In Brooklyn Center, MN Edgar was stolen out of his home nearly a month ago. On October 23rd Meaghan Poe came home from work, discovering she had accidentally left the back door unlocked.

Thieves had made off with a variety of items, including her best friend Edgar, a Miniature Dachshund. His dog bowl, food, and kennel were also missing indicating that he did not just take off.

“He’s by my side, he is a mama’s boy, wherever I go he goes kinda thing,” Dop explained with a sheepish smile. “He’s always at my feet, wanting to be picked up.”

That description explains why Dop’s life has been empty for nearly a month, since the day Edgar was stolen by burglars.

“Every day it gets a little bit harder just because we’re coming up on four weeks now that he’s been gone,” she said, “but I’m not going to give up hope on getting him back.”

There is a reward for information that leads to the return of Edgar, contact Meaghan Dop at devilbunny6000@yahoo.com.

A Reno, Nevada  couple who was selling English Bulldog puppies out of their home were the victims of a home invasion on Wednesday.

Ross Harwood said he had been asleep on his couch around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday when he heard someone breaking down his front door in the 10000 block of Robilee Drive, in South Reno. He awoke to see two men reaching into a nearby dog pen, snatching two of three puppies.

The thieves had used either a sledgehammer or device that unhinged the door. Harwood ran after them, and Wendy, the mother of the pups, followed. The suspects’ dark red small sports utility vehicle struck Harwood during their flee, knocking him down. Then they ran over Wendy, who had been at the rear of the vehicle. She soon died.

The couple had been advertising the puppies for sale in the Reno-Gazette Journal for the last few weeks. On Tuesday a couple had stopped by to look at the $1,800 puppies, but did not buy one.  Arlene and Ross Harwood suspect this is the couple who broke into their house.

What a sad story, these thieves need to be caught.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact detectives at (775)334-2115. Secret Witness is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the suspects. They can be reached at (775)322-4900.

I just received an update from the Indian River Humane Society, here it is in its entirety.

Mystery of “unique” lost dog solved:

(Vero Beach, Florida) - The search for the family of “Jenna,” the lost dog at The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County discovered to have had highly specialized surgery, has ended. The beautiful female Catahoula Leopard dog’s family was located after the animal shelter sought help from both the media and veterinarians across Florida.

According to a family member, “Jenna,” whose true name is Cocoa, was stolen twice before, adding that their property has been also vandalized by unknown individuals. Although the family has been able to locate and recover Jenna in the past, they gave up hope of finding her after conducting a search when she went missing last month. It wasn’t until a friend mentioned seeing Jenna’s story in the media that the family filed a lost dog report with the Humane Society.

Nicknamed “Jenna” by Humane Society staff, the 2-year-old dog was examined by shelter veterinarian Dr. Elizabeth Bybee who determined that she had previously undergone costly, life-saving surgery. Because Jenna had no form of identification, the shelter kept her medical information confidential to ensure she could be positively identified by either her family or the veterinarian who performed the surgery.

It was discovered that the family acquired Jenna through an acquaintance who had moved to Florida from Indiana. As a puppy in Indiana, Jenna had undergone extensive surgery after being hit by a car. The surgery left her with metal plates in both back legs.

Concerned for Jenna’s future safety, her family recently asked the Humane Society to place her for adoption. “It’s clear to us the family wants to do what’s best for her,” Animal Care Manager Maria Ramirez said. As a result, Jenna was placed with an Indian River County couple last Friday.

The couple read of Jenna’s plight in the media and called repeatedly to ask if she could be adopted as a companion for their Catahoula Leopard dog. By Friday evening they contacted the shelter to say, “How thrilled we all are with Jenna. She is a treasure.”

“It’s still a story with a happy ending for Jenna even if it’s not the ending we anticipated,” Janet Winikoff, Director of Education said.

Cocoa’s family showed the greatest love of all, giving her up so that she could live in a safe home.  I can’t imagine that was easy, I applaud them for making such a selfless decision.

* That’s Cocoa on the right, she looks very happy meeting her new family member for the first time.

Wow!  I just received a message that Jenna’s owners have been found and they are working with the Vero Beach Humane Society on a press release. We’ll need to sit tight for a little bit to find out her real identity and what happened to her.

