[angiefox10]

The Story of Max

Max got out in late November. It happened the day his owner was leaving. The back door wasn't latched, and he made a run for it

His owner isn't very good with the computer and didn't know what to do. He had to leave, however his petsitter DID know to Contact Lost Pets of The Villages.

We posted and sent an email to the radio station as well as call Community Watch. Remember, Community Watch could lose their job for working with us. (we had another dog that the dispatcher was afraid to tell me they had a call on the dog that we had.) We posted in the Lost Pets of The Villages, it was posted in PawBoost craigslist and TOTV, as well as many groups in FaceBook.

Here's the deal. Max is chipped. The owner didn't change the phone number to her new number. Remember I told you they aren't good with the computer.

I sent a picture of Max to Herschel at Animal Control and a few days later, Officer Tuttle called me to tell me they had had Max. This is VERY good. They were paying attention to my emails and working to make a match. Thank you, Officer Tuttle,!!!!

Lucky for Max Sumter County didn’t kill him. SPCA Florida came in and saved him. Not lucky for Max, he could have bee adopted and there would have been NOTHING anyone could do. The hold period for the owner (who was out of town) was over. Officer Tuttle got on the phone and verified that Max was still there and give the pet sitter all the information so we could go get Max.

But now, we still have a problem. The owner is gone and as we know Sumter will not allow anyone except the owner to pick up the dog. Bob Rinke, the Pet Sitter called SPCA Florida and they worked it out that we could go get Max! YAY!

Max is home… A few pounds lighter with some issues from stress. But that happens when a dog is in a kennel for three weeks.

Here is our issue. If The Villages (Richard Baier) didn’t have the NEW rule about calling us to find the owner instead of the pound, Max would have been home the same day!

How do I know that? Max got out once before. Lost Pets of The Villages was called. Then as now, the phone number didn’t match. However, we did a background search and found the mother of the owner who contacted the pet sitter and we had Max home the next morning after picking him up the night before.

What could have happened? He could have been killed after the five days at Sumter. He could have been adopted out at SPCA Florida to never see his home again. All because the County and The Villages don’t want us to get the dogs home and instead want them to go to the pound.

What is it going to take to save our dogs? How many will we lose? Will we know? How many people will be looking for their dogs for years when they could be home? Why should our dogs be stressed in a pound?

I don't believe the pound made any money on Max. SPCA Florida in Lakeland didn't make any money on Max. They both spent money on him. I'm glad he's alive, but this didn't have to happen. It won't be the last time! Not with employees being afraid of being fired if they help save a dog.

Max could be anyone’s dog. Sometimes chips aren’t read. People forget to register and/or they don’t update them. Max could be your dog or even mine.

Consider how wonderful it would be if Animal Control, The Villages, the Humane Society, and Lost Pets of The Villages could work together.

Thank you, Officer Tuttle!

Angie Fox
Lost Pets of The Villages
815-370-9115