Canine Capture UK CIC - advice and support for escaped dogs

06/01/2024

📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=382183294211323&id=100072589651767&mibextid=WC7FNe

You may have seen our post a couple of weeks ago raising awareness about Ulysse, who had gone missing during a walk.

We are so happy to report that Ulysse was found 11 days later, on New Years Eve. His owners dedication to finding him led them to contacting the team from “Drone to Home”, who in conjunction with Canine Capture UK CIC’s skills and knowledge in pinpointing areas where he could be, led to him being found within hours, using a thermal imaging drone.

The top left image below shows how impossible it was to see Ulysse with a normal drone, but how the thermal drone found him (the bright white dot in the top right image) much more easily.

Thermal drones are very expensive, and require a license and flying permissions, but as Ulysse has shown us, can be invaluable in finding lost pets. However, Drone to Home explained that their resources are limited, and they receive over 60 calls per day requesting their help, which can lead to delays in them being able to help.

A couple of days after being found, Ulysse’s deteriorated and needed emergency surgery here at Ampthill when it was found that he’d been eating twigs to survive.

One of the twigs perforated his bowel and led to abdominal infection. Fortunately we caught it fairly early and so Ulysse is now recovering with his family at home, safe and sound.

Ulysse’s owner Sam Boyle is fundraising to help to buy a thermal drone to cover Bedfordshire, to get help for lost pets as soon as possible.

After incredible fundraising efforts, Sam has raised almost £11,500, and has almost hit the £12,000 target. If you feel able to donate even a small amount to this very worthy cause, please follow this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/raise-funds-for-a-thermal-drone-for-bedfordshire

14/10/2023

Welcome Home Willow 💚

On 16th September 2023, Willow, a young nervous dog was being taken on a walk when an unfortunate accident caused Willow to take flight from her home in the Bowhill area of the Scottish Borders.

On 28th September CCUK were contacted and we were advised that whilst Willow had returned home and was feeding outside the home, she had not progressed through an open door and based on her nervous nature and how she had reacted to changes in her environment that placing a trap could be detrimental to Willow, therefore a referral for CIT was requested.

The assisting team allowed access to the remote cameras which were already on site to allow Willow’s behaviour to be reviewed for CIT, without delay.

On Friday 29th September Willow arrived at 8pm and began to carry out her risk assessment, she would circle the house before coming in for food. However that night Willow began to whine just beyond the driveway entrance. Her adopter advised that Willow had done this before and was close to entering but didn’t take the final steps, despite efforts to lure her in. Willow wanted to be inside so much but her fears were sadly greater and those final steps were too much for her to take. With a calm night ahead though, Willow had all night to build up the confidence to enter an open door and we all willed her to do so! Sadly dawn came and Willow had not entered.

The plan was to continue to feed her well until the teams could arrange to get there.

On Monday 2nd October the teams travelled to Bowhill and set up, with a watchful Willow not far in the distance checking out what was going on. Dusk fell and the wait began.

The environment was such that there was not a lot going on visually or otherwise, there was very little movement or noise in the area so any disturbance or change and Willow would be aware of it and it would naturally cause her to be suspicious. Therefore Willow despite being close by, made everyone wait. She was in full control.

At 23.04 Willow arrived and started to carry out her checks. She circled the house a number of times passing just outside the dart zone. Once she decided it was safe to eat she entered the zone and a dart was successfully deployed. Willow was left to settle and it was suspected she would retreat to the solar panels in the surrounding field which she was often seen sheltering under.

The tracking began and indicated that Willow was in the direction of the solar panels. She was located approx 200m away from the dart zone and 30m from the solar panels. Willow was successfully contained.

Welcome home Willow, we wish you a wonderful future 🐾

Thank you to The Lost Dog Trapping Team for supporting Willow and her owner, and for allowing use of the cameras already onsite to ensure the process was swift and easy for Willow.
Thank you to Bernice for trusting us with your girl and for doing all you could to protect her whilst she was out.

https://www.caninecaptureuk.co.uk/blog/chemical-immobilisation-technology-myths

08/10/2023

Blair is SAFE 💚

Blair, a newly arrived rescue dog escaped from her new home on 16th September 2023 in the Sutton Coldfield area of Birmingham.

Blair took flight into nearby fields and being in flight mode, would not allow anyone to approach her.

On 21st September we were contacted for assistance as Blair’s situation was not progressing and she was simply staying in the fields away from people. That evening, information from last person who had sight of Blair was gathered and the trap was set.

It was a long night with no sign of Blair so the trap was unset whilst the teams travelled home for work. Then typically, at 8.37am the cameras alerted to movement and there was Blair. She figured out the trap and spent a while taking all the food she could before retreating to the nearby hedge-line.

