Success Stories
Casey
Missing: 11/27/20-11/29/20
CASEY IS SAFE!!!! CALMING TECHNIQUES worked yet again!! Casey went missing on Mayflower Gulch trail for 2.5 days. The owners and their parents camped out at the trailhead for 2 VERY cold nights and followed our advice to grill out so the smells would bring Casey down off the trail! It worked perfectly. Once down to the trailhead, she ran from them since she was in survival mode. We coached them to use CALMING TECHNIQUES when they saw her, which ultimately saved her! The owners and their parents did a GREAT JOB! Thanks to our volunteer Adele Zeh for making sure they had everything they needed!! You all worked SO hard to save her. Thank you for trusting us and listening to our advice.
Silla
Missing: 11/22/20-11/27/20
WELCOME HOME SILLA!!! Silla went missing on 11/22 when she got scared off by a dog at home. We advised the owners to place a comfort station (set out dirty clothes and her dog bed) right away and our volunteers hung neon signs. We only got one sighting of her all week, and then at 2am on Day 6, we got another sighting!!! We set up game cameras, and not even 20 minutes after we were done setting up, the owner got a call saying that Silla was in this lady’s backyard north of where the sightings were. She survived in frigid temps and snow for 6 days!! Silla was wearing her collar and TAGS, so the lady was able to call the owner easily! YAY!! Great work TEAM SILLA!
** Please make sure your pets wear collars and tags with current phone numbers, as it saves lives!!
Manchita
Missing: 11/10/20-11/13/20
MANCHITA is SAFE!!! This was an AMAZING rescue effort from the owner and our volunteers!! She was missing for 3 days and survived single digit temps and LOTS of snow!!! She is small but mighty!! Thank you to our team of volunteers- Jacqueline, Sherri, Kathy, Sharon & Mary for leading this rescue with Daniela and getting neons signs and flyers hung immediately while searching on foot!! A very BIG thank you to Sally for the 2 sightings that you gave us, so we knew where to focus our efforts!!! WELCOME HOME SWEET GIRL, enjoy the warmth and snuggles with your mama tonight!!!
Jessie
Missing: 9/9/20-11/9/20
ANOTHER KITTY SAFE!!!!!! Jessie, a 2 year old black kitty was missing for 7 weeks in Orem, Utah (south of Salt Lake City). The owners acted quickly and set up a camera and trap out on their front porch. Jessie was seen on camera coming back home, although she wouldn't go into the trap. The owners then reached out to us after she was missing for 4 weeks. We consulted with them remotely and gave them new hope and told them NOT to give up!
We shared our trap techniques and advised them to cover up the trap to disguise it. We also suggested that they try the "house trap" by leaving their door open and leave a trail of food leading far into the house. Jessie was curious about going inside, but she would only peek inside and not come fully in. She seemed more interested in the trap, so we then advised them to hang sardines in the far back of the trap in addition to leaving the bowl of food inside as well. She is a smart kitty and ate the hanging sardines two nights in a row. Then on the 3rd night, they put leaves in the trap to disguise the food, and she was FINALLY TRAPPED!!!
They were ready to give up, however they said that our advice and support kept them going!!! WELCOME HOME JESSIE!!
Estrella
Missing: 10/19/20-10/30/20
ESTRELLA!!!!! We are SO relieved she is safe and back with her loving family after missing for 12 days! Calming Techniques worked yet again!!! This was one of our hardest rescues for us, as she literally ran from Copper to Vail Pass (about 10 miles roundtrip) almost twice daily for about a week and half and would not settle in one place. We could not have done it without the help of Dispatch taking all the calls with sightings, and
Summit County Animal Control and Shelter
with their partnership helping us search, follow up on sightings, help us set cameras and traps and creating a plan with us etc. They were out there with us every step of the way along with our incredible volunteers and the owners. The Copper community was SO helpful as well, and we are grateful for you all.
