Have You Ever Lost Your Labrador?

Last edited by JulieB on Fri Jul 01, 2005 10:23 pm; edited 1 time in total

Hi Everyone,

Have you ever had your labrador retriever stolen or have you ever lost your beloved labrador?

If the answer is yes, we would like to hear your stories.

If your lab is still missing please enter all the details into the site, as it may very well help your search to find them.

Alternatively, if you have been re-united with your precious lab, please tell us all about it.

We welcome members from all over the world.

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Julie

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2005 4:28 pm Post subject: How easy it can happen........

Hi everyoone,

From the day I collected Tilly at 8 weeks she has been insured, Microchipped, logged on sites with chip number in the event off.
I never leave her outside shops, in the car or in the garden if I am out.
If she isn't with me she is always at home safe and snuggly on the sofa.

Near where my daughter Kaye lives is a disused railway track that goes for miles. Tis a beautiful walk, no traffic, just path through woods.

When Tilly was about 11 months old, Kaye, Tilly's brother Bailey and I drove to the track for a stroll one evening.
We had been working on re call on extended leads, for a while and had been reasonably successful.

On the walk back there was no one about so we let them off to have a romp and play ( or dunk in nearest disgusting stagnant pond in Baileys case Sad

)

Out of no where came three cyclists. We knew the dogs were ok with bikes so didn't panic.
Well the bikes passed and Tilly ran along side one bike, I called her back but she was transfixed by the wheel turning ! Shocked

The men peddled and Tilly followed totally deaf to our now urgent calls. The men didn't stop, just thought it was funny.

A point came where we had to give chase and they still wouldn't stop and despite knowing we were running after them didn't have the sense to realise, if they stopped so would Tilly.

Within minutes bikes and Tilly was out of sight !

The track continues safely for miles, but the cyclists left it where we had parked our cars. They stopped to put bikes on their cars.....and Tilly just kept running.

By the time we had caught up with them she was long gone, had run straight out onto the road.

I can not tell you how I felt. This country road led directly out onto a heavy main road. I felt sick, didn't know whether to go left or right or anything.

I ran to the main road, Kaye jumped in the car ( the cyclists by the way did diddly squat other than a cursory glance up the road Evil or Very Mad

)
Nothing, she was nowhere to be seen.

Scared to go left, incase she had gone right and more delay. Was flagging down cars asking if they had seen her. I felt sick to the very pit of my stomach.

Scared of the traffic, scared she would have lost her bearings and it was getting dark, the thought of my poor puppy lost, all through the night was unbearable. I was scared if she would be snatched.

So many horrid thoughts going through my head, and I felt totally helpless, didn't know where to look for the best.

An hour had passed, and with every extra second my mind was telling me she was even further away. It was getting darker and darker
Kaye had by now called my other children who all promptly jumped in their cars to head over to us.

I remember standing in the middle of the main road with Tilly's lead in my hand, crying and screaming her name.

Then Kaye came round the corner, with Tilly in the boot !
I cried with a relief, only those who have had this happen to them will truly understand.................

Where had she been?

By chance Kaye had taken a small dirt turning, at the end of which were gypsies and when asked if they had seen here said " Yeah she's running in that field "

With that one of their children took their GSD to try and lure her their way.

Kaye went into grass rallying mode and arrived in the nick of time as Tilly was frantically fighting off the attentions of the GSD who wished to reprocreate with her !

Kaye spun to a halt while yelling her name, Tills was so grateful to see her she bounded back. ( shame about the churned up field but hey ! Ho hum Wink

)

I kissed her, hugged her and sooooo wanted to tell her off but didn't ! Very Happy

Now, other dogs love balls and frisbies and such like....why does mine have to have a fettish with wheels Very Happy

Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 11:20 am Post subject:

I had almost the same experience a few years ago when I had my choccie boy, Bailey. I was out walking and he was USUALLY good for recall and as it was quiet, I let him off for a run in a secure field with a right of way through it.
Everything was fine until a man came through the gate and Bailey started to follow him.
I called out, but Bailey decided to play deaf. I had two small children at the time and a rather heavy puschair and couldn't just run after him so I called out and asked the man if he could stop while I caught my dog - he just ignored me and kept walking Exclamation

Luckily, before the man reached the exit gate, Bailey decided that he had enough of following and came back. My heart was in my mouth for a while, I really thought Bailey was going to disappear.
I just can't believe some people - if I am being followed by someones dog and they are ignoring their owners recall, I either stand still until they have caught up with their dog - or if it's an unsafe situation (by a road) I will if the dog seems friendly hold their collar.
Bailey has now gone on to a better place(miss him like mad) Crying or Very sad

Newbie Joined: Jun 05, 2005 Posts: 23 Status: **Offline**

It is certainly a very horrible feeling.......when i was helping mum search for Tilly i was sick to my stomach Confused

When i found her i didn't know whether to be mad or cry with relief.......just told her to get in the car....(which she did willingly as she didn't fancy the other dog Embarassed

) and gave her a big hug. I then sped off to find mum. You could visually see the look of relief on her face Laughing

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:48 pm Post subject:

Hi

Just read through this thread and it just goes to show how easy it is to lose your Lab.No matter how good a dog owner you are.

Must have been awful for you,but thankfully you got them back.

Kev

Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 1:58 pm Post subject:

So true Kev,

Thankfully we found Tilly, but if kaye had not looked up that dirt road, she would of just kept running and being so rural would def have been lost for the night at the very least.
That thought always tugs at my heart, lost, confused, scared, dark, cold.