That’s all I have for now.  I’ll update more as soon as I can.

Jenna  was found hurt and limping in an area notorious for dog fighting.  She was picked up by the Vero Beach, FL Humane Society who  have been desperately  trying to find her owners.

She was named “Jenna” by the staffers,  who have quickly gotten attached to her.

She is a Catahoula leopard hound mix found in the Fellsmere area limping, scarred and scared.

Now Vero Beach Humane Society officials are hoping to locate the veterinarian whose unique operation helped give this dog her day.

The pooch was found limping in an area notorious for dog fighting, officials said. But after reviewing X-rays, shelter veterinarian Dr. Elizabeth Bybee recognized the pooch had previously undergone extensive — and expensive — lifesaving surgery.

“The surgery would have cost her family several thousand dollars,” Bybee said. “It’s clear that someone, or some family, really loved her.”

The details of the operation are unique and details are not being released, to make sure she is returned to the rightful family.

Humane Society officials speculate the dog may have been stolen and then used as practice for the fighting dogs.

“She’s too gentle to have been used as a fighting dog but our fear is that she may have been used as what’s called a bait dog,” said Janet Winikoff, director of education at the Humane Society of Vero Beach.

It’s horrible, and sickening,  to think that she was dognapped to be used as bait. If anyone has information about Jenna, or can help the Humane Society reunite Jenna with her family  please call (772)388-3331, ext. 31.

One of our Dogster members, Hope, is missing from her home in Egypt, Tennessee.

Her distraught parents have sent a message out to their Dogster friends  hoping that someone will have some information.

This is particularly sad because Hope was a street dog,  she was finally rescued and found her forever family only six months ago. You can read the heartbreaking but triumphant story on her homepage.

Dear Dogster friends,

KM here. It is with a heavy heart that I report to you Hope went missing on Halloween day between 10:30 am and noon. No one was home during that short period of time. None of our neighbors who could have seen her were home during that time.

I got the call at work around noon from my husband, “I don’t know how to tell you this, but Hope is gone.”

Part of my spirit died right then.

Her fortress was tampered with, and she is gone. The chain link wire was severely bent at the back of the kennel, but this is not where she escaped. It looks as if something pulled strongly against the kennel (from the inside) to bend it in such a way in that spot. Cedar chips were strewn all over the inside of the kennel, all over the concrete areas and in her bowls and water bucket. Normally her kennel is neat and clean, and I have always kept the cedar chips swept off the concrete areas.

There is a hole in the chain link at the bottom of the kennel in the front corner. The wire has been “unraveled” (for lack of a better word) making a hole large enough for a dog twice her size to fit through. My husband and I both have deliberately tried to bend the kennel with our hands in similar fashion as what we found. The two of us together are not strong enough to do so.

Since we can find no other exit point, we must assume Hope then jumped or otherwise scaled the chain link fence of the dog lot after escaping the fortress. The big dog lot is lined with large rocks at the base of the fence. She did not dig out anywhere along the fence line. There are no holes in the ground. All of the gates were padlocked.

As best we know, Hope is at large.

Several hours after her disappearance, my husband and I saw Hope running fearfully less than a mile from home in a direction away from our neighborhood. Her head was down, her tail was tucked and her body reflected a fearful posture. She glanced at us and ran away as I called her name. That is the last time we saw Hope. We continue to search for her.

We put her food outside where she can get to it. We are keeping her schedule. The food has been untouched. The kennel and the dog lot are opened and unlocked when Cinnamon isn’t in the fence so that should Hope wish to come home, her fortress is waiting. Her bed is fluffed and her dog house remains cozy, but empty.

Being that you all have an emotional (and some financial) stake in Hope, I felt compelled to share with you this sad news. I want you to know that I still love her with all of my heart. I am crushed. Cinnamon is depressed. My husband is speechless. The hole in that galvanized chain link cannot match the hole in my heart.

We will never give up on her. God willing, I will feel those precious snout whiskers again someday. Please pray for us once again.

Love always,
KM, KD, Cini Mini and our precious Hope

In anyone has any information please contact Hope’s folks by pmail. You’re in our thoughts Hope, we want you home safe and sound.