Estrella got lost when her family was traveling through the state to get home to Arizona. They stopped at a rest area and she slipped her collar. Once we found out that she was missing, we put up our neon signs and calls with sightings came in immediately with her up at Vail Pass as well as all over Copper. Bernece (her owner) flew back into town to help with the mission. We coached her on calming techniques, put out scent stations with her dirty clothes, and went with her on the sightings. Bernece got within 20 yards of Estrella up at Vail Pass and she used the calming techniques to get her to earn her trust and inch closer. She then got spooked when a trucker stopped and started chasing after her, and she ran into I70 and actually got hit by a car. She limped away and hid in the woods for the rest of the night. This was the day after our big snow storm and negative temps, so we were really concerned. (**THIS is why we ALWAYS ask people to NOT CALL OR CHASE a lost dog.)
The next day, we got more sightings that she was back down in Copper and we were relieved that she was ok. She started slowing down her running back and forth to Vail Pass as she was now injured and really hungry!! We tracked her travel patterns and knew where to set up food stations and cameras down in Copper. At this point, the owner had to fly back home, however Grandma flew in to take over the search. On 10/30, within 2 hours of Grandma being at Copper, she saw Estrella. She followed our calming techniques, got low to the ground, calmly shook treats and tossed them to her, she DID NOT CHASE her and didn't yell out her name. She let Estrella build trust and come to her. Eventually she got close enough and Grandma laid on top of her, as she did not have a leash with her. Our volunteers came quickly with a harness and leash and she was SAFE!!!!!! WELCOME HOME ESTRELLA!!! (Her leg is surprisingly ok from when she got hit by the car yay!!)
Cinnamon
Missing: 10/13/20-10/15/20
Cinnamon, a 5 year old Blue heeler, went missing from McGullough Gulch Trail down in Blue River when she ran away when she heard a gun shot. Friends of the owners frantically searched for her and called us right away for help. We gave them our standard search protocols and told them to put out her dog bed and owner's dirty clothes asap. Our AMAZING volunteer Lisa Ferguson hung neon signs right away and flyers were also hung and given out. The next day, she was seen multiple times near Myla Rose lodge. The owner's friends finally saw her, yet she kept running from them since she was in panic survival mode. We coached them on CALMING TECHNIQUES (see pic) and they took our advice and followed every step. The next day on 10/15, they walked down that dirt road that she was seen on, for about two hours just crinkling the chip bag and singing her name (just as we coached him to) and he saw Cinnamon behind him out of the corner of his eye. So he followed the calming techniques and got down on his knees with his back turned and no eye contact. Cinnamon ran over to his dog and started kissing him. That’s when he turned towards her and she gave him kisses too!! She loves being back home and getting her favorite belly rubs!! GREAT JOB Rich & Doreen!!
Rubi
Missing: 9/18/20-10/10/20
RUBI IS SAFE after 23 days lost at Heaton Bay Campground off Dillon Dam Rd. John (the owner) contacted us saying he lost his cat while he was moving cross country and stayed over at the campground. Rubi was tethered to him with a harness and collar but when John woke up, Rubi was gone, but the leash and harness were both still there. He spent the day looking for him but eventually had to leave to continue on with his move. He asked if Summit Lost Pet Rescue would help search for him and we agreed. We put his crate with a camera at the campsite they were staying at for a couple weeks and we got nothing. We hung our neon signs (Thank you to our AMAZING volunteer Sherri Martin) and told all the campers but we didn't get any sightings. So we decided to pull our gear and wait for the campground to close. We assumed the campground was too busy for Rubi to come out of hiding, although we still searched all the time for him. Once the campground closed, we then decided to set Rubi's crate exactly where it was the night he disappeared and put our camera back up. Low and behold we got pictures of Rubi that very night. For the next 3 days we got pictures of him along with a big fox who didn’t see to bother him. We decided to set a trap. Since the fox was in the area, we didn’t want to leave the trap unattended so we had volunteers check every 2 hours. At midnight our AMAZING volunteer Tricia Taylor rode her bike in to check the trap, and WE GOT HIM!!! He was skinny, cold and stinky, but Rubi is a survivor and sooooooo sweet. He purred and meowed the whole way back to her house. The next morning we took him to the Summit County Animal Control and Shelter and the AMAZING staff (Thank You!!) took such GREAT care of Rubi until his owner was able to come to town to reunite. We are happy we didn’t give up on him and went back in after they closed, following our instincts. Welcome Home Rubi boy!!!
