Bobbi and the Strays

This story was submitted by Susan, one of our wonderful volunteers - she coordinates the Pet Guardian Sponsorship program for Bobbi and the Strays.

It’s funny, but once you start helping an animal rescue, you immediately become the person that your neighbors turn to if there is an animal “problem.” Sometimes you feel incredibly frustrated because you can’t help, but there are other times when you can.

That’s the way it was last summer when our first litter of driveway kittens (4) arrived at our house. A neighbor had them in their yard and so, even though we hadn’t trapped any before, off we went, carrier in hand, leather gloves and long sleeves at the ready. Thank goodness for those leather gloves.

Belle with her brothers and sisters

I happened upon the next kitten while driving through the driveway, scooped the little one up, and then found myself unable to park the car with one hand. Fortunately my sister-in-law and niece arrived at the same time and I passed the kitten off to my niece. Now I keep a small collapsible carrier in the car, just in case.  It came in very handy when we found an injured racing pigeon, but that’s a story for another day.

Otto

Otto

We let it be known that we were trying to capture this little Tuxedo kitten that we spotted in the driveway and one day the doorbell rang and I was off.  This little guy proved to be a fighter, every bit as defiant as his grown-up feral siblings, but he was charmed by my daughter, Erica, and after a couple of sleepless nights for everyone, he quickly turned into a sweetheart.

Boomer

We’re getting used to the doorbell ringing for kittens, but one morning the phone rang at 7:15.

It was a call about a small dog that had been wandering around since the day before and was now resting on a neighbor’s lawn. I gathered up some biscuits, fashioned a leash into a “noose” to put around the dog’s neck, put on the leather gloves just in case, walked across the street and stopped in surprise.

The “small” dog was heading my way and wasn’t my idea of small at all, but was a big Rottweiler mix. The dog was not threatening, but did not act as if she wanted to be rescued, refused the biscuits and headed back to the lawn where she had been resting. The individual who had called me lived next door and went inside for water and some leftover chicken, both of which the dog happily devoured. Feeling a little better, the leash was slipped over her neck and off she went to the shelter to be held for 72 hours in the hope that her owner could be found, and if not, to begin her journey to finding a new home.

I had posted this dog’s information on the Animal Care and Control website and received a phone call saying that they may have gotten a call from the dog’s owner and gave me her information. The dog had traveled all the way from Brooklyn to Queens, crossing major boulevards and traveling many miles in the process. Who knows how many thousands of cars zoomed past her as she made her journey.

NEVER BELIEVE THAT A DOG WILL REMAIN IN A 10 BLOCK RADIUS.

A lost dog will just keep on walking because they don’t know which way to go to find their family and will just keep on walking and walking, trying to do so, even if it’s taking them in the opposite direction. Expand your search, contacting vet offices and rescue groups many miles away from your home.

Thank goodness we were able to catch this dog and bring her to the Bobbi and the Strays large dog location. The dog was missing since Sunday, caught on Monday, and it took until Friday for the owner to find the dog. An animal in the city’s system would have been given 72 hours, until Wednesday, for the owner to turn up at which point it would either have been euthanized or put up for adoption. As it was, Cassie received shots that day and was set to go to an adoption event the next day.

Cassie

Time is of the essence in locating a lost dog or cat. 

Travis