Max the Maltese  went missing from his backyard in Brandon, FL five months ago. His owner thought he was gone forever, but it seems Max wanted to be back for Halloween.

A Maltese dog named Max is headed home to Florida after he was spotted in Chicago, 1,000 miles from where he vanished.

Richard Gonzalez had reported a pet theft after Max disappeared several months ago from his daughter’s yard in Brandon, Fla. Gonzalez says he thought that Max would never get far. But the pooch was identified in Chicago by an implanted microchip.

Gonzalez contacted the North Central Maltese Rescue to retrieve Max. Rescue director Mary Palmer had the dog taken to Racine, Wis., and he will be flown Saturday to Florida.

Looks like Max won’t make in time for trick or treating after all, but I don’t think there’s a better treat than returning home.

This is an amazing story out of the UK.  Two fishermen were a mile out at sea when they “caught” Freddie, a 14-year-old Cairn Terrier.

When first spotted the fishermen thought that it was an otter but soon realized they were seeing a dog.

Freddie had become disorientated in the fog while on a walk with owner Jean Brigstock and had slipped into the water as the 73-year-old searched frantically for him.

And instead of swimming back to shore at Amble, Northumberland, he had mistakenly struck out for the deeps of the North Sea.

Mrs Brigstock said: ‘It was a beautiful day, and I was taking him on his usual walk, but all of a sudden, a heavy sea fret set in quickly, and I couldn’t see Freddie anymore.

‘I looked for him for hours, and others helped. There was no sign of him, but I was convinced he would eventually turn up.’

She added: ‘I was desperate. He’s my companion and he’s so important to me.

‘I knew he hated water so I thought he’d head for the dunes rather than the sea. It really didn’t enter my head that he would swim.

‘He rarely goes through a puddle and has an aversion to baths.’

But Freddie was found three quarters of a mile out to sea after a long doggy paddle and was rescued by trawlermen Jimmy and Alan Thompson from Red Row, Northumberland.

I don’t know if dogs have nine lives,  but if they do I think Freddie just used up one.

Max, an Airedale Terrier, took off after being in a  car accident while riding with owner Bill Clark.

Three weeks and three days ago, Max ran away when Clark, driving his convertible in Sterling, was struck by another car.

“The dog jumped out the back through the trunk and ran into the woods,” Clark said.

Clark began a three-week search for his beloved terrier.

Although there were numerous sighting of Max he couldn’t be found.  Clark, along with volunteers, searched for him but still turned up Maxless.

That was until Tuesday, when Clark said he came home and found Max sitting in the back yard.

The dog had apparently found his way home from Sterling, about 45 miles away.

“I couldn’t believe that he came home,” Clark said. “All that way.”

Even the experts can’t explain it.

“We don’t really know how they do that. We do know that dogs’ memories are very detailed, very sense-oriented,” said Jim Barry, a dog behavior consultant.

Whatever it was, Clark is just happy to have Max home.

Luckily this story had a happy ending, but it could have turned out very differently.  Remember… not only is it a good idea to buckle up, it’s the law.

I realize it isn’t really a law for dogs,  but it does show the importance of making sure your best friend  is secure when in the car.

Hurricane Ike has left more than just physical devastation in its wake.

There are 120 dogs who were abandoned being transported to Minnesota to be put up for adoption.

The process starts this morning, when a team from the Animal Humane Society (AHS) of Golden Valley, with the help of Northwest Airlines, brings back 59 dogs from Texas that were lost, abandoned or surrendered after the hurricane.

I just can’t understand how anyone could take shelter and leave their dog behind.  I realize that some of the dogs probably got lost in all the confusion,  but I would go to the ends of the earth to get my dogs back.

Once in Minnesota, the dogs “will rest and recover at AHS’ five facilities,” the society said in a statement Tuesday. “Some may require additional medical treatments and be in AHS’ care because of the extraordinary circumstances they have been through.”

I hope that these dogs will all be adopted into wonderful new forever homes.  They have not released adoption information yet, but anyone residing in the vicinity and looking to adopt should keep checking for updates.  Remember…it’s Adopt-A-Dog Month, here’s your chance.