Gina – December 2012
December 22, 2012 By Jenny
Our local post lady that delivers the parcels came rushing round one morning to tell me that a lady who she had just delivered a parcel to had lost her dog and didn’t know what to do. The post lady knew of Tiga and gave me a phone number to contact. I called the lady who was distraught thinking that Gina her Clumber Spaniel had been stolen or had wandered somehow onto the main road where she lived.
I took Tiga round and let him sniff around the back garden and he soon found a hole in the fence behind some thick bushes and wanted to go through so clearly Gina had made her escape this way. The owner had not realised there was a hole in the fence. We went around the other side to pick up the trail from here but no sooner had we done this and the owner had a call to say that Gina had been picked up at the village hall across the fields in the direction that Tiga was going.
The owner’s husband quickly got in the car and went off to collect Gina who was none the worse for her little adventure.
Buddy – November 2012
November 18, 2012 By Jenny
Buddy was a Miniature Pinscher who had been missing a few days when I called the owner to offer help. He was a young family pet with 3 young children missing him badly.
It was cold and wet with heavy drizzle so not ideal but we realised Buddy had to be found. The children were going to be home from school soon with grandparents taking care of them while I went out with Tiga and the owner and the daughter who was also very young. We tracked around the housing estate picking up scent from both recent daily walks and Buddy’s adventure. It was getting dark and very cold and wet and the owner was anxious to get back to feed the family. I persuaded them to give it another half hour to see if Tiga could pick up some more recent scent.
Tiga was working hard in the conditions and it was soon clear that he was onto something and we followed along a road we hadn’t been down before and soon turned into a small cul-de-sac. Tiga took us across the grass and amongst some trees when I noticed TIga was moving towards some eyes. I turned to the little girl and said look what is that to which she cried Buddy and Buddy took a flying leap into her arms.
Buddy was safe but very cold and thin, so we wrapped him up and carried him back to their home. I went in the house first with Tiga and the two boys cried that I had brought them another dog and they didn’t want another dog they wanted Buddy to which in walked mum with Buddy. Buddy forgot how cold and tired he was and jumped up and down like a bouncy ball with the boys screaming and shouting.
Seer – October 2012
October 8, 2012 By Jenny
Seer was a six month old Cocker spaniel that had been walked in the woods with her litter mate and ten other dogs. Fireworks spooked the two pups and off they went in different directions. The next day her litter mate was found but no sign of Seer.
Another day passed and still no sign. A friend of mine knew that we tracked and called me in to help the worried owner, so on arriving at the owner’s house I asked for a scent item but all twelve dogs were outside working dogs and shared the same kennels, toys and bedding.
I was given a wet piece of carpet that they had all played taggy with which I gave to Tiga to see what he made of it. Undeterred Tiga sniffed this for a very long time and also sniffed the owner. Off we went to the woods to see what Tiga could find.
Tiga picked up the scent from the car park and along the track in the direction of their daily walk but to the owners amazement Tiga soon branched off this path onto another track, we carried on following Tiga who took us through some dense woodland on and off the track eventually coming back to the car park. Tiga continued to track small loops always coming back to the car park. The owner was confident this had been Seer because it was a route they had not walked before and she confirmed that at the point where Tiga branched off was where both pups had been spooked and ran in different directions.
It was clear that Seer was not far away but it was now very late and not possible to stay any longer so I advised the owner to leave some clothing and come back early the next morning.
Soon after returning in the morning to walk the other eleven dogs the owner soon found that she had twelve dogs in the pack and Seer had rejoined the pack to the sheer delight of the owners.
Tedzer – October 2012
October 8, 2012 By Jenny
The day after Tedzer a large black greyhound went missing I had an e-mail alert that there was a dog missing in my area, he went missing with 2 other dogs but they had returned. Tedzer was in foster care from Kerrys Greyhound Rescue.
The bedding had been washed but I was given a toy that Tedzer had been playing with and Tiga set off and quickly picked up the trail and tracked to where there had been a sighting. He tracked for 4 hours into the night and called it a day when fireworks were all around.
Tiga had defined the area that Tedzer was travelling in and a huge number of posters were put up.
A number of sightings came in within this area but Tedzer was not caught. Tiga rejoined the search a few days later , this time Tiga took us to behind a derelict building still in the same area, again it was dark and raining and there was broken glass and not ideal conditions to go into without Tiga wearing protective footwear. So we decided to come back in the morning.
Fresh scent was soon picked up and Tiga again went behind the derelict building so leaving Tiga away from the broken glass some helpers had a look round but couldn’t see Tedzer amongst the dense bramble so we wandered off along the road. Within minutes a phone call was received by a workshop opposite the derelict building to say that they had seen a large black dog go behind the building that morning.
All helpers on the scene were summonsed back to the building to block off the one and only entrance while one person went in to try and coax Tedzer out, after half an hour a very happy helper came out carrying Tedzer in his arms and Tiga and Tedzer enjoyed a hot cooked chicken that had been bought from the supermarket across the road.
It was a great team effort by Kerrys Greyhound Rescue, Kent Greyhound Rescue and of course Tiga.
Emily – July 2012
July 9, 2012 By Jenny
In July 2012 we had a call from Dog Lost to see if we could get down to Bekesbourne near Canterbury to track a young black Labrador called Emily that had gone missing while out for a walk.
With no hesitation we thought this is it our first tracking mission lets go for it. We arrived at the owners house and in 30 degrees we knew it was going to be hard but undaunted we set about asking the owner for a scent item for Tiga to track with. Emily was one of three outdoor working dogs that all shared an outdoor kennel and toys etc so there was nothing specific to Emily but the owner had a small black rubber toy tyre that they had all played with. I gave this to Tiga who gave it a good sniff and undaunted Tiga put nose to ground and off we went not knowing how successful this would be.
The owner of Emily and I followed Tiga and we were taken across his farm through some orchards and eventually out onto a road. We went along the edge of this road and then with no hesitation across the road into some more orchards. It was at this point where we crossed the road that there had been reports of a black Labrador being clipped by a car. The driver stopped and searched but could find no sign of the dog. On we went and Tiga took us into the orchards and out into some fields, he then turned and came back into the orchards and went up and down through the rows of trees, eventually arriving almost at the bottom corner. Not far in front of us I saw a black Labrador, I turned and said to David – is that Emily?
David sunk to his knees and cuddled Emily who had limped to him, they were so pleased to see each other. I handed him a spare lead to put on Emily as he did not bring one, believing he would not find Emily alive.
I suggested I stayed with Emily while he went to get the car to pick Emily up and take her to the vet. While David was gone we sat under the apple trees in the shade and Emily had her head on my lap and Tiga sat proudly over her gratefully receiving a lick from Emily as if to say thank you for finding me.
After a trip to the vet a phone call later revealed no damage just bruising and Emily soon settled back into family life.
Tiga your tracking career has begun.
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Support by Phytoforce
Tiga and Yogi's diets are supplemented by Phytoforce Veterinary Herbal Tonics provided by Phytoforce.
Galen Myotherapy
Tiga and Yogi are kept in peak condition by the team at Galen Therapy Centre. The centre was established in 2002; They specialise in treating dogs with chronic muscular pain; enabling enhanced mobility and health. It also has been in the forefront of interpreting how behaviour and muscle pain manifest in our dogs.
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