Bunny went to her new fosters in Oldham from Dogs 4 Rescue on Wednesday 18 June but ran out of the door the following morning as soon as she saw the opportunity. Within a split second she slid past her foster’s legs and was gone.
We set a live camera up with food, and lay a scent trail, and waited for her to appear on camera. Bunny is a very timid, nervous dog and we knew that she would have gone to ground almost immediately and chose the most likely place that she wouldn’t be far from. Thursday night she appeared on camera and tucked into her food 
.
We set the humane trap on Friday with lots of appetising food including fresh roast chicken. Within minutes of me leaving the trap area, she showed herself at the trap. She circled the trap and ate the pieces of chicken that I had laid as a trail going into the trap, stopping at the point where she would need to put her feet inside the trap. She then proceeded to circle the trap, walk away and come back, which went on for quite a while.
I had just got in my car when she showed up at the trap, and had all my windows open. My car was hidden from the trap area but only metres away. I hadn’t intended on staying once the trap was set as we had the live cameras which would notify us of any movement and her fosters were left with instructions to get to the trap immediately when I phoned them (they lived a couple of minutes walk away). Then they were to wait at the trap to make sure she didn’t harm herself trying to get out until we got there. I could see on camera that she was getting frustrated as she really wanted that chicken but was too scared to enter the trap. I was sat in my car hardly breathing as any movement or noise would have made her run. But then she appeared at the side of my car and circled my car. She then walked down the lane sniffing for food. At this point I knew that I had to let her eat outside the trap because she was very frustrated and seeing her start to walk down that lane alarmed me, knowing that if anyone saw her they would try to catch her or shout. This would have caused her to leave her safe space and the immediate area and would have led her into danger. I waited for her to come back (which thankfully she did) and go back to the trap. I then waited for her to disappear from the cameras and went and put some food, including some of the chicken, outside the trap in front of the trap door with some chicken as a trail to the back of the trap (she had already eaten part of the trail of chicken earlier).
Half an hour later she came and ate the food and then disappeared. After another hour, she came back, spent a few minutes circling the trap again and stepped slowly into the trap. She put both front feet in then proceeded to eat the trail of chicken making her way to the food at the back of the trap. I activated the trap door and shut it as soon as she was safely inside and away from the door.
Bunny was then transported still inside the trap, as we could take no risks with her escaping, back to Dogs 4 Rescue. She was very happy when she realised she was back and is no worse for her adventure.
This has been a very stressful time for all involved including Bunny’s fosters. She was sent with a tracker on from Dogs 4 Rescue, but the night before she escaped, her tracker had been put on charge. It was a new environment with new people and all she wanted to do (as all dogs do at first when going to a new home) was to get back to what she knew. So at the first opportunity of seeing the door open, she pushed past her fosters legs and fled. Please no negative comments as her fosters did everything that they were instructed to do in order to help us to capture her and I would like to thank them for this, including the lady who owned the land who allowed us to access and set the feed stations and trap.
Dogs 4 Rescue send foster dogs with clear instructions on safety and speak to potential fosters (and adopters) about how easy it is for a new dog to escape. But until you’ve experienced this yourself, it’s difficult to understand that in so much as a blink of an eye, the dog has escaped and gone. We remained quiet about this until Bunny was caught because we needed her to stay where we believed she had gone to ground. Any well meaning interference from people would have changed the outcome of this, causing her to flee the area or worse. As usual, there was no searching. No drones. No people shouting her. No people chasing her. She stayed safe because of this. We worked in a non threatening manner, monitoring her with live cameras. She was safely caught without anybody being anywhere near her and was allowed to go at her own pace. The worst fear for a lost dog are people which lost dogs see as predators. People are well intentioned but unknowingly cause the fear and stress that a lost dog goes through. The dog is not allowed to calm down and do what is natural by going to ground. They are pushed from the area and worse. They need to be allowed to settle and stay where they are so plans can be put into place to safely capture them in a non threatening and remote manner.
Bunny is safely back at Dogs 4 Rescue and is back to her normal self and happy to be home. Please do not let this put you off fostering as fosters are so badly needed at Dogs 4 Rescue in order for them to help many more dogs who are losing their lives everyday because all rescues are full. As long as you listen carefully to the advice of keeping the foster dog safe and not allowing any opportunity for the dog to escape, it’s a very rewarding experience to foster a dog. Not only are you helping that dog, but you are also creating space for another dog to be rescued and to actually live their life.
Dogs 4 Rescue are amazing at what they do for these dogs. They really do go above and beyond and need as much support as possible from the public. Please do follow their page and their posts and, if you can, help by fostering, adopting, sharing posts, and donating. It’s the worse time ever for rescues and there are far too many rescue dogs desperately needing good homes.
The following extract is from a post that Dogs 4 Rescue did after Bunny’s capture:
“Bunny is back safe with us. We didn’t post about her escape from a home as well meaning people would have forced her to flee from a safe spot. Instead we called in the professionals Michelle and team from Greater Manchester Lost Dog Search & Rescue Capture Team C.I.C
They sprung into action. Hundreds of messages trying to organise and keep everyone updated. Hours of time driving over to the site and back – laying the feeding stations, cameras and traps, even more hours watching cameras – waiting for the moment when they are far enough in to activate the door with certainty. You only get one chance. And in the end collecting it all up, having to clean everything out and store for their next urgent call.
Why? Because they care passionately about dogs.
These are incredible women who work full time in other jobs… who had no dinner again… functioning on barely any sleep as lost dogs always like to be more active at night when it’s safer. Their skill and knowledge is incredible, we learn something new each time and yet we wish we didn’t have to.
We give all the advice we can, warnings, even show people the faces of dogs who didn’t end up coming home safe and make them sign forms. We go over it verbally over and over and give advice along the way but still – it happens. We have to put our trust in people who occasionally underestimate how frightened dogs act and how quick and determined they can be. No unkind comments please. They too have had a distressing experience.
This post is to celebrate the behind-the-scenes angels. The lost dog experts and all round heros who are undoubtedly responsible for Bunny being trapped and home safe. They don’t do it for anything other than to knowing the dogs are back safe.
The whole scenario is a draining emotional roller coaster where we have to stretch ourselves even more thin than we already are. It’s been a while since we’ve had to do one of these – lets hope it reminds everyone to keep their doggies safe, however long you have had them.
And should you find yourself in the awful position of having lost a dog in our area you all know who to turn to.”
