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Karin Goin ~ Private Investigator ... Pet Detective Assisting missing , lost dogs
The roaming dog at large is one of the
toughest scenarios I encounter in my profession. The dog is usually wandering or traveling a large area and may
not respond to the calls and efforts of his anxious owner. Many times he or she is frightened and lost in an area other than
his known home territory. Dogs that have went missing while traveling with their owners or who are being cared for by
some one other than their beloved owner, are the most likely candidates for this type of missing scenario.
A happy ending for
a second chance dog... In preparation for her spaying she was brought
to a local vet where she slipped her collar as kennel staff led her outside the fenced enclosure; Scarlet was gone within
seconds. The rescue and Harbor Humane Society joined together for a grueling three weeks of searching and attempts to capture
the elusive canine. Karin
coached and suggested tasks and techniques the professional specialists use to recover shy, roaming
dogs. After three grueling weeks and many sleepless nights, rescue director, Lani Mossey, requested an on location search
to locate and capture Scarlet. Dodger located the scent trail of the fleeing dog within minutes and strategic decisions were made as to how
to proceed. After only three days, Scarlet was attracted in, conditioned to the capture methods
and finally recovered as she accepted one of the capture apparatus.
His family went on
vacation and Yogi went on an expedition. While being boarded at a veterinary facility, the wily Havanese made a break for
it and wiggled under a tiny spot in the fence. Within seconds the vet staff was in pursuit but the fleeing dog raced through
traffic and disappeared. The Veterinarians and their staff acted quickly, notifying the owners and creating public awareness
immediately. After five days, Karin & the K9 tea .came to the attention of the group and a call for immediate help was
put in. Within two hours of the P.I.'s arrival, the furry dog was located down on the river. Based on
behavior profile and situation, Karin made quick decisions as to how to best to capture him. All personnel, staff, pet detectives
and tracking dogs were pulled back and his owner was sent to the shores of the river to call him quietly with a prearranged
song. Within 45 seconds Yogi appeared through the brush and briars and crawled into his grateful owners lap. This is a surprising
recovery as most dogs go into a survival mode and resist their owner’s attempts at capture. Karin’s experience
with dogs in this situation and his owner’s belief in what Karin told her to do, had Yogi home within hours. Also
to note: quick thinking on the part of the wonderful staff at Carmel California Holistic Veterinary brought
this frightening story to a happy ending. They acted quickly and consistently never giving up their search efforts.
A little dog's courage... A pet owner's FAITH... The storm that hit Springfield
in spring of 2007 blew down trees, electrical lines and the gate to the Howell’s back yard where
two much loved canine family members were frightened and spooked into the woods. The
treasured pooches were discovered missing within hours and Shadow, the larger of the two canines, was found the next day.
But the Howells knew their feisty six pound Pomeranian, Yoshi, was in a perilous situation. As they struggled
to control their panic and grief, the Howells searched for methods and suggestions to help them find the cherished pup. After days of coaching by phone, the Howells asked Karin to bring in the dog team. From the beginning it did
not look good for the little dog. Cade sprang into action immediately following the little dogs scent trail straight into
the woods. Upon entering the heavily wooded forests, the trail went to the river that was now running swiftly due to
the recent storms. Dodger alerted with a decomp or blood alert. Something had been injured or killed along the trail
and spirits sank. The dogs tracked Yoshi's scent until the trail ended. It appeared
that Yoshi had met with a fox, (scat from a fox had been discovered along the trail the dogs were following), and most likely
had not survived. But there was a chance that he was still alive as no physical evidence had been found. Also the
river was higher than when Yoshi went missing and the tracking dogs could not cross to the other side. The decision was made
to leave the posters up and keep Yoshi in the forefront of the public’s awareness. It
was a crucial decision. Two days later a jogger called to say she thought she had seen a small fluffy dog under a bridge in
the area where Cade and Dodger had tracked. Although the Howells were doubtful, Ken decided it was worth a look. As he arrived at the bridge he noticed the water was much lower but he did not see a dog. He decided to wade into
the river and approach the bridge from the riverside. As he waded up the river, a small puff of fur barked at him. He recognized
his small friend and tried to approach but the injured dog backed up into an opening under the bridge and eluded capture.
After some wrangling and corralling, Ken was able to get to Yoshi, grab him and hang on. He quickly gathered up the dog and headed to the vet. The
vet found that Yoshi had in fact been attacked by a predator and had injured his back. He was treated, shaved due to
tick infestation and released. He was back being silly Yoshi within a month. Yoshi's Case Study: Our goal is to help pet owners resolve their missing pet situation. Sometimes, events
are outside our control like predators and swift flowing rivers. I prefer pet owners realize this rather than
believe we come in and always save the day. Here’s what most likely
happened: It is probable that Yoshi ran immediately into the woods. Once there he became confused and could not find
his way back out. This is very common with many domestic dogs; Lassie finds home but many dogs do not. He wandered for a while,
(roaming dog), and at some point was attacked by a small fox but his long fur made it
difficult for the small predator to hang on and Yoshi got away. His neck was bruised and he received the back injury when
the fox tried to roll him over. These are the typical injuries we find when an animal survives a coyote or fox attack. He
could still walk and fend for himself and at some point he crossed the river which at the time was a dry river bottom. When we arrived in Springfield
eight days later, the storms had filled the river to it banks
and the tracking dogs could not get across. Cade had tried to enter the water and was most likely indicating the need to cross
but with the depth of the swift current I had not allowed him to stay in the water. He then attempted to follow
Yoshi's trail from the other side of the river until the scent ran out and he was forced to give a no scent alert. Yoshi is home today and is a healthy, happy Pom with a new respect for the woods.
Ken and Rise Howell believe strongly in the premise: Never
Give Up if there is even a small chance… and so do I -Karin
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