Monster...A Happy Ending

My first run in with Monster, as I later found out was his name, was back on 12/15/08.

Got a call for an aggressive German Shepherd that wouldn't leave someones property. So I get there and Monster is in this backyard.

He is a HUGE dog, ya, I'd name him Monster too!!

When I try to catch him he doesn't even growl, he just charges me. He blows right passed me before I can get a catch pole loop around him. So I spend the next 15 minutes chasing him around, in and out of the backyard and front yard since there is no fence on one side. I finally have had enough and call for another officer to come assist me. She'd take about 20 minutes to get there. So in this 20 minutes I again try to catch him.

I had him cornered again and as he was charging me, once again, I got the catch pole loop around his neck!

But he is going so fast and is so huge that he blows passed me, yanking the catchpole, spinning me and him around and he takes off. I take off after him as now he is headed out into the neighborhood. By the time I run back to my truck and get turned around to catch him he is around the corner and vanishes. I start cruising the neighborhood and surrounding streets. He has vanished.

The other officer arrived and we both are searching.

Nothing.

Finally we call it.

Unable to locate.

The other officer and I both check craigslist as she mentioned seeing and ad for a lost Shepherd. She was going to follow up and give the poster a call. She did and left a message.

Fast forward 3 weeks later. 1/6/08.

I respond to a call of a Dog reported to be abandoned at a vacant house. Another officer had posted a Pre-seizure for abandonment and now it was time to pick the dog up.

So I go into the backyard.

Monster is there.

Of coarse this property is on 2 acres and not fenced in so the chase is on.

Didn't last long.

This dog has a knack of disappearing.

I had also gotten a call earlier about an aggressive dog that just happened to be on the other side of the street. Monster.

So I have gone out to this property every day this week to leave food to try to keep him around. No traps available and no Tranq available. I have to remind myself that I love working for the county.

Today, Supervisor tells me that he can meet me out there and tranq the dog. I go out early to set food out and make sure the Monster is still there.

Yep. He barks at me and takes off into the field. But he'll be back.

I leave to go do another call.

As I am driving there a lost dog poster catches my eye. "His Name is Monster", and there are pictures. It's him!

So I call the number and the owner called me back. She would meet me at the property and confirm if it is her dog. Of coarse when we get there Monster is no where in sight. Owner starts calling and calling. We are there for a good 20 minutes when she catches a glimpse of a tail in the orchard next to the property. She keeps calling and and calling. And she goes down the street. I hang back and can hear that she has found him. It's him. She is screaming and cry she is so happy and I can see him jumping on her he is so excited to see his mommy. I actually choked up a little when I heard her. I watched as Monster jumped around and loved on her. A totally different dog that I had known. He jumped into the back of her vehicle, happy as can be.

Monster had been missing since 11/20/08, nearly 2 months! And he was at least 10 miles away from where he had been lost from. Amazingly, he was in pretty good shape. So he is home and safe tonight and his owner and his sister are very glad he is back. I love happy endings.