Lost and Found Pets Sawyer, Washburn and Bayfield Counties - Wisconsin

UPDATE: Owner Found; Cuteness is back home!

Do you know this FOUND DOG? 2023-12-23! N Easy St, Hayward, Sawyer County, WI, US, 54843. Female ***Terrier*** White.

CONTACT:
Email: [email protected]

More Info, Photos, and to Contact:
https://petfbi.org/api/view/605749/f6ca9f52

Let's get this Dog home!
(SLW)

Do you know this FOUND DOG? 2023-11-02! Narrows Trail, Minong, Washburn County, WI, US, 54859. Female ***Golden Retriever*** Rust or Reddish.

CONTACT:
Email: [email protected]

More Info, Photos, and to Contact:
https://petfbi.org/api/view/593813/4e73ae13

Let's get this Dog home!
(SLW)

Lost cat. 9/10/2023. Mick Jagger. South of Hayward near Hwy 63. He has a chip. Kris Thompson 715-558-3644

LOST DOG Brindle 2023-08-10! US-53 & WI 70, Spooner, Washburn County, WI, US, 54801. Female ***Mountain Cur/Hound*** Brindle--large white spot on chest and some white on her toes.

CONTACT:
Email: [email protected]

More Info, Photos, and to Contact:
https://petfbi.org/api/view/571661/f2c19e95

Lets get Brindle home!
(SLW)

UPDATE: OWNER LOCATED AND THEY ARE PICKING UP SONIC.

Found on NN by LCO. Message page if yours.

LOST DOG Hudson 2023-07-22! Brickman Lake Road, Groats Canoe Landing to the Namekagon River, Stanberry, Sawyer County, WI. 54875. 10 miles west of Hayward, WI. Male ***Retriever/Unknown*** Brown.

CONTACT:
Email: [email protected]

More Info, Photos, and to Contact:
https://petfbi.org/api/view/566560/de1ba8cd

Lets get Hudson home!
(JB)

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=673068091525780&id=100064677852560&mibextid=Nif5oz

LOST DOG Willow 2023-07-13! Barnes, Bayfield County, WI, US, 54873. Lake road and County Rd Y.. Female ***German Shepherd Dog/Australian Shepherd*** Black/Tan or Cream.
CONTACT:
Email: [email protected]
More Info, Photos, and to Contact:
https://petfbi.org/api/view/564001/10a55f18
Let's get Willow home!
(RP)

Happy Saturday! I promised a 'story' about how Rex was captured so here you go! I've been providing updates so I'll just jump into the day of capture. (Reunion video in comments, for some reason FB wouldn't let me load it with photos. It's dark but you can still see the sweet connection).

First I want to thank Joe and Julie Schmitt who graciously let us use their home to set up a food station, trail cams, and the trap where we eventually captured him. I also want to thank all of the other property owners who allowed us to set up during the week as we tracked his movement. They are Jeanette and Don Hoffelt, the Brainerds, and Priscilla Capelle-Haehn. Additionally, every person who reported a sighting (which are too many to list), each of you contributed to getting a scared lost dog off the street and back into his loving home, thank you again.

We pick up the story from the night prior where we had visual confirmation that he went all the way into the trap (and fit) so we knew it was safe to set. He slept next to the trap the entire night but he left in the morning. Surprisingly he didn't show up on the trail cam all day (typically once they discover a food source they will visit frequently). Because of this, we knew we needed to plan on a night capture.

I arrived at 7:45 pm and immediately started up the grill cooking breakfast sausage with venison and liquid smoke. I waved the smokey pan in the air to move the scent around. After about 10 minutes I felt like I was being watched, so I looked over my shoulder and there stood Rex about 75 yards away, watching me cook. I was hoping the trail cams would have caught this image but it didn't (it's always neat when they watch you, because you know they will come to the trap after you leave).

I crawled into the trap and tied a thick pork chop onto the back wall. This technique requires the dog to go all the way in because they can not reach it with a long stretch, this further ensures that all of his four paws are inside the trap. I opened a can of sardines, drizzled the juice onto the ground, dropped a few pieces into a dog dish, and created a trail into the back of the trap. I left the frying pan with a few pieces of sausage and venison and the dog dish with sardines outside of the trap (appetizers :-) ). Triple checked the trap to make sure that even if his head hit the door, it was secure enough to not spring shut. We were ready.

