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Slow Down..These phones are reading our minds. The first song on the suggested 'add music' IG offered up couldn't fit th...
12/25/2025

Slow Down..

These phones are reading our minds. The first song on the suggested 'add music' IG offered up couldn't fit the situation more perfectly.

Four months ago this special monkey and I became blood brothers. We have each other's DNA running through our veins. It wasn't a pleasant introduction, but to me at least, it was one of the most rewarding ever.

I haven't seen him since his preliminary post capture vetting, and needless to say, he wasn't thrilled to see me. When I arrived on the afternoon of the 23rd to take him home while his long term foster mama went to go see family I was greeted with a low growl and retreat.

Himz no likey Mikey..

These fearful dogs have taught me so much. Today he reminded me the words to his life story in song form. Slow down!

We turned a corner this morning. Funny how food creates urges that you can control for only so long. He emerged from his crate because I got out of his way. Once out, crate got shut and he looked for an open door. Once he realized I'm the keeper of the keys, he allowed all the tools to get connected. Post poopNuke, insecurity with a sprinkle of pseudo trust, he came to me a sat down. We may have just pushed a reset button together.

Other than all my past fuzzy loves appearing in front of me, this is the best gift I could have wished for.

In all things, slow down, be present, and celebrate the little moments as much as holidays!
No one wins the real race.

11/26/2025

An opinion based upon many many years of lost dogs. There are three things that absolutely guaranteed suck. 1. Retractable leashes 2. Harnesses and 3. vacumn cleaners.. not really interested in discussing the first two. The third one we can talk about when mine breaks. Ok.. enough of that!
Sosa, a little dude too young to even tie his shoes took off when arriving to the home of a cousin of his owner. In a flash, he demonstrated the flexibility of a gymnast, twisty turny loopy floppy flops of an Olympic diver and of course the speed of wait for it.... a dog! Yeah, they're faster than us!!!
Fortunately his chase didn't last but a few feet when the humans brain said... whoa, hang on...stop!
Immediately his caretaker, created a flyer and got on it. A few days went by and someone on Nextdoor mentioned a few people who could probably help, and I happened to be the one who responded first.
Fast forward... lots and lots of rain a committed neighbor (with experience...how'd that line up?) and 4 nights of fogged windows, 68,327 cats and 3 different weather apps, which never agreed with each other..
Persistence paid off, but more importantly, the undying commitment of a couple of people, a truckload of catchy things, whose driver can't resist an opportunity to drink coffee and stay up past everyone's bedtime to ensure that tomorrow does in fact arrive for us all.. "you're welcome"

Sosa.. dude, it's all good. Jeff, Christina awesome people you is!

11/24/2025

When setting a trap for a lost lil pup in the rain, all the hungries came out. We were trapping feral cats right and left. All this while "raining cats and cats." Across 4 nights i think the door closed 15 or more times, just on the wild ones instead our lil pup.

If a scared dog encounters an upside down psycho hisser, at best, it can create delays, at worst, it can send a message of terror that the dog will want no part of.

Being aware, alert, and most of all close, can help.

No matter what though, that miserable Murphy can be in the area on any given night.

We got our pup, but that's for a different post.

On some evening in the blurry part of last week, I receive a message from Claire, followed by a lengthy conversation wit...
11/11/2025

On some evening in the blurry part of last week, I receive a message from Claire, followed by a lengthy conversation with HeratheDogVodka. Upon pulling into a gas station on the way back from Vegas, two people were witnessed feeding 3 dogs. Questions were asked, videos taken and a subsequent phone made.

It seems the three had been there for a couple weeks minimum. A reflexive tap on the shoulder to Em, who surprisingly asked where and when, and off we went.

A quick cruise through the two gas station parking lots yielded nothing. But as I exited the property of one and turned into the other, there they were. The setup for a multiple dog capture takes time and room. About the time we were tightening the last bolt and hanging my remote system, a car approached grilling us on what we're doing. After a quick summarization, she left. A short time later she was back and we were being told to leave or she'd "call the cops." She further muttered that it didnt matter because they were going to be "tranq'd tomorrow anyway." Wanna make me see red, say something stupid that will put dogs in danger... works every time!

Round two. Another setup, on the other property with full blessing. Turns out her dumb comment had zero merit. Agencies with actual ability to do that, had no knowledge of anything related to her comment and further stated they would never do that under these or even similar scenarios.

