By Lola McKnight, McSPCA

Several helpful people were running about the streets of Lebec trying to catch a lost dog on a chilly night this spring. The report came into the Mountain Communities Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (McSPCA) about 8 p.m. on a Saturday night: A white terrier had jumped out of the camper shell of a pickup truck and the driver went on their way toward the Interstate 5, unaware. Efforts to get the driver’s attention were made by the attendant at the 76 Station, to no avail.

Meanwhile, the poor dog was frantically searching for her people, unwilling to come close to anyone else; not even for the hot dogs being offered by the concerned 76 attendant. After hours of trying to entice the frightened dog to come to them, the rescuers called it a night.

Sure enough, the next morning the dog was back at the 76 Station where she was offered more treats. Soon, the exhausted pup gave in, took some food and let the nice people at the station put a leash on her.

The Mountain Communities SPCA (McSPCA) was alerted to the successful capture. They sent a volunteer to take her to safety. They found the young female had neither an ID tag nor a microchip. The group decided to call her “Blossom.” Would the family try to locate their furry family member? The next step for the McSPCA was to report finding her to Kern County Animal Control (KCAC), post the usual signs, place a lost dog ad in The Mountain Enterprise, plus place ads on www.petfinder. com as well as Pet Harbor and hope her family would see it. We also hoped this wasn’t another abandoned dog.

A few days later, the McSPCA got an email from Petfinder saying there was an inquiry about a lost white terrier whose description was very similar to Blossom’s. Great news! Her real name, we learned, is Loma, and she was going home. Her family drove down from Northern California to retrieve her during our most recent snow storm and Grapevine closure. This drama ended happily. Not all do.

There are many lessons to take away from this experience. Most importantly: microchip your pets! Had Loma ended up in a county shelter without ID, her chances of getting home would have been slim to none.

She might have been euthanized after 72 hours. With a microchip, shelters and vets are able to obtain the animal’s family information and contact them.

Second, have your pet wear a tag with a contact phone number. This is the easiest and least expensive approach. A tag doesn’t replace a microchip, since collars do sometimes come off, but a tag sure helps when it’s in place.

Finally, this traumatic event could have been avoided had Loma been secured inside the truck. For safety reasons, it is always wise to travel with your pet in a crate or secured with another approved device.

We all love happy endings and these three simple actions can save your pet’s life!

And remember, when it comes to a new pet: “Adopt, Don’t Shop!”

Lola McKnight, of Piñon Pines, is Outreach Director for Mountain Communities SPCA. McSPCA may be reached at SPCA@frazmtn.com. They are an independent group that does not receive funding from Shelter on the Hill, devoted to assisting animals in need.

This is part of the May 11, 2012 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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