You won't believe this!

As I was up mowing his dining area, as I said I needed to do, I was backing up the tractor and guess who was standing 50 ft. in front of me? T E D D Y !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course I was caught off guard and I froze momentarily, and he just stood there looking at me. And then I made the mistake of speaking...saying the name he really doesn't know...and he left. I was so excited and now am so bummed. I quickly came down to the house got another can of food and took up to his dining area. I also bought some good smelling liver wurst and sat in the area hoping he would return and I could toss him some liverwurst, but he did not return while I was there. I figured either he was watching "his" area from afar, or he makes his way back this way in the afternoons (although no one ever said they had seen him in the afternoon). Either way I took it as progress and still will remain hopeful that one day he might come to me. Wouldn't that be WONDERFUL!?! I probably will not blog tomorrow due to surgery, but rest assured his breakfast will await him.

The closer I get...

This morning I brought Teddy's trail of treats even closer to our fenced in back yard. He was late again this morning, but he diligently gobbled and followed the trail. He seemed to linger in the open yard for a bit, and actually looked down at me standing at the door. As he moved toward his "dining area" I decided to try something...ever so softly I made my way up the back yard with a pocket full of treats. I moved slowly and deliberately and if I heard a noise I stood still. I eventually peaked around our garage and saw Teddy "cleaning up" his breakfast dish. He spied me and froze, I gently tossed a treat sort of in his direction but not at him. He looked at the treat then froze visually on me for a moment, and trotted away. Bummer! My neighbor left me a phone message telling me that he was around again a bit later...if only....

I will be setting the trap in place today, after the area is mowed. Hopefully, this will become just another part of his environment.

Pretty soon...

I'm hoping some time next week to place the humane trap, not necessarily set it up. We'll have to mow the grass in that area as with the warm weather grass and weeds are filling the area and truthfully, I really don't want to wade through high grass or weeds, as we do have snakes about. Also, I wouldn't want to provide a haven for snakes for our Teddy either. So first things first...mow the area.

This morning Teddy arrived a bit late, but seemed excited nonetheless (I could tell by his happy trot along his treat trail). Again as I was placing his treats and food I vigilantly peered over my shoulder hoping he was watching, but with my human eyes I didn't see him. So I eventually retreated to the house. I have thought about sitting in the back yard and waiting to offer him treats but after watching him from the house as he spooked at dog barking in the distance-it just doesn't seem like the right time. I'm am so concerned about him not returning after a scare as he has done in the past.

So we continue on...and pray...and hope one day soon, Teddy will be secure in a home.

Slight panic...

I made sure I was out of bed extra early this morning so I could hopefully get his breakfast up prior to his arrival, or the arrival of any hunters that might scare him away. I sleepily trudged up through the back yard, left his breakfast on his new cardboard dining area and began making a trail of treats. I continually checked over my should still expecting him to one day be following right behind me. When I returned to the house, I found myself at the balacony door every few minutes checking for Teddy, but no sightings. After approximately one and half hours, I decided to perform a visual check, much to my disappointment neither the breakfast or the trail of snacks were touched. Concern once again overcame I wondered if something had happened to him. I ran a few errands and returned home only to see a black and white flash feeding at the cardboard station-I was so thankful! My hope is to set-up the trap with the cardboard and straw surrounding it (not set) next week, and see how that goes. Then perhaps move on to the next step. I'm having knee surgery on Friday so I have someone who will get the food to him over the weekend and hopefully by Monday I will be able to do it myself again, albeit slowly.

Early Riser

Well Teddy apparently was up earlier than I again, as I peaked out the balcony door upon arising, and saw him perusing an empty trail where his usual treats should have been. For some reason he was up and mobile very early, but there wasn't anything I could do about it at that point. I waited for him to move out of sight, left the terriers out for their morning rituals, and prepared every one's breakfast. Once the terriers were dining, I make the trip to place Teddy's breakfast and treats. I haven't checked his area yet as I had errands to run and appointments, but I'm sure he will have cleaned his plate. (The cardboard didn't seem to bother him as his plate was clean previously). So we continue on...