Merlin
Missing: 9/27/20-10/2/20
Merlin, an indoor only cat was missing in Breck for 5 days. Cody & Taylor (the owners) did ALL the right things and did it fast. They passed out flyers immediately all over the neighborhood and our volunteer Lisa helped the hang neon signs, set up a trap and camera. On the 5th day, he came home around 2 am !! They heard him meowing through a baby monitor they set up outside so they could hear him and let him in! Brilliant job by Cody & Taylor!!
Eddie
Missing: 9/8/20-9/12/20
Eddie is an indoor/outdoor kitty who has recently become more brave and expanded his outside territory. He normally comes home daily, although this time he didn't return. We reached out to Taryn (the owner) when we saw her missing post on FB. We assisted her with our search protocols, cameras, flyers, FB campaign and neon signs. After 4 days of adventuring out on his own, he came back at 4:00am and surprised mama!
Pepe
Missing: 9/9/20- 9/10/20
Pepe the pug went missing while he was visiting family. The family immediately posted on FB and we reached out to them to help. We activated our volunteers who hung flyers and neon signs all over town and assisted with the physical search. The next evening, someone saw Pepe running down the street, pulled over and he hopped in their car. They saw a neon sign and called the owner immediately and he was safely returned! Neon signs WORK!!! Thanks to our volunteer Jacqueline for getting them out right away!!
Bella
Missing: 9/2/20- 9/6/20
Sweet Bella girl went missing in the City Market parking lot and was seen running frantically. Pam, a friend of the owners Nikki & Lakia, shared a lost post on FB right away. We were notified of a sighting of Bella running down behind Qdoba, and we reached out to the owners to give them search protocols and signs. Flyers were made and neon signs were hung right away from our volunteers Jacqueline & Caity. 5 days went by with no sightings at all. Then on the 5th day, they get a call from a fellow neighbor saying that Bella was drinking water on their front porch. They used calming techniques and safely grabbed her and called the owners immediately once they saw a flyer. Bella was SAFE!
Ziva
Missing: 8/8/20- 8/28/20
Ziva was taken by someone in Dillon and whisked off to Frisco, where she was spotted within the hour. Claire (the owner) called Animal Control right away and her friend posted on FB. We contacted Claire immediately and shared our search tips and protocols. Neon signs and flyers were put up the next morning and our volunteers went out to search. A week goes by with no sightings and then she was spotted on Rainbow Lake trail. We followed up on that lead but did not see her again. An entire week after that, Claire received a call saying Ziva was picked up and then taken Green Bay, WI. They said they did not report her because they didn't trust Animal Control. (**It is SO IMPORTANT to call animal control and report a found pet, because somebody is most likely looking for them.) Long story short, they told Claire that she had to drive to WI to get Ziva back. Thank goodness for good family and friends, because they were able to go get her and return her back home to Claire safely. WHAT A LONG JOURNEY she had!! She was SO happy to see her mama when she was reunited.
.
Dorito
Missing: 8/17/20- 8/20/20
Dorito went missing from home and Thea (the owner) quickly made flyers and reached out for help. She did a thorough search in her yard and neighbors yard with no sightings at all. We have been collaborating and training with Bonnie McCririe Hale from Texas Pet Detectives Association while she’s here in Summit! We both have trained with the incredible Kat Albrecht-Thiessen at Missing Animal Response Network!
So on day 4 of Dorito being lost,Thea decided it was time to hire cat detection dog Idabel & Bonnie! We had a very successful cat rescue finding Dorito with Bonnie’s dog Idabel! Dorito was hiding under a shed 3 houses down from home. Idabel trailed his scent to the shed, and we found some cat fur under there. We left a can of cat food there and left the scene. 30 minutes later, Thea went back and sat quietly at the shed and within 2 minutes, Dorito crawled out from the shed and cuddled in her lap. Way to go Idabel and Thea for putting in the effort and staying persistent with the search. Welcome home sweet Dorito kitty!