After a ton of work by Em and later, our Vodka Empress, all three were in the trap... that is until I hit the button a little too early. She heard the click and shot out the ever tightening gap like a rocket. After securing the other two in a trap and opening it up again, now we wait and realize that pain in our guts will pass only when she is safe.

Against all my own rules, we left with two.

The next trip out, Claire texts me and asks if she was needed. Em couldn't be there, and by this time, I was getting sick. She got a flat tire on the way, but came anyway. (So glad she did)

Sneaking up on a sleeping dog, much less one that's not yet asleep is an art. One, two, net-a-roo, got her!  Claire came in like a rodeo champ and did what I needed her to do.

Thx to all!

Some may already know. Sorry for the late posting on this. Wallace has been secured and back at South LA.No magic, no tr...
10/28/2025

Some may already know. Sorry for the late posting on this. Wallace has been secured and back at South LA.

No magic, no tricks, traps, or special recipes, just simple and effective flyers and people posting and sharing.

Seems Mr. Wallace ran from those who chased him, found a long driveway and a four legged resident friend at the end.

To his finders, thank you for the calm way you helped resolve this. To all who shared, thank you.

The amount of effort, both physical and emotional, that shelter volunteers give daily gets cranked to 11 when things like this happen. You all rock!

PLEASE SHARE***This pup was out on an "Adventure Day Out" program through the South LA shelter. He apparently jumped o...
10/27/2025

PLEASE SHARE***

This pup was out on an "Adventure Day Out" program through the South LA shelter. He apparently jumped out the window from the car when they turned in to the parking lot to the North of the entrance.
Last seen running toward the visitor center, but they will generally return to the last place they knew, so long as they are not chased.

Bordered by LA Cienaga and LA Brea, as well as being a busy place at times full of people, dogs and undesirable critters, we, and mainly this dog cannot afford many overnight stays. Additionally, it can be a nightmare to craft a capture plan if he gets into the oil fields to the south, not to mention the lack of sightings if that happens.

We need one thing.. PHONE CALLS and an adherence to not pursuing in any way.

Do NOT approach, do not stare, call out, whistle or any other form of engagement. IGNORE and call, please!

Taking a poll here.. Cheap Gin, Not Cheap Gin, or absolutely priceless Gin. Please, cast your vote!Counterintuitive is t...
10/25/2025

Taking a poll here.. Cheap Gin, Not Cheap Gin, or absolutely priceless Gin. Please, cast your vote!

Counterintuitive is the best way to describe the process. To accept that your dog will do things described as uncharacteristic and even leaning toward Mike, you dont even know my dog, is so common, it's normal. I get it, but this is chaos.

Getting a text from Tay and Em, hey, can you help? We fostered her when she had her babies, she so special to us. All you have to do is say "dog" and if I can, I will.

Gins owners jumped on this train and strapped in for the ride. It gets uncomfortable sometimes when things go quiet. Skid row has it's particular challenges. Being a dog trying to navigate and survive amongst the area rife with concerns ranging from rats, to people, to cars.

These owners.. I can't say enough good things about them. I don't think many have been able to call in the troops the way they did. Flyers were going up and calls as usual were coming in a day or two later. All sightings are important! A couple calls from the same area, then silence. Its so easy to succumb to the thought that your dog is with someone, hopefully taken into a home and being cared for. Most times, thats not the case.

We discussed parking lots from the beginning and lo and behold a call came in about a parking lot at the exact cross streets sightings had reported. Once she found a spot, that was it, she hid! The call didn't come to us, it went to animal control. How the sighter didn't see the flyers, its a bit beyond me, but also kinda falls in the "who cares, she's home" category.

To all who helped, and to all who just went along with what might not have felt right, THANK YOU. Gin is home and probably getting her 3rd bath about now. A great team, for great people, all for priceless GIN

Dogs.. so capable, and so resilient! I hear every day how people attribute appearances as evidence of being dumped, and...
10/25/2025

Dogs.. so capable, and so resilient! I hear every day how people attribute appearances as evidence of being dumped, and disappearances of being taken by dinosaurs, um, I mean yotes.

We latch onto explanations that are easier for us to accept or process, but none of our thoughts matter. Only facts do.

This little dude was first seen in the city of Santa Ana. From there, he vanished and reappeared several miles away through some of the largest arteries in the area to a large apt complex where people began to try their luck again. After Paula, a woman who is always on alert for loose and lost ones, goes and maps details out to where we can craft a capture plan, he disappears again. To whoever initiated the chase... are you still out of breath?

