Best friends reunited.
Today, June 14, is Missing Mutts Awareness day. Anyone who has lost a dog, even for a day or two, knows the heartbreak of wondering if they’ll ever find their friend again. Anyone who has had their dog stolen goes through despair, hoping that their dog will be returned to them.
Missing Mutts Awareness Day was started by a group of volunteers in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada who came together while searching for two dogs named Buddy and Maddy.
Here is how Missing Mutts came about. Buddy (a 2 year old Yellow Lab) and Maddy (an 8 month old English Bulldog), beloved dogs of Dave and Carmel Baird and their family, had been missing since December 29th 2012. The Bairds realized in their desperate search to find their animals that the public was not aware of what to do when they see a stray or lost animal. Some fear the SPCA and Rescue Groups will put animals down if taken there; others just drive by and don’t make that critical phone call to let the public and authorities know there is a stray dog in the area.
December 29th 2012, the day the dogs went missing, forever changed the lives of the Baird family. They soon realized just how much of a lost and stolen dog problem there is.
When Buddy and Maddy went missing, a team of volunteers came together to search for them. Through weeks of late nights, endless driving, continual text messaging, hours upon hours of answering phone calls and following up on leads …a special friendship was formed.
It takes a special person to never give up. It takes a special person to care enough to continue to help and give. It takes a “team to work together to find missing pets”.
The Baird family continues to believe and hold onto the hope of their pets returning home one day. In the process of looking for their own dogs they hope to help bring awareness and help to many other families missing pets.
To read more about the origin of Missing Mutts and the dedicated people who work to help others, please clink on this link.
There are a number of other Facebook groups that post photos and descriptions of lost and stolen dogs. When you’re on Facebook, just type a search for ”lost dogs” or “lost pets” and you’ll find many groups from all over the country who can help you in your search.
We hope you’ll never find yourself in the painful position of looking for a lost or stolen pet, but here are some helpful sites that might be able to help you should your best friend wander off or disappear:
Pet FBI — The Lost and Found Pet Information Center
Pet Finders – How to find a lost dog
How to Search for Lost or Missing Dogs
Home Again — What To Do if Your Pet Was Stolen
The Humane Society of the United States — What to Do If You Lose Your Pet
Missing Pet Partnership — What to do if you find a stray dog
Fido Finder – How to find your lost dog
