FKSPCA:  RESCUE TAILS / “LOST OR STOLEN?”

BY TAMMY FOX-ROYER
Executive Director Florida Keys SPCA

A few weeks after Irma, a local resident saw a truck make a sudden stop and throw several small dogs out of the back.  The dogs quickly scattered but a few days later, a good Samaritan found one of the dogs by his boat and brought it into the FKSPCA.

The dog was chipped and matched a lost dog report that we had received.  We were all concerned, however, why the dog had been thrown from a truck and the finder agreed to keep the dog while we investigated the story.  Before releasing the dog, we checked for disease and discovered that the dog was suffering from ringworm, which had caused severe hair loss.  The finder still agreed to keep the dog and brought it back to the shelter every three days for treatment.

Officer Thompson contacted the owner who told us that he had lost his home during Irma and was living with his niece.  One day, he was inside the house while his four dogs played in the yard.  He heard a commotion outside and discovered to his dismay that someone was stealing his dogs.  He raced after the truck but fell in the road and was unable to catch them.

Asking around the neighborhood, he discovered that the “dog thief” lived on a boat nearby.  The owner went to the marina and started calling for his dogs.  He heard them on a boat but was not able to retrieve his dogs.  He called animal control and Officer Royer was dispatched to help.  The dogs were given back to the owner and we began our investigation.  Satisfied that the man was telling us the truth, we agreed to return all of the dogs to the owner.  The first dog to be found is still at the shelter until treatment for Ringworm is completed but the owner comes often to visit.  There are still a few loose ends to this story but from the excited dance that the little dog does every time he sees his owner, it’s clear that he’s eager to go home again.

If you’d like to help create more happy reunions, please contact me at [email protected].  If you’d like to help even more animals, please donate to our new shelter building fund on our website at fkspca.org.

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