Today we searched for a Doberman in the woods. She had been missing for several days. Valentino dragged me through underbrush that was easy for him to get through, but considerably harder for me. We tracked for a couple of miles. We had to stop several times to get permission from property owners. Eventually, the trail came to a steep bluff. There was a footprint at the top of the bluff, as if a large animal had gone down there. Tino, or the lost Doberman, could get down there fairly easily, but there was no way for a human to navigate the slope. We decided to drive around and try to pick up the scent at the bottom of the hill. Even though it was a cool day, Tino was still warmer than ideal. We stopped at the lake and he fetched a stick a few times just to get cooled off. When we got around to the bottom, there was a field with thick mud. Again, it would have been very difficult for a human to get through. I had to choose my foot placement carefully to avoid getting stuck, and it would’ve been impossible to work the search dog at any kind of a pace.We found prints consistent with a sixty pound Doberman. I decided to stop for the day, and the owner put up new posters in the area to try to generate a new lead.
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James Branson
Principal at Three Retrievers Lost Pet Rescue, volunteer at Useless Bay Sanctuary, author of A Voice for the Lost Archives
December 2019
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