In anticipation of Blair returning at any time, K9 Search were on standby in the local area should Blair return before the team could get there. Once again another long wait and no sign of Blair.

Darkness fell then at 21.21 that evening Blair finally returned, entered the trap, broke the beam and the door closed. She was finally safe.

Blair was then transported to her new home to a very happy and grateful adopter! Considering Blair had not been in her new home for more then a few hours before taking flight, she was very pleased to be inside and the reunion was heart warming, she was one happy girl!

Welcome home Blair, we wish you a very happy future!

Thank you to Jennie from K9 Search UK LOST Dog Alerts - West Midlands ONLY for reaching out.
Thank you Derek for your help with the trap and sighting information.
Thank you to the land owner for allowing access.
Thank you to Jill for your assistance with Blair and the trap.

https://www.caninecaptureuk.co.uk/donate

01/10/2023

Holt Stray is SAFE 💚

At 1930 on Saturday 16th Sept one of the team were contacted regarding a straying Lurcher in the Holt area of Worcestershire, who despite best efforts was unable to be caught by hand.

Some quick communications later and the location of the straying dog was known, access to the land granted, trap packed and journey began.

By 11pm the trap was set and the wait began.

Hours passed with no sign then a rather alarming incident occurred at 4.15am when a car crashed and subsequently abandoned not far from where one of the team were sat which resulted in the team being blocked in!

45 mins later the remote camera alerted us to movement and the straying dog had found the trap. After circling he entered the trap, found the food and the door closed. With no option but to abandon the van it was a swift 700m sprint to the trap and some early morning wake up calls to the community to assist!

We’d like to say a huge thank you to the local community for the help and support.
Your care, concern and actions resulted in this being a swift capture so he didn’t spend another night out.
Thank you to Katie for reaching out.
Thank you to Jo for also reaching out, sorting access, assisting with the trap along with Sharon and for answering the early morning wake up call.
Thank you to Sue and Al for coming to our aid when we were unable to access the trap via vehicle.
Thank you to Michelle and partner for also answering the call for help!

If you’d like to donate to help us help more dogs donations are welcome via : https://www.caninecaptureuk.co.uk/donate

02/09/2023

https://www.deeside.com/owners-of-olly-the-springer-who-went-missing-for-4-days-organise-fundraiser-to-thank-rescuers-and-the-community/?fbclid=IwAR3bMAEw8gobdFprwPmcKXe8eMAco_Znjf2EHq1D1UKyfwn-_B_ol8Le_24_aem_AVRugIMWYMgt2zzRWLeP0Aw5HBORKQ-1l_4XkCbZzfTcRCg8ZyppAbaU6LFD1GwPYHg

Owners of Olly, the Springer who went missing for 4 days, organise fundraiser to thank rescuers and the community The thankful owners of a Springer Spaniel, missing for four days in Hawarden, have organised a fundraiser to thank the organisations who were key to their pet’s rescue and the many mem...

22/07/2023

Starla 🐾

Starla a 17 month old nervous rescue dog escaped from a family home on 14th June 2023 in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

On 14th July 2023 we were contacted to refer Starla for Chemical Immobilisation Technology (CIT) as recent trapping efforts were not progressing and a trap was previously placed without suitable monitoring equipment and it was unknown if trapping had already failed resulting in a ‘trap savvy’ Starla.

It transpired that Starla had been sighted in the vicinity of the A509 around June 20th and it was here that she was intercepted and trapping efforts began again, only 12m from the A509. Starla was ‘pinned’ between the A509 and the industrial estate.

Upon reviewing the footage of Starla at the trap site, the history of her time out and environment, it was evident that Starla had run out of options. She was highly ‘stacked’ and her stress levels were high, she was fighting her fears incredibly hard to simply eat. In addition to the stress she was consistently under she was also risking her life in such an environment and was posing a risk to road users. CIT was required to give Starla a chance of coming back into safety and to remove the risk she presented to others.

The following day Dog Squad NN8 attended the area with a view of assessing the situation, placing a number of remote cameras to monitor the environment and to ensure Starla was fed well.

Feeding a lost dog well is paramount to their health and safety. When a dog is placed under stress there is a physiological reaction which enables the dog to respond to such stressors via ‘fight or flight’. Once there is no need for such a response the body regulates back to a normal level. However, when a lost dog is placed under prolonged stress the body will not regulate back to a normal level, their heart rate, blood pressure, blood sugar and respiratory rates will continue to be elevated and essentially the dog becomes a ‘pressure cooker’ of stress.