Never follow, pursue, chase, think you're faster or smarter than a loose or lost dog.. it only puts them in danger.

Today, an admin of the Huntington Beach lost pets page reaches out and says... look, a dog. I see the post, it's in Anaheim. I immediately recognize the dog and reach out on nextdoor. To my surprise I receive a call not long after. She follows my suggestions perfectly then sends me a text within 10 minutes stating "GOT HIM." He's secure in the backyard. Paula meets me there and a wranglin we go. A little setup sprinkled with a little spacial pressure and he walked himself into the crate. I mean... not much of a choice, but still one of those look ma, no hands kind of things! This sweet boy is probably between 2 and 3, currently scared but softened on our drive together. No chip, and a little injury to his right rear knee area. Little pokey with swelling.. maybe caught on a fence or a resident dog chased him out of a yard.

If you're ever missing a pup, never ever ever give up.

This sweet girl is on the loose. After proving that she studied under Houdini himself, she found herself in lanes and ex...
10/18/2025

This sweet girl is on the loose.

After proving that she studied under Houdini himself, she found herself in lanes and experienced a near miss. The screeching of tires instantly shifted her brain into the "Fear Gear." If you've ever seen a dragster leave the line, well, that likely where her brain is at the moment.

Please, however good you are with dogs, just call mom when seen. She needs to come home like yesterday!

This couple, likely related, stuck together like good family should. A woman named Ashton received information from a vo...
10/13/2025

This couple, likely related, stuck together like good family should. A woman named Ashton received information from a voice nearby and got them into a backyard by applying the right kind and amount of spacial pressure.

Once the gates were closed, she began posting and searching for their owners. The house where they landed had dogs and a toddler. The homeowners extended an overnight stay which turned into a very late checkout of the backyard accommodations. And in came the text.. "Mike, meet Ashton, she's a friend of mine and needs some advice."

After some discussion, we settled on me coming up to help at 7pm.

It was clear that the male was a bit more nervous than the female. Neither showed me any real signs of concern, but they seemed to request a slow dance and I happily obliged.

Sometimes applying too much pressure to one, makes the other react in ways we wished they hadn't. Their minds are in a chaotic state, they stuck together. If I rush things, the first will flail, giving the other, two likely options.. A. Jump on the BBQ and over the fence or B. Go save your sister from this jerk who's scaring her.

Out comes the big trap and a four foot x-pen. We abandoned several attempts and finally shifted gears a bit. Instead of working to get the female in first, we moved on the male.

Word came back today that the boy has likely been hit by a car and has a month old pelvic fracture or broken hip

Other than inciting dramatic overtones, which aren't helpful and are rarely factual, I tend to stay away from trying to guess how they fell from the sky into the area where found. But this one reeks of a known injury with a delayed vet visit possibly then informing a family of big bills..

To see the atrophy in major muscle groups of the rear leg while at the same time seeing what presents as well kept and fed, suggests maybe the dogs stole a car and bailed after burning it. Or something like that...

I'd love to be wrong.

If the owners are known, it's possible to find financial help if vet bills aren't within reach. But please, go get your precious two and get em fixed while you're at it.

Sometimes nature has a way of communicating with us. It doesn't paint its message with a broad stroke, it's direct and v...
10/06/2025

Sometimes nature has a way of communicating with us. It doesn't paint its message with a broad stroke, it's direct and very clear.

Last night I had set a trap for a dog that seemed to have fallen from the sky. The environment is full of hungry inhabitants. From the clever and incredibly persistent fox, to a local mountain lion that has been seen recently on this side of its territory

Rather than spend all my time arguing, I simply closed the restaurant early in hopes to catch the dog discovering it during its nightly rounds.

After quite a few tries and realizing we are in fact discriminating against her, she ran straight to management and formally lodged her complaint.

Do they know, or should I place the camera before my hands smell like chicken?

Honestly, it's probably a bit of both!

A family emergency and a possibly a gate left open at the duplex by a neighbor and here we are! Please share to anyone ...
10/05/2025



A family emergency and a possibly a gate left open at the duplex by a neighbor and here we are!

Please share to anyone local. The Yorkie is friendly and confident and may well have been picked up by a good sam. The shep mix is just a baby weighing in around 25 pounds. She was seen nearby at a taco truck trying to read the menu. They don't offer credit, so off she went. If you see her, or her big tiny brother trotting around, please please please, just call the number on the flyer!

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