed, which gave us hope that we might be able to locate her owner quickly. We searched missing pet listings in the area, but no match turned up for the little lady. So we did what we knew gave her the best chance of getting home: we took her to the shelter. We did not have our scanner with us so we knew they would check her for a microchip as well. She did not understand that we were trying to help, and when the shelter staff came to take her from us, she looked at us with the kind of heartbreak only a lost dog can deliver.
The BEST news came a few days ago when we heard this beautiful little poodle mix was reunited with her owner. This rescue was bittersweet, since we are still searching for Goldie/Mango, but we are incredibly grateful that this sweet girl crossed our path. Even in the middle of an ongoing search, we were able to help one lost dog get back to where she belongs … and that is a win worth celebrating.
We are a 100% volunteer organization. We never charge for our time or for our services. We are 100% supported by our donors. To help us continue our mission to help lost and stray dogs, please consider making a donation to our cause. Dog Days Search & Rescue is a 501c3 Non Profit Organization. ALL donations are tax deductible!!
PayPal:
https://dogdayssar.com/donate
Or Venmo -SAR
Or Zelle @ [email protected]
Donations can be mailed and we also can receive corporate donation matching gifts. Contact us for more details on donations.
