In late February, a woman took her Bichon frise, Snowbie, out for a walk. She tied him to a parking meter outside a café while she ran inside to get a cup of coffee. Although she was only gone a moment, when she came out, the dog was gone. Snowbie’s owner went to OAS to look for him and posted on Craigslist hoping to be reunited with her dog.
A week later, several of the Oakland Animal Services (OAS) animal control officers responded to a call that took them to a vacant apartment with the front door wide open. Inside, the officers found a little Bichon Frise, sitting in filth, with no food or water. The dog, they discovered, was microchipped, but the phone number registered with the chip was disconnected. Determined, one of the animal control officers, Tanya Strong, checked Craigslist, scouring the “lost and found animal” section, and found an ad for a missing dog that matched the description of the Bichon that was now at the shelter. Officer Strong contacted the dog owner who had placed the ad, the woman came to OAS, and she was delighted to identify the dog as hers. We were able to reunite one very happy Snowbie with his family!
This story emphasizes the importance of not leaving your dog unattended in public places—not even for a few minutes. It also points out how important it is to have your animal microchipped and to keep that information up to date. If you do lose your animal, a microchip is the surest way for it to be found and returned to you. We microchip Oakland dogs and cats at OAS for just $10.