Out of the corner of my eye...

I have to admit I was a little concerned after yesterday, he didn't return to dine. I had seen hunters on the mountain yesterday, and figured he was hopefully just hiding.

Yesterday I cut out a cardboard section that will actually cover the inside and sides of the humane trap, and placed it with the sides up in his dining area. Eventually I will move this cardboard section into the trap, once he seems to be used to walking on and dining on the cardboard. I'm taking it very very slow as I don't want to lose him by spooking him.

This morning as I made my way to the back yard, placed his main breakfast on his new cardboard dining section, I caught a glimpse of a black and white flash descending the mountainside. I froze momentarily considering whether or not to turn and see if he would come to me via food tosses. I chose not to at this point because he stopped. However, what I did do is continue leaving a usual trail of treats but this time I moved very slowly and deliberately in my placement. I was hoping he was watching and praying for the beginning of some familiarity which may one day lead to trust. I turned frequently to glance in his direction, never turning fully so as to not confront, but I saw no movement. I continued placing the trail and retreated to the house. It took him some time before he hit the food, but he seemed to linger a bit longer on his dining and stayed around afterward for a while. I stepped quietly out on the balcony to snap a few pics, but he did not notice me. It would be so great to have him trust enough to come close, but I fear that is a long way off.

Breakfast served

Well I woke up a little later than I had planned but was still in the "Teddy" time frame, or so I thought. While tasks kept me from vigilantly monitoring his food area this morning, thus far I don't think he has appeared and eaten. I could be wrong. I don't like to go up and check until later in the morning, just in case he might be in the vicinity. Over the next few days I will probably work on setting up the humane trap, not ready for occupancy yet, but just getting into the environment. I still would prefer gaining his trust to enable him to come to me, but I don't know if that can happen. At least for right now, it is not an option. Every morning when I take his food and treats up, I continually turn around and look hoping somehow he is following me. I envision tossing him a treat and having him come and take one from my hand. Who knows...maybe...until then, I'll just keep feeding, hoping, and adjusting his environment.

Got up earlier today...

I made sure I got out of bed earlier today so as to allow the terriers their morning romp in their fenced in yard and hopefully avoid spooking Teddy again. It all worked out as they completed their "business" and came in for breakfast. As they ate their breakfast, I prepared Teddy's, naturally thinking about how it might be for him one day to be served a meal in a real home. After placing kibble and canned food on a plate and packing my pockets with good treats I headed up the back yard to Teddy's dining area. After placing his plate inside the ever growing "hut" I then offered him a trail of treats across the yard toward our house. My hope here is to get him secure in approaching the fence/house and who knows maybe myself OR maybe one day luring him inside the fence. Again....ANYTHING to try and save him. He is just so wary. He arrived at his "usual" time (later than yesterday) and proceeded to "work" the trail of goodies first before returning to lick his breakfast plate clean. I quietly stood on our balcony and attempted some snap shots, which I've posted. I apologize for the lack of clarity as the distance was great and my excitement as always at seeing him was evident. After cleaning his plate he always seems to turn and look toward the house, naturally I froze so as not to scare him. He then turned and began his ascension up the mountain side, albeit slowly and apparently without fear, so that is good-he had no fear as he completed his meal and had some reprieve from running. One day...hopefully.....

Human Worries

I (and many others) worry about him all the time. With a hunting season approaching naturally there is THAT fear. Also, there are wild animals that live on the mountain and one just never knows. Annnnnd.....there is the fear of people who see a stray dog and "shoo" him and/or chase him away, solidifying MORE fear of humans in his canine mentality. My hope is that if people see him they will not chase him or worse...he has been through so much and it won't make a person superior by tormenting or chasing a fearful animal. I can only hope, along with so many others, that he is not experiencing any more fear than has to be, and that one day he will be able to rest easy.

Well he ate his breakfast...

