M.I.A -18 Days

Mia, a 5-year old golden doodle, spent 18 days alone in the 3.400 acre Glacial Park Conservation Area in northern Illinois.

Mia, who was adopted by Donna and Jim Davis this past November, was just about to complete a walk in the park on her birthday, February 12. She was with her boxer brother Dexter, her golden retriever sister, Frankie, and her mom and dad. Mia was wearing her harness and was on a retractable leash when suddenly her leash tangled with one of the other leashes and fell to the ground. She took off running with Donna following her as best she could.

She was so fast that she was quickly out of sight. “We got scared and nervous and tried to track her down as best we could. It’s a very large park. She was very frightened and just kept running,” Jim said. Donna and Jim kept looking and calling her. It was getting dark. A conservation officer came by and tried to assist. Unfortunately, Donna and Jim we were required to leave the park, so headed home.

The next day, Friday the 13th, family and friends joined the Davises in the search for Mia, but to no avail.

Experts Arrive

The Davis family reached out to experienced search and rescue organizations for much-needed assistance. Drone searches were conducted by Mike Smith, owner of SmithicAir, and Michael Davis, owner of Best Furry Friends (BFF). Linda Hartman, a volunteer with Lost Dogs Illinois, joined the search.

Recovery Expert Insights

Linda Hartman is a dog recovery expert. She explained how Mia and other lost dogs often feel.
Fear often takes over, and they assume a survival mode. They don’t recognize their owners. Even though Mia was just beginning to become close to her fur sister Frankie, now when she saw her from afar, she saw her new sister as a predator.

Mia came in contact with a coyote; in fact they were face-to-face. Though Mia is only 35 pounds, Linda stated that sometimes coyotes don’t want to approach certain dogs for fear they could get bit.

Recovery

Once the first drone sighted Mia and followed her for several days, it was felt there could be a happy ending for Mia and her family.

Linda, from Lost Dogs Illinois offered recovery insights:

Feeding stations heavy with owner scent were maintained. And, on a couple of occasions, Mia came within yards of Donna, but fear pushed her away again. Another setback came when she disappeared for three days, and in a conservation area with active wildlife, that silence is brutal. But we kept reminding ourselves that lost dogs are incredibly resilient. We trusted the process and stayed consistent. Low and behold, she showed up again on our cameras. What a relief!

The drone operators had the ability to maneuver their drones to encourage Mia to go in certain directions so Donna and Frankie could attempt to lure Mia to them.

It took more than two weeks for the conservation board members to approve the use of a live trap (crate.) But, once approved, Linda and Mike were confident they could trap her. The crate was lined with astro turf and overlayed with straw. A pair of Donna’s socks were placed inside. Linda indicated that the scent could help Mia snap out of survival mode. Mia would find food and water inside too! BFF and Linda put in countless hours watching the trap and tracking Mia’s movements.

Finally, in the early morning of March 1, all the efforts came together! Mia was safe and tucked securely in her crate.

The Aftermath

Mia’s family reports that she is doing very well now. She sustained a soft tissue injury to her right leg, which is healing well. Mia had been a food grazer, but not since returning home. She now eats all of her dinner right away. Before her escape, she wasn’t a huge fan of Jim. Now she is around him much more.

For walks, Mia is double leashed. One leash goes on her Martingale collar, the other leash (non-retractable) is attached to her harness. Mia, Frankie and Dexter now have a GPS tracker on their collars to ensure their whereabouts.

Lost Dog Tips from the Professionals

• Create a station with your dog’s food, water bowl, blankets and/or bed where she was last seen.
• Post your dog on Lost Dogs Illinois by registering with PetFBI at petfbi.org.
• Get the word out by using fliers and signs with a picture of your dog and your phone number. Go door-to-door with your fliers in the neighborhood where your dog was last seen.
• Contact your local animal shelters, animal control facilities, vet clinics and police departments to report your dog missing. Email them a photo of your dog and your contact information.
• Notify the microchip company that your dog is missing and confirm that the chip is registered with your current contact information.
• If the dog is a fearful one, instruct everyone who is helping not to call or chase him as this will prolong your search.
• If the dog is near, sitting or lying down and tossing out treats is the best way to lure him in.
• No direct eye contact.
• Retractable leashes carry risk. If dropped, the noise and dragging handle can scare a dog and trigger a strong flight response.
• Be resourceful. If you encounter a roadblock, respectfully continue the conversation with the appropriate decision-makers. Sometimes it just takes persistence and collaboration. Decisions can change when the right people understand the mission.

Video from one of the drones covering Mia:
SmithicAir video: https://youtu.be/Y1R2StfvhtY

Recognitions:

Best Furry Friends, Michael Davis
Preferred Contact Method: [email protected]

Lost Dogs Illinois, especially Linda Hartman
https://lostdogsillinois.org

SmithicAir, Mike Smith
https://www.smithicair.com/home