Joe and Julie invited me in to watch from their home (given that I smelled like liquid smoke and sardines that was very gracious of them🤢 😂). Rex was still in the field but he did not immediately head over to the trap. Instead, he headed in the opposite direction to lie down. Then he walked the edges of the field going even further from the trap and laid down again 🙄. Finally, he headed toward the trap but just before he got close he veered away and headed toward the house 😲. He appeared to find some food that was left for him a day or two earlier, c'mon Rex!

At this point, it was getting dark, and was hard to see him across the field. Joe and Julie each had a pair of binoculars, I had my phone with my trail cam app. Finally, he headed to the trap. Joe and Julie watched his every move and provided a play-by-play. I would get pictures on my phone but it's about a minute delayed. I wish I had recorded the play-by-play because it was quite fun! It went something like this; "He's eating the food in the dish", now he's eating the food in frying pan, his head is in the trap, no wait, he's out, he's walking around the back of the trap, he's on the side of the trap, his head is back in, he's going in, oh nope, he's back out, okay he's going in again, looks like he's almost in" (insert a nerve-wracking silence) "he's still going, still going, the door just closed, he's in the trap!" YAY! High fives and hugs were shared, and Rex was finally safe. 🥳

We headed out to the field and as we got close, Rex was barking (not a friendly bark, he was still scared and in survival mode). As much as we tried to calm him down, he wasn't having it. We loaded the trap with him still inside to the rack hitched to the back of my car (while he barked and growled at us) and drove him inside Joe's big garage. Meanwhile, Rex's owner was on his way. We waited.

Finally, his owner arrived, walked into the garage, said his name, and immediately Rex started wagging his tail. It was at that moment, he snapped out of survival mode and was ready to go home. It's an amazing transformation to watch. We let Rex out of the trap and after a few head scratches, he plopped down and rolled over for a belly rub 😍. He was double-leashed, double-collared, carried into the car, and headed home.

Later his owners sent me a note saying he had a bath, was fed, had his teeth brushed, and was playing with the family and their other dog. He was so happy to be back home (as were all of us). If my dogs were ever lost, I could only hope it would be in an area like Bruce Wisconsin where everyone contributed to his safe capture and return. That said, let's hope we don't have to do that again!

Welcome home Rex, you stay put now!

We got Rex! Will share the story later. Thank you everyone!

Rex went into the trap tonight without an issue and ate all of the food we left for him! He's laying near it now and making it 'his home'. I suspect having his owners shirt inside the trap may have helped, as we have an image of him sniffing it. 🥰 Often times when dogs are lost we will find them laying on piles of owners clothing we've left for them. If it smells like home, they make it home.

We will make a plan to set the trap, if all goes well we'll get him home today. One more day to keep him safe everyone - paws crossed, prayers up!

5.01.23 update. We have Rex crossing in front of one of our trail cams twice within 24 hours. Hopefully this is a pattern because it will mean that a food station will work here. We relocated the trap and food station late this afternoon. Then we grilled meat with liquid smoke (to carry the scent into the air), drizzled sardine juice on the path he walked, placed sardines outside of the trap and created a trail of food to the back of the trap along with clothing belonging to his owner (sardines for smell, stinky food to catch his attention). The trap is not armed. We still need to see if he's willing to go inside.

I did see him 'relaxing' in the field this afternoon (not too from the food station so hopefully this all comes together soon). We are appreciative of all the text messages with sightings today, thankfully all within the same half-mile area. Good boy Rex, we need you to follow the plan!

Sunday 4.30.23 update. Rex is still on the move. Thank you to Roger R. who messaged this page to alert us that he had him in sight (3 miles from the feeding and trapping station). Roger very carefully tracked him for over an hour until both his owner and I could arrive. Just as the owner arrived and pulled over on the side of the road next to Roger, Rex took off. 😟

So in addition to 'no whistling, no calling, no approaching, let's add, 'no pulling over' to the list. If you are able to take a photo from a long way that is probably better. For those who do not know, Rex is in 'survival mode', so things that seem normal and harmless to us, may look threatening to Rex.

All is not lost. We spoke with local homeowners in the area who indicated they had Rex on their trail cams almost nightly. In fact, he was on one of the cams twice between 1 and 4:30 am just last night.

We received permission to set up on their property and so we moved the trap, trail cams and food station to a local resident. This is the fourth move! Rex is only 8 months old so he still just a 'puppy' at heart...maybe he's playing with us? C'mon Rex! :-)

Let's pray he finds the food station tonight and continues regular visits. This will be the first hurdle to overcome. I will continue to keep everyone updated. If you have a sighting please remember to NOT POST the location on social media. Instead, text/call the owner (715-939-9683) or me (715.558.3186) or, message this page. Thanks!