That's why I for one, am so passionate about this site. If she had been lost a fully functional site like this would of been worth its weight in gold.

To know that people local would give help, would of made all the difference as was such a huge area of many fields.
Just the two of us searching could never have covered all directions in time before she was gone.

Twas just luck that Kaye went where she did.
And for that I will always be in her debt.

Newbie Joined: Aug 08, 2005 Posts: 2 Status: **Offline**

Rhoni, it must have been a terrifying experience Sad

Well Done Kaye Smile

Hally has a fettish with cats Shocked

and I am always so cautious when letting off the lead, trying to pick wet places where cats are less likely to be Shocked

I am afraid to tempt fate by saying anything about Hally, but I have lost a dog (who sadly was never found Sad

) and it was a horrible and upsetting experience that was made doubly worse as there was no closure Sad

Hurrah for LL, long you may you continue doing your excellent work

Sue

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 5:01 pm Post subject:

Thankfully I have so far (touch wood) not lost my lab, but thought I would mention here a story I heard today, which fortunately has a happy ending.

I was in our local pet shop putting up posters about another lost dog, and the lady who served me was telling me about the owner of the shop. Apparently a couple of years ago his black lab was stolen from his home near Saffron Walden, North West Essex. It was reported missing to all relevant authorities (police, vets, dog wardens etc.), posters were put up and searches done, but for probably a couple of months nothing was heard or seen. Then, out of the blue, a telephone call came from police in Romford saying that, following a raid on a house there, they now had his lab, and inviting him to come and collect. Very Happy

It does show that sometimes dogs can turn up weeks or months after they disappeared, and some distance away too. Romford must easily be about forty miles from the scene of where the dog was originally stolen from. I believe it was identified via its microchip, so it also demonstrates the value of chipping.

It is heartening to read stories such as this, and it proves that it is worth postering as wide an area as possible.

Helen.

Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:32 pm Post subject:

Hi Helen

So nice to have a happy ending eh? And thanks for posting this story.

You are so right about time and distance that's why we say, never ever give up.

Just recently a dog has been returned to his owner after 5 years !!!!!
Also we know of a dog stolen from Cornwall and turned up in Dundee the next morning.

Aswell as the local areas being postered, a check nationally on found dogs is also a part of LL morning rituals Wink

Always happy for help on this peeps.... Laughing

We have learned that unless we hear the fat lady singing we hunt and search regardless.... Very Happy

Newbie Joined: Oct 05, 2006 Posts: 1 Status: **Offline**

Where i live about a month ago my 16 year old daughter was stopped by a man in a blue van outside a shop and he kept asking questions about our lab who is just coming up for 6 months old.

She started to get a bit worried and told him where to go.
She never swears normally.
A lady came out the shop so my daughter stopped her and asked if she could wait with her for a minute because of this chap.
He jumped in his van and drove off.

Now this chap may not have been up to anything maybe he just like's dogs but i think my daughter did the right thing.

Last year a lady up the road from us had her house broken into she was beaten up and her litter of staffordshire bull terriers was stolen.
I don't know if they were ever caught but it shows that these people don't care and if they want something they will take it.

Paul

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 12:37 am Post subject:

Hiya paul....

Thanks for sharing this.....would you mind letting us know the area either PM'ing me or emailing me rhoni@lostlabs.com........so we can put a general alert out to owners....thank you Wink

Roni

Newbie Joined: Aug 18, 2005 Posts: 4 Status: **Offline**

Losing or having your Lab stolen must be just one of the worst experiences ever. Good to read that Tilly was found before dark. My youngest went out of sight for two minutes once at a country park which she never does and I started panicking! I spent a lot of Friday morning helping look for a local lost dog, not a Lab, but it didn't matter as I could imagine how the owner was feeling whatever the breed. We have our house up for sale at the minute and I'm hating people coming round because they see our 2 Labs. One lot of viewers came back for a second viewing and were really interested in the dogs, but their house moving "story" didn't seem to add up so I phoned up the estate agent asking all sorts of questions about the couple - think the EA's thought I was mad, but I'm being very careful right now about making it look like someone is home if I have to go out and leave the dogs here.

Posted: Fri Mar 09, 2007 3:51 am Post subject:

Definately good she was found before dark, it would of been a nightmare waiting and not knowing. Glad to hear everything went in a positive direction Very Happy

Newbie Joined: Jan 15, 2007 Posts: 23 Status: **Offline**

Heya - am reading this thread with interest. Don't have a story to tell (thank goodness!) But I'm also totally neurotic about people coming round and seeing Toby - especially as we have a "site" near us now Evil or Very Mad

We have a lot of deliveries etc and I'm always careful about putting Toby in the lounge out of sight so no-one can see him. Probaly more careful about him than I am the kids! lol!!

xx

Newbie Joined: Nov 03, 2007 Posts: 1 Status: **Offline**

Hey guys,
My black lab, Kitty, was hit by a car about 5 years ago. 'Luckily' she came off with a broken leg, but ever since she's been scared of loud bangs. On Firday my father was walking Kitty and my other black lab, Snowy, in Old Sarum castle in Salisbury. Being Hallowe'en, there were loads of fireworks, and after a big bang, she bolted and ran away. It's been two days now with no sign. We've called everyone - the local radio station, the police, every vet in town - nothing. I've been told though, that if there is no sign of them, it usually means they've been taken. I just hope that if she has, she'll be alright, and the cash reward I'm offering will make them come in. I'm so upset - poor Kitty will be so frightened all on her own. It disgusts me to think that people could steal a dog. It's still early days, and i'm sure she's going to show up.
Thanks for reading,
Rhys