Our neighborhood is very pet-oriented, and you will always see people walking their pets or headed to the park to play with them. One very cold winter, a bedraggled Chow mix started roaming the area. Many tried to coax him into their cars or try and get him to come to them, but he would always shy away.
After weeks of trying catch him, we set up a central command post with me as Mission Control. Several volunteers drove around the neighborhood routinely to try and find him, while others set up feeding stations and a shelter. I would get daily calls and emails of sightings of the Chow we nicknamed "Travis", who found a way to cross very busy city streets and frequently showed up in adjacent neighborhoods a mile away.
But Travis always ended up back in Peachtree Hills. With temperatures in the single digits and desperate to try and catch him, we expanded our circle of help to include Animal Control, rescue groups, a dog whisperer, and even the neighborhood vet for advice on how to bring Travis in. Once he was captured, a temporary and long term housing solution were lined up until a permanent home could be found.
Travis eventually was captured by Animal Control. Once he was examined by their vet, Travis, sadly, was found to have a heart worm condition that was beyond treatment. Travis was already suffering from congestive heart failure, and heart worm treatment would hasten his untimely end. It was a heartbreaking moment, but the collective decision was that the most humane thing to do was to put Travis to sleep, rather than let him suffer an agonizing death.
But Travis' spirit lives on. Since Travis loved to roam our neighborhood so much, a Japanese Maple will be planted at the entrance to the neighborhood in his memory with the hope that he is finally at peace.
After weeks of trying catch him, we set up a central command post with me as Mission Control. Several volunteers drove around the neighborhood routinely to try and find him, while others set up feeding stations and a shelter. I would get daily calls and emails of sightings of the Chow we nicknamed "Travis", who found a way to cross very busy city streets and frequently showed up in adjacent neighborhoods a mile away.
But Travis always ended up back in Peachtree Hills. With temperatures in the single digits and desperate to try and catch him, we expanded our circle of help to include Animal Control, rescue groups, a dog whisperer, and even the neighborhood vet for advice on how to bring Travis in. Once he was captured, a temporary and long term housing solution were lined up until a permanent home could be found.
Travis eventually was captured by Animal Control. Once he was examined by their vet, Travis, sadly, was found to have a heart worm condition that was beyond treatment. Travis was already suffering from congestive heart failure, and heart worm treatment would hasten his untimely end. It was a heartbreaking moment, but the collective decision was that the most humane thing to do was to put Travis to sleep, rather than let him suffer an agonizing death.
But Travis' spirit lives on. Since Travis loved to roam our neighborhood so much, a Japanese Maple will be planted at the entrance to the neighborhood in his memory with the hope that he is finally at peace.
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