I checked Teddy's plate and it was clean, so at least he returned to eat, so we're back on task. How do I know it was him? Simple answer...I just know...from history. Also, he seems to sneak in and out when no one is looking. Also...the neighbor saw him. I only put his food out in the morning as we don't want to "feed" any other wild creatures...so there is never food out at night. On the rare occasions when it hasn't been eaten, it is removed before night fall.

Saving Teddy

Can you imagine looking over your shoulder at every noise heard? As your belly burns from hunger do you think you could handle your fear long enough to consider when and where you might have your next meal? Could you survive living on the run through all kinds of weather, escaping the claws and attacks of wild animals, and possibly people perhaps hunters or others who choose to torment and tease you as you so desperately try to survive? One can only presume that this has been part of Teddy’s journey.

Teddy (a beautiful black and white collie possibly border collie mix) was originally turned in the Hillside SPCA reportedly as a “stray.” Apparently Teddy’s young life filled him with fear and he was wary of most things, but he was fortunate enough to be adopted. With his unknown past overwhelming him with fear, he apparently bolted from his new home within a short time of his arrival. That was June 2008. Posters went out in the area; search parties looked for him, all to no avail. He was seen infrequently over the next few months but no one was ever able to get him to trust enough to be rescued. Weeks then months passed, and sightings became less frequent. Winter set in and all concerned were certain that Teddy succumbed to the winter.

And then a miracle….in February 2009 he was seen again! I happen to live at the base of the mountain where Teddy was known to roam and wander. I had never seen him before but one morning as I looked through the dusk of the morn, there he was in my back yard. He caught a glimpse of me as I stood at my glass door inside the house, as he startled. He then bolted.

My neighbors too had reported seeing him again and we all felt good that he survived the winter (the neighbors and their young girls saw him more frequently and even tried to capture him in a humane trap to no avail). Other neighbors down the road had also reported sightings and were anxious to capture him. However, as we all hoped we could rescue him and enable him to know a safe, secure, loving environment, he was so very afraid of any voice, noise, or change in his environment and escaped any sort of friendly efforts. Even the distant sound of a dog barking sent him racing into the woods.

I noted the time of his visit and devised a plan; I would make sure I placed food in his path during this time every day. By providing him a routine and a good meal my hope was to encourage him to return daily and ideally make friends, but this was to be a long arduous journey. He spooked and bolted at every little noise. Time was going to have to be on our side and we would have to take it very very slow. I finally got him into a nice routine to which he would return each morning to a place I set up on the edge of the bush covered mountainside. Each day I add more twigs and sticks to “cover” his dining area, therefore changing it with each addition. My eventual hope is to slide the humane trap in this concealed area, and eventually, once he doesn’t seem to notice it, conceal it further and set it up. My next step at this point is to get him used to eating and walking on cardboard and straw as these will be the two substances I plan on using to “hide” the cage. We’ll see….

April 23, 2009

The sun had barely risen when in a flash I saw Teddy seemingly happily and playfully bouncing and trotting in my back yard this morning. I had not yet gotten his meal ready as it was so early for him and ME. He raced across the open yard stopping to look at the usual places for tid bits of food, but then…the terriers inside the house saw him too and began to bark. Teddy froze momentarily and then ran with great speed up the mountainside. I was so disappointed because the last time the dogs barked at him, he didn’t return for some time. I now have put cardboard sections on the lower parts of the upstairs doors so my precious terriers won’t bark if he returns. I wondered if he, by some odd chance, actually was staying with another human as his exuberance was almost like he was freed and came running to a familiar place. We can only assume that he still lives and roams on the mountain until we may discover otherwise. And until that time…our quest to save him will continue.


Concern: If and when Teddy is “captured” he will need a very loving, patient, and well supervised home for quite some time. I understand the shelter has a rescue organization that will take him, which is good because rescue folks are used to having to work out a lot of issues some times. (I too participate in rescue and have seen many a good turn arounds and unfortunately, tragedies throughout the years.) Our hope is Teddy’s young life can one day be a forgotten memory and he can live out his days in security and love.