Lost Pup in Cokato, MN!

[Cootz]

I can't beleave I'm typing this but I am. On Saturday (3/11) around 7:00 I let my 10 month old Black Lab pup out to go to the bathroom and that's the last time I saw him. I normally let both my 7 year old and him out at the same time and all he does is follow my older dog around. This time I only let him out and I'm guessing he found a squirrel or rabit to chase. After 5 - 10 minutes of waiting I got my jacket on and started walking around looking for him. Coincidentally a Wright county sheriff just happened to be driving by my house in Cokato, MN and I flagged him down. He was VERY polite and helpful and said he'd look and gave me a card to call the nonemergency line and let the dispatcher know. I wasn't too worried, I figured he'd show up later that night. That was two nights and one snow storm ago. My only hope now is you guys and the chip in him. I normally don't have a collar on him unless we go somewhere. I went through three collars in three weeks with the two of them wrestling all day when I'm at work. He did have an electronic collar on him but I never thought of putting a name tag on that collar like I do his other collars. From now on I'll have a name tag on every collar I own! His name is Ruger if anyone finds him.

[311Hemi]

Man...sorry to hear that.....I know what your going through, my 10 month old ran away 2 weeks ago while my fiance was home and I was up north. He didn't have his collar on and we live in a somewhat busy area.....scared the SH*! out of me. She came home after an our of looking for him to find him at the front door.......was the worst feeling ever no know where he is.

I hope you find soon! Sorry I can't offer more than that.

[Cootz]

Here's one for everyone. I didn't realize that in the city of Cokato one of the vets took the lost and found animals that are in the city limits. Lesson #1. When you move to an area find out where found animals are taken. Lesson #2 - when talking with law inforcement ASK where dogs are taken. Lesson #3 - Just because you chip a dog don't ASSUME that the vets in town USE the scanning devices. I spent the last half an hour on the phone calling Wright county Sheriff's office, the pound in Buffalo, every Vet in Cokato and the city hall. This is how I'm guessing it went down. I let my pup out, he saw a squirrel and chased it for awhile and then he was by the local grocery store, saw people and went up to one KIND person who brought him to the impound Vet all in about 20 or less minutes. Thank the lord he's safe. I'm extremely happy and kind of pee'd at the same time. I almost didn't make the phone calls to the vets this morning because I assumed all vets in somewhat larger towns had scanning devices and if they'd have scanned him they would have called me by now. Well the vet techs responce to me was, "funny you ask that. We just got the thing and are trying to get ready to use it." Meaning they have no idea of how to use it. Here's my two sense, getting off the subject and onto a different one, I think from now on if I switch vets I'm going to demand that they have a scanner in their possession and use it. Why should we pet owners chip our pets if the vets, AND THE ONE THAT SUPPOSEDLY IS THE IMPOUND VET, aren't scanning the pets! Any thoughts???? I went from really bummed this morning to very happy to now a little upset.

[gundoglily]

First: How great that you have been reunited with your friend..we all have been through the time when they ran off and we can't find them. A sickening feeling.

Don't take it out on the vets office. Microchipping is relatively new in rural areas, and Cokato is still considered rural, so until the vets office had demand for implanting chips, it is hard to weigh the cost of the scanner and such against how much this service will be used. I have also read read that there are more than 1 brand of chips and if that office sells a competing brand their scanner can not read the other chips.

A good lesson learned with a good out come!

[Cootz]

Yesterday when I picked up my pup the vet himself wasn't around so today he's supposedly going to call me. I'm not going to blow up at the vet. I just want to create change.

On Saturday night when my pup was found the vets office was closed and I heard he got the call at home and came to his office and opened it up. So I am very greatfull. And yesterday the receptionist didn't make me pay the bill, yet. She said she'd talk with the vet first.

I got the chips implanted from the other vet in cokato so the reason I'm not happy is the fact that the City isn't demanding the scanner. I'm going to be giving them a call this morning.

[LABS4ME]

Most cities do require that the vet that takes in the strays has a scanner. There is a scanner available that reads all the different chips. My vet just went to this as opposed to 2 different scanners. He is the vet where my city takes in the strays and he does scan them all. It would be good to have a chat with your vet to voice your concerns over this matter. Change is good!

Good Luck!

Kne

[BLACKJACK]

At one time I also looked into 'chipping' my now two year old lab and when the vet said that there were two different/competing chips and that some might not be able to read them, I didn't do it. I've got an appt for Friday, I'll see what he says now, whether he has the reader that can read all the chips. Hes also the impound vet here in Willmar....

[BLACKJACK]

Talked to my vet in Willmar last week. He said his scanner would read one type of chip, but that it would also 'detect' that the other chip was present. He also said the vets were trying to get this standerized but it was a problem with competing manufacturerers.