Eventually the dog will become exhausted and begin to experience physiological and psychological problems. Post capture this can also affect the success of the dog in the home and can have far reaching consequences. Whilst trapping requires a dog to enter for food, when efforts are prolonged the dog will begin to suffer. CIT is a different process and does not require a dog to enter a trap for food, it simply requires the dog to feed or in some cases it has been used when a dog has never ‘settled’ or been fed, therefore has the ability to bring stress levels down during the process and under control quickly. Whilst we appreciate the consuming efforts put in to daily rebait a trap and change batteries, leave water and cuddly toys etc for an extended length of time, it is crucial to be able to recognise when a dog is suffering and to know when to advocate for the dogs health and safety.

CCUK sent Dog Squad NN8 a hand held thermal device to enable them to monitor a specific area to gather more information on Starla’s movements and just after 930pm a heat source was detected just behind the barrier of the A509. Shortly after, Starla appeared on camera and began to carry out her checks of the area. We watched on as Starla picked up a stuffed toy and proceeded to carry it away. This behaviour is something that has been witnessed before and can be related to the addressing loneliness and to seek comfort typically in young canines. After carrying the stuffed toy away Starla returned to the area to eat. She was very nervous and the simple rustle of a leaf was enough to cause Starla to retreat towards the road.

Dog Squad NN8 stayed onsite until the early hours to understand if Starla was venturing further afield but there was no further sign of her.

On Sunday evening more tests were carried out and once again Starla arrived, collected her stuffed toy and returned to feed. Whilst she was slightly more comfortable with the new feeding area she stayed no more than a few minutes, she took few risks.

Monday 17th arrived and the plan was to let Starla feed as stress free as possible again and to attend the following evening to make an attempt to bring Starla back in. However, she did not show anywhere. Listening through the cameras overnight pallets could be heard being smashed and the noise was intense and consistent. This was enough to cause Starla not to move that night.
Despite her not arriving we did not want to delay any further and so on Tuesday 18th July the teams came together in Newport Pagnell, the sun set and the wait began.

At 0037 Starla arrived and began to carry out her checks and then came straight in for the food and a dart was successfully deployed.

The teams worked to protect her from the A509 and the tracking process began. The tracking equipment indicated that Starla had ran parallel to the A509 and we began to work our way through the very dense and unforgiving undergrowth eventually resorting to crawling on hands and knees to make progress. As we made our way through we located Starla 150m away where she was contained and taken safely away from the A509.

After an eventful extraction of the team and a contained Starla from the industrial estate as it was impossible to return the way we had entered, the teams collapsed, exhausted, battered and bruised but happy Starla was out of there.

5 days after being contacted, after being on site for 3 nights, Starla was finally safe.

The most amazing phone call was then made to Starla’s owners to say that she was safe and it’s a call that will never be forgotten!

Welcome back Starla, you deserve the most amazing and happy life and we wish you all the best it has to offer! 💚

Successfully containing a dog like Starla, in such an environment wouldn’t have been possible without an amazing group of people, who without just one single team member that night, the outcome could have been very different.

On behalf of Starla, thank you to Dog Squad MK for your efforts in attempting to trap over 4/5 weeks. Our report is not personal and not designed to apportion any blame but simply reported from a trained perspective in the hope sharing knowledge can help everyone and the dogs going forward.
Thank you to Mandy for voicing concerns and recommending CIT to her rescue.
A huge thank you to Geraldine, Louise, Barb, Tasha and Carys. Your efforts were immense!
Thank you to the staff of the Industrial Estate for accommodating us.
Thank you to Margaret for trusting us with Starla and to your supporters for helping her.
Thank you to Thomas and Chloe for trusting us with your girl. We know how hard it was for you both to feel so powerless. Enjoy your lives together and be happy.

Unfortunately CIT cannot be carried out for free, it is a technique which requires lengthy discussions with a prescribing vet, the attendance of a skilled marksman and specialist equipment and training. However it saves lives.
CCUK never sit in a position whereby a dog does not receive the help that they need. Understandably CCUK cannot offer to fund CIT for every dog that requires it but do everything we possibly can whenever it is required.

12/07/2023

Bradley Stray is SAFE 🐾

The 27th June 2023 started off like any other day for the team and their families but that quickly changed when on their way to work a straying dog jumped out in front of their vehicle and proceeded to run down the middle of the road near Bradley, North Yorkshire.

Sightings then began to come in quick succession and it transpired that this dog had been sighted straying the previous day and with the environment consisting of narrow country lanes, he was running down the middle of the lanes and would dip into fields whenever he encountered people or cars. Attempts were made to hand catch him but he was too nervous to entertain that and with no owner coming forward, plans were in place for the team to head over with a trap later that day.

As the team arrived on site a call came in to say the dog had been diverted off the road and down a private track, the chances of him still being there were high so cameras and food began to be placed. As we were doing this he appeared on the track and began to try and exit onto the road, quick intervention pushed him back up the track and the trap was placed.

