It’s all paws on deck when a pet goes missing in the Kawartha Lakes, thanks to a new volunteer group that thermal drones, trail cameras, and a whole lot of compassion to help find lost pets.
It was this crew of volunteers who searched tirelessly on March 29 when six Great Pyrenees dogs were found abandoned during the devastating ice storm. While four of them were secured by the community and brought to the Humane Society of Kawartha Lakes, two remained at large and needed to be humanely trapped before being safely transported to the shelter.
“It took so many volunteer hours and we had one volunteer sleep in her truck just to keep an eye on the traps and not miss an opportunity when the dogs came out at 4 a.m.,” says Jenny Miskelly, a co-founder of Tail Trackers Kawartha. “We had volunteers there pretty well 24 hours a day monitoring and just ready.”
Aided by such a level of dedication, the six Great Pyrenees dogs — all brothers — have since found safety, comfort, and aid through the humane society and five have already found their forever homes.
This is just one story of the more than 100 pets that Tail Trackers Kawartha have helped support since the organization’s launch in January. Miskelly first connected with Liana Gassyt and Georgia McIntosh when helping bunnies that were left abandoned on the side of the road, and the group then joined with Kelly Richardson and Lydia Van Den Berg, who both had similar experience with pet rescue organizations, to officially launch Tail Trackers Kawartha.
“There are definitely a lot of groups out there that share posts and get the word out on social media, but we are ground search teams, so we go out and recruit volunteers and actually search for these animals, and we have all the equipment to do so,” says Miskelly. “They’re our family members and I know if my dog were lost, I would hope the community would help me or someone would be helping me.”
Tail Trackers Kawartha, which is currently operating with 60 volunteers across Kawartha Lakes, operates a web app where either those who have lost a pet and those who have found a missing pet can report it by uploading photos and noting characteristics like the breed, colour, behaviour, direction of travel, and place and time of last sighting.
Volunteers who have signed up through the web app will then be notified if a pet has been missing in their area for multiple days.
The grassroots organization uses thermal drones, trail cameras, and humane traps to find and secure lost pets, while a team lead will act as a liaison to the family, helping them navigate the process and ensuring they are not being taken advantage while in a vulnerable state of mind.
“Unfortunately, often when a pet is missing, there can be fraud that comes out,” says Mike Sharma, a team lead and administrative volunteer for the organization. “We know how to help pet owners navigate this and, most importantly, we know how to prioritize getting their lost family member back home as quickly as possible.”
“It gives them a person to talk to and pitch and brainstorm ideas with,” adds Miskelly. “You know your pet best, but we know what happens in those cases when a pet goes missing, so we can work together to make sure that everyone’s got a clear head and are doing what’s best for the animal.”
When a pet is lost, Miskelly and Sharma recommend owners to put up posters around the community in addition to alerting Tail Trackers Kawartha, given that not everybody has social media or has downloaded the app. Especially in a rural area, people who notice a dog out on its own may not realize it’s missing,
“People will turn a blind eye and think it’s a farm dog or that the dog will go home safe,” adds Miskelly. “It sounds a little old school but when there are signs up, you’re basically asking drivers-by to keep an eye out for your dog.”
Through the web app, Tail Trackers Kawartha supports finding the lost pets by offering resources and works to educate all team leads and volunteers on best practices for capturing a pet.
Dogs, specifically, often enter a survival mode where fight-or-flight instinct can take over, and they don’t recognize even their owners’ voices. As such, chasing or calling the pet can increase their fear and prompt them to flee.
“People are very surprised when they find out how quickly their dog can go back to its natural survival instincts and require a little bit more or a different approach than what they expected,” Miskelly says. “In a forested area they’re going to hear sticks break from underneath your feet before they see who you are, and they’re going to run.”
To capture a lost dog, volunteers with Tail Trackers Kawartha are encouraged to be silent, avoid eye contact, assume a non-threatening position (on the ground, with their back to the dog), and allow the dog to approach.
As for missing cats, since they don’t typically stray as far from their homes, pet owners are encouraged to check beneath decks, porches, and garages, and talk to their neighbours. Leaving out familiar scents like blankets or clothes to attract them can also pull them out of the survival instincts.
“They prefer to actually move around in low light,” says Miskelly. “Going out at dusk is a good time for you to look for your cat, because cats have very reflective eyes which you might be able to spot with the flash (from a light).”
Individuals who find and secure pets are advised to contact their local animal control by-law officer to determine the best course of action for returning the dog or, if it’s been abandoned, get it into a shelter. Tail Trackers Kawartha will continue to support efforts by offering transportation or scanning the pet’s microchip.
“If you don’t have you dog or cat microchipped, get it done,” Miskelly says. “If your dog or cat is microchipped. it’s a much quicker trip back home.”
To further prevent lost pets, Tail Trackers Kawartha offers TrackiPet GPS pet trackers which provide a user with live tracking and allows pet owners to alert other users when their pet is missing. Proceeds from sales of the trackers go to Tail Trackers Kawartha, and the purchase comes with a free three-month subscription to the app.
As Tail Trackers Kawartha continues to grow, they are seeking more volunteer team leads to spread awareness, educate pet owners, and, ultimately, help reunite lost pets with their owners.
“The more we can drive awareness of what we are doing and the fact that we’re here to help, but also that we could use more volunteers and more team leads, the more likely we can return pets to home,” says Sharma.
To support Tail Trackers Kawartha, community members can sponsor a volunteer for $25, which includes a starter pack filled with treats, food, slip lead, towels, and other items for securing a lost or missing dog.
For more information about Tail Trackers Kawartha, including how to volunteer, sponsor a volunteer, report a missing or found pet, and more, visit tailtrackerskawartha.com.