Nala
Missing: 6/4/20- 8/10/20
Nala.... the longest SLPR mission to date. 68 days. Here’s the story. On June 4th Juliet (the owner) was driving west bound on I-70 when she hit a puddle and spun out, rolling her car. Her cat Nala escaped during the medical response. Juliet was rushed to the hospital and emergency crews tried to locate the cat but was unable to. Juliet attempted to try to trap Nala on her own and after a few days she realized that she wasn’t going to be able to. On June 9th, Summit Lost Pet Rescue was notified and sent a team up to the crash site to put 4 unarmed traps and cameras up. On June 10, we got our 1st picture of Nala confirming she was alive. We put sardines and wet cat food out try to keep her in the area but all that did was bring in all sorts of wildlife. Bears, foxes, elk, moose ect. We suspected she went into hiding. We continued to check cameras and threw her normal dry cat food all over the crash site. In hopes she would come out of hiding and eat some of the kibble. 3 weeks went by and Juliet asked us if she should accept that her cat was gone. We said no, lets keep checking. Our gut told us that she went into hiding and that she was still alive. After 5 1/2 weeks, onJuly 17th, we got another sighting of her re-confirming that she WAS still alive!! We decided to pull all the food and try to get wildlife to move on. After a few days all the large wildlife left the area. Sightings of Nala on our trail cameras increased drastically. From only in the middle of the night to mornings and evenings. When she finally acknowledged the traps, we set 4 and volunteers Troy and Kendra Peterson checked them periodically through out the night. After a few days we noticed she was trap shy so we decided to rig the trap doors open to prevent an accidental trigger. After 4 days, we decided she was comfortable enough to re-arm the trap and on August 10th, 2020 at approximately 17:45, Nala was trapped. She slept overnight with Kendra & Troy and was taken to the Frisco Animal Hospital first thing the next morning. Once she received a clean bill of health, she was transferred to the shelter for safe-keeping and great care until Juliet could pick her up a few days later. Nala is a SURVIVOR!!!
Binx
Missing: 6/25/20- 7/22/20
Binx disappeared off his balcony on June 25th and was missing for just about a month! Diana (his owner) searched everywhere in her yard and neighbors yards with no luck. She created a flyer right away and we gave her neon signs to hang as well, although we didn't get any sightings of Binx. She tried trapping with a camera, but no luck. A month goes by and she finally got a call from her neighbors saying they had seen a black cat in their yard. Diana went over and scoped out their yard and saw a shed that she was seen at a few times. She figured that she was hiding somewhere in all that, so she parked herself on one end of the tunnel and called and talked and sang to her, with lots of my usual “kitty kitty purr purr murr murr” and shaking some dry food in between. After about ten minutes, she meowed a few times, then she went silent. So Diana put some bits of her food near the shed, and moved a few feet away, still calling and talking to her. Soon, she started meowing again, so she stuck her hand under the shed, and she felt her sniff her. Diana loved on her a bunch, and then grabbed the scruff of her neck and pulled her out. Binx is so happy to be home, is healthy and giving lots of snuggles!
Rico
Missing: 7/20/20- 7/21/20
Sweet tabby cat, Rico, went missing from his home when he got scared while being chased from two dogs. Sara & Chad (the owners) searched all over, but couldn't find him so they reached out to us to help. We created a flyer and shared all over our FB networks and gave them tips on what to do on a lost cat search. They followed our advice and did a very thorough search on their property as well as in neighbors yards. (with permission) They looked under their neighbor's trailer and found him there, but he was too scared to come out. We suggested that they leave a trail of treats and let him come out on his own when he felt safe. Rico did just that, and Chad was able to grab him!! Rico was originally rescued from Costa Rica and brought to the US with his bonded brother Jordy. Rico is happy to be back home after his night away from his brother.
