Blue, a southern rescue escaped while on a walk with his foster last Thursday on the Columbia trail in Long Valley, NJ. Eleventh Hour Rescue contacted me and I guided them over the phone but Blue proved to be one smart boy.
Yesterday, I headed out to Long Valley to capture the elusive Blue. Kelly, Blue's foster mom got more posters up and another lost my doggie call alert went out. A plea went out on Blue's facebook page for help with posters and everyone in the community immediately rallied... seriously, you guys rock!
At approximately 6pm last night sightings starting coming in. He was seen running down a very busy and very dangerous route 517 also known as Fairmount Road. He was now 1.5 miles from the entrance of the trails where he had been seen last. At 8 pm while putting up more posters, Blue jump out of the thicket and dart across Fairmount Road, nearly getting hit and ran up a steep driveway. No one was answering the door so I was unable to get permission to set up a trap, so I tossed food up on the hill with the hopes that he would smell it and stay in the area. I parked with lights and engine off at the base of the driveway and monitored his movement through the rustling of leaves and sensor lights going on and off all night long into the early morning hours. At 5am the property owners brother drove up, they were leaving to go hunting so I basically ambushed them and explained the situation and asked for permission to set up.
Not one sighting came in today, I was convinced he was hunkering down on the property on Fairmont because he had discovered the food source, not only mine but the property owner feeds the local deer bagels!!! This property was the perfect retreat for a lost dog with lots of sheds and barns for shelter, food and a water source...BINGO!! At 4:30 tonight I freshened up the trap with a new rotisserie chicken and at 5:11 my phone was going off with pictures of him at the trap, at 5:12 he was captured!
Blue had a wonderful support team behind him, Tammy and Jeff from Eleventh Hour Rescue, his amazing foster mom, Kelly who was steadfast and never gave up no matter how tired she was. Ellie and Jake Drake who so graciously allowed me to set up camp on their property along with the entire community of Long Valley who embraced this little lost dog as their own.. Blue the Lost Dog is now officially Blue the Found Dog!!! Welcome back Blue!
