To all furry pet owners out there - I can't seem to come up with the right words to properly convey to you the wonderful job Remi's Pet Recovery is selflessly performing out there. This amazing organization is a 501c non-profit, meaning they need your help to properly prepare them to help pets like yours, as well as the unloved list. Maybe my personal story will help - it could easily be yours.
It all began in the third week of January, on the coldest night, 3°, that we've had this winter. Our newly adopted 14 month old Sheltie (whom we'd only had a week and certainly didn't "know" at all) suddenly pulled from my heavily gloved hand - leash and all. Now please understand, we've been collie owners for nearly 30 years, dog owners for 50, so I pretty much know what I'm doing, but there i stood, dumbfounded when our little dog ran that night. He was across the street and flying into the ravine there before I could even call his name. Down, down he went as fast as those stubby little legs could go through the snow and underbrush until he made his way to the bottom. Once there, he began leaping along like a gazelle and was out of sight in what seemed like seconds. Cue the dog-mom tears.
I could go on and on about the grueling week we had while he was missing, and all that we went through with no success, but I'd rather tell you about the wonderful people who brilliantly captured him. On social media, I kept being told "call Vanessa at Remi's Pet Recovery - IMMEDIATELY!" I'd never heard of such an organization and was more than a bit skeptical, but I'd become desperate.
From the beginning, Vanessa was her no nonsense self on the phone, and I decided to take her advice to heart, even though I was crushed to learn how ignorant I'd been and how many frigid days I'd already wasted. Vanessa explained that Remi's had "a process", and when followed, really works. It's fairly straightforward. 1 - put out tantalizing food at several locations where and when he's been seen. (For us, that was the front and side doors of our house during the blackest hours of the night - those Blink cameras were finally useful).
2 - no more social media dog "sightings" posts. So many helpful people, but it just confuses the real issue. 3 - put up/distribute posters with your pet's photo, a reminder to not try to call out to or catch him, and your phone # ONLY! This is when we finally got useful info from the public. 4 - the hardest part - waiting until a pattern of visitation to the feeding sites has been established. Once these points were all covered, the rest seemed to fall into place. Late on a Saturday afternoon, after waiting once again for the snow to cease falling, Vanessa and her intrepid assistant Stacy braved the cold set up their specifically designed "trap" and a camera system which they were going to monitor from their home base. By 1 a.m., just as Vanessa had predicted, the hungry little guy stood looking at the cage opening and his bacon-laden food at the far end luring him in. Hesitating for only a moment, and due to the mealtime location patterning Vanessa had had us establish, our little guy walked toward his food, and the rest is history. Happy history.
I know I was long-winded, but I'm thinking I'm a pretty average "client" at Remi's, and want to encourage others who are doubtful to act quickly, but also, to encourage you all to donate - often! Please go to
https://remispetrecovery.org/ for the full story of Remi's Pet Recovery. And be sure to absorb the info at Vanessa's blog about "survival mode" so you'll be more prepared than I was for a pet that suddenly runs.
Forever thankful to those at Remi's,
Lynda DePompei
