WS Lost/Found Pet Watch: Dog in trouble?

Hot out of the inbox:

At about 8 a.m. this morning my husband and I saw a little
brown dog running down the east side of 35th just south of Holden. We
tried to pull over but for fear of chasing him into the street we kept
going and hoped for the best. When we returned to our home near 39th and Elmgrove at 9:30, there was the same dog, still looking lost. We tried
to catch him but he’s very scared and he we eventually lost sight of
him around 41st and Kenyon. This dog successfully crossed 35th once this
morning, I am worried he’ll try again and he’s obviously lost. The
dog was small, around 8-10 pounds and looked like a dachshund, possibly
mixed with chihuahua. He was wearing a black collar and I am not certain
there were any tags. Please keep a look out for him and I am also
hoping if his owners read this, they can narrow their search.

Leave a comment if you know whose dog this is – with the Art Fair, the parade, etc., we will be offline for a good chunk of time today and e-mail won’t be seen for a while.

todd glinsman July 28, 2007 (1:07 pm)

I know this dog. HIs name is Cheechie and he’s NOT lost. He’s just running around like he always does. You should stop worrying about him and go on with your day as best you can. I know when you see dogs out running around, they may appear to be lost when actually they are just taking a walk.

WSB July 28, 2007 (1:43 pm)

Thanks for the information. A data point worth noting, if this is indeed the dog in question: According to what we have read on the city website, it is illegal for an owner to allow any pet (except a cat or PIGEON, believe it or not) to run free.
http://www.seattle.gov/animalshelter/didknow.htm
Personally, we wonder why that wouldn’t apply to cats as well, if it is intended for the animal’s safety as well as that of the public in general. And regardless of whether Cheechie’s owner (or that of any other dog that is let out to walk itself around) agrees with the law, that means that any time a dog is out running around by itself, it’s in danger of getting picked up by Animal Control.

Gina July 28, 2007 (3:15 pm)

I agree that many of the dogs we see out roaming free are not lost, but, I still feel strongly this dog was NOT just out for a walk – he was running fast down on the east side of 35th and then wandering the neighborhoods much further west close to California. I think I may know who Cheechie is and this was not the same dog so I hope people continue to keep an eye out for this little fellow. Thanks!

Jan July 28, 2007 (4:07 pm)

todd glinsman…the fact that that dog is out running around in traffic on a busy street is a matter of concern, and yes, we should bother about it. The owner of said annimal is very irrewsponsible to allow it. Not only could that dog easily get hit by a car, it could easily cause an accident with injuries if someone is trying to avoid hitting it. So, please don’t tell people to ignore animals and go about their day. We should all be good citizens, if you will, and report these things. It’s the humane and right thing to do.

And if you know this dog well enough to know it’s name, then you probably know the owner. Maybe you should tell them that what they’re doing is illegal. Tell them that leashes aren’t very expensive – better yet, buy them one yourself, and make it a present, at the same time hinting that they should be more caring about their pet(s)

chas redmond July 28, 2007 (4:57 pm)

Not sure why cats can roam free legally, but it’s the extremely rare cat which ever bites or threatens people and some of them do all of us a service by being on rodent patrol, bad for squirrels but good for the other rodents.

Jan July 28, 2007 (5:18 pm)

cats ARE pretty handy, aren’t they? :)

The House July 28, 2007 (11:23 pm)

To those of you that have dogs on the run, I should inform you that I saw Micahel Vick sipping a latte at a local Starbucks this afternoon.

Tish July 28, 2007 (11:46 pm)

I agree with Jan. A good friend of mine was killed when she swerved to avoid a dog on the road. If anyone here knows Cheechie’s owner, I hope you’ll do the right thing and call Animal Control to make an anonymous complaint. They can send an agent to the house to help the owner realize the error of his/her ways. Also, if the dog is an escape artist, Animal Control can provide helpful suggestions/resources to alleviate the problem.

T July 30, 2007 (3:07 pm)

The dog isn’t an escape artist…the owner lets him run around like that. He lives on my street but I’m not sure which house it is. Call animal control…it’s best for everyone involved, including the dog. He’s not vicious at all but he is skiddish and not very savvy with traffic. I think he’s been VERY lucky so far…

Neal Jacob July 31, 2007 (2:12 pm)

2pm, 31 July: I just left the Seattle Humane Shelter located on West 15th just north of Armory (while looking for my terrier which is still missing). I saw a chihuaua mix with black coller in a holding pen there… he was picked up yesterday from the 3000 block of SW Elmgrove. If his owner does not get there in three days he will be up for adoption as he is not chipped or tagged. The dog was healthy and frisky and clearly wanted to go home (with anybody who would have him). Spread the word.

Gina August 1, 2007 (10:14 am)

Thank you so much for this update. Being the one who originally posted my concern about him, I am glad to hear that he escaped traffic (apparently back across 35th again to boot). Of course while it saddens me that he is at the Humane Society hopefully his owner or another loving family will adopt him and keep him safe in the future.

Sorry, comment time is over.