I want to give an update on the Rex (the lost Shepherd near Bruce). We've finally settled on placing the trap and food station in one location (we moved it three times because he keeps moving). He's been seen in the same location three times this week. I've been to the location twice since Sunday and both times I've seen him in the same exact area. Our goal will be to continue to lure him to the feeding station with food and shelter.

I realize that people are anxious to see him captured and returned to his home. Some people have been overly emotional and sent 'nasty' messages because we requested that only one trap be placed. Some suggested they will take matters into their own hands. It's important for everyone to know that this dogs owner is actively participating in the capture of his dog. Please leave the decisions to him. If it were your dog you wouldn't want other people interfering with your efforts. We do need your help with sightings, these are important and beneficial to the overall process (and much appreciated!)

There are many reasons for not setting traps up in multiple locations:

First, lost and scared dogs do not just 'go into a trap'. They are very skittish and tend to 'stretch' their bodies to reach the food in the back (photos attached). If they hit the trip plate with their front paws while their back paws are outside of the trap, it will come down on their backs allowing them to back out. The door will then slam shut in front of their face causing them to bolt. The chances of trapping them at that point diminish. When we first set out a trap we bungee the door open allowing the dog to go in and out freely without the door coming down. This is called 'conditioning'. Once we get visual confirmation on our trail cams that he isn't afraid to go into the trap, we will arm it to shut.

Second, he has multiple food sources competing with our efforts. There are farms with horses, cows and chickens. They all have food outside that Rex has access to and even bird feeders are a food source that lost dogs are known to frequent. He's already less likely to go into a trap for food with that many resources available.

If he doesn't go into the trap at all, we may need to build a large trap (something that looks like a fenced in yard) which will further delay our ability to capture him. The trap we placed is a 5-foot trap. I've trapped shepherds in this before so it 'should' work but we need to see him on the cam next to the trap to be sure. It's on his time, we have to remember this, we don't want to rush the process (even though we ALL want him captured quickly). If we handle this correctly there is also a chance he may not need to be trapped. There are other methods that work when he's settled into one location.

I just ask everyone to please be patient and trust the process. I've trapped and hand captured dogs who have been lost from days, to weeks, to months. As long as he isn't chased into the road and is left alone, he will do fine. The road is his biggest enemy so please, let's work together to keep him safe. No chasing, no whistling, no calling. Snap a photo and alert us with his location. Thank you! 🙂 Esther Maina 715.558.3186

ATTENTION: Residents of Bruce, Ladysmith and Birchwood area. We ARE actively working on trying to capture this dog safely (back German Shepherd on left in photo). But when we finally get him settled in one area someone chases him off. Just this morning someone pulled over to try and get him and he ran off. We will NEVER catch this dog if this continues.

Farmers are threatening to shoot the dog because it's SPRING and they are concerned about their newly born livestock. Legally they can do this so chasing this dog will only cause him more harm than good because it's that much longer he'll be on the run.

He is in SURVIVAL MODE. This is when their mindset is very much like a deer or other wildlife. He views everyone and every animal as a predator. A few days ago he ran from his owner and his housemate (the other dog in this photo), this means a perfect stranger will not have any success.

What can you do to help? If you see the dog REPORT THE SIGHTING TO ONE OF THE NUMBERS BELOW AND LEAVE THE DOG ALONE. Do not call, do not whistle do not approach.

Please spread the word to leave this dog alone, report sightings only. If we can get him to be comfortable in one area where he feels safe an unthreatened, we will be able to catch him.

TEXT OR CALL:

715-939-9683
715-939-2543
715-558.3186

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10160002012933355&id=737068354&mibextid=Nif5oz

LOST DOG Sassy 2022-08-21! N Long Lake Rd, Iron River, Bayfield County, WI, US, 54847. Female ***Pit Bull*** Black/White. CONTACT: (715) 813-9511 or (218) 428-0500 Email: [email protected]
More Info, Photos, and to Contact:
https://petfbi.org/api/view/490119/cd88b4f7
Lets get Sassy home!
(rp)

LOST DOG Cypress 2022-09-09! Hauer Rd, Sawyer County, WI, US, 54876. By county rd F and Right of Way rd. Near the train tracks. Female ***Pit Bull*** Brindle. CONTACT: (715) 523-9913 or (715) 699-0510 Email: [email protected]
More Info, Photos, and to Contact:
https://petfbi.org/api/view/487870/7cdf31e5
Lets get Cypress home!
(rp)

Pet FBI Report ID #478254 for Found Cat Found Cat in WI, 54843. Click for more information.