An hour later he made another attempt to exit the lane but this time encountered the trap where he followed his nose, walked straight in and the door closed behind him. However, as quickly as he entered the trap he escaped out the back of it! He had a quick look back before trotting down the road before disappearing into the fields. Sitting only a short distance away there was nothing that could be done other than to let him get on his way without interference.

Trapping is not 100% guaranteed to be successful and whilst it is devastating to watch the most important thing is to ensure opportunities are provided for a safe recovery.

Some events in trapping leave a negative association and are unrecoverable from, example of these events can be trap door closing in front of the dogs face through inappropriate choice of trap, dog managing to back out of the trap before the door closes due to inappropriate trap length, however in this case human error in a rush to provide an opportunity led to him walking into the trap and pushing the hatch out without much effort so it was expected he would repeat it again as he had no negative association as he had not been stuck.

Nothing was changed at the trap site other than added reinforcements to prevent the hatch being pushed out and a second opportunity was provided to feed away from the trap site. So the trap was reset but then disaster struck when the second camera would not work! Thankfully another team came to the rescue and provided a second camera which was placed at the other end of his route and the wait began as the rain descended!

At 8pm sightings started to come back in and he was videoed sitting in a field with people trying to hand catch him. The field was one he knew well and it was promising as when he was previously sighted there, he was then sighted at the trap area and was also very closed to the second feeding opportunity. All we could do was wait and let him decide what he wanted to do.

Once everyone left him alone and he was provided with some space, he returned to the trap site and with a short pause to check the area he walked straight in, stepped on the plate and the door closed, he was safe.

Brad as he was aptly named was taken under the wing of CCUK were he slept soundly, totally exhausted until he went into the care of the local authorities.

Stay safe Brad and we hope you have a happy future 💚

Thank you to the local community who reported sightings.
Thank you to Vivienne and Gary for coming to this lad’s aid with the second camera.

https://www.caninecaptureuk.co.uk/donate

02/07/2023

We’ve had a busy few weeks focussing on long term missing dogs which has involved spending time at a few sites across the UK whilst also helping other teams to bring about a successful conclusion of the dogs they are supporting.

Buffy was being supported by Ally who contacted CCUK for advice and support to assist with securing Buffy. Sometimes all that is needed is some support to be safe in the knowledge that what is being advised is the right thing for the dog in question and other times offering a different view point can bring a case to a swift conclusion.

Canine Capture UK 247 our sharing platform continues to do what it says, offering a sharing platform and advice for missing dogs across the spectrum.

Thank you and well done Ally and Mazzy for supporting the dogs and owners 🐾

30/06/2023

Eddy’s Evasion 🐾

On 23rd May 2023 Eddy, a Pointer was out on his morning walk with his pack and upon needing to return to place a lead on him, Eddy refused to go back on a lead on Ilkley Moor, West Yorkshire.

Over the course of the afternoon every trick in the book was tried to get Eddy onto a lead or back in the van, but he always kept his distance and at times he would wander off across the Moor. As the day progressed it was becoming evident that Eddy would need a trapping opportunity so later that evening we arrived onsite on the Moor where Eddy was frequenting the most. The terrain was difficult, it was vast, over grown and not flat!

The decision was made to place a trap en route back to Heber’s Ghyll Wood, which is where Eddy started his walk, in the hope that once it got quieter he would try to return but would be intercepted by the trap and the food it had to offer. However, the Moor is a popular tourist spot and as people finished work it began to get much busier with dog walkers, runners, mountain bikers and drone operators so the trap remained unset until Eddy was spotted hot footing across the hillside above the trap. The Moor just got busier and we thank those who swiftly moved on and parked elsewhere.

Shortly after we saw Eddy a dog walker approached to say he had just been seen “bolting at 100mph across the moor towards Panorama Reservoir”, Eddy was heading back to Heber’s Ghyll! His dog walker went straight to the woods to ensure the gate was open so Eddy could easily return to the start of his walk. However, Eddy must have continued at 100mph as he beat the dog walker to it and was seen exiting the wood and headed towards Addingham.

The trap was swiftly packed up and taken down to Heber’s Ghyll and Eddy was in a garden at the end of the road, popping his head out every now and then but the simple presence of this dog walker meant he wasn’t going to leave. His walker was advised to stand in sight of Eddy so Eddy would not move whilst we placed the trap.

The trap was set, the walker advised to walk back to this van and the remote camera was left to do its job, leaving Eddy with two options, one being the trap and two being returning to his walkers van.

After a few disturbances the area went quiet and at 21.28 the camera showed movement at the trap, it was Eddy and boy was he hungry! He followed his nose, walked in, stepped on the plate and closed the door. Once the door closed Eddy continued to feast on the food, unconcerned that he was now contained!

He was then transported straight into the dog walkers home and was safe.

Thank you to the local community, as always your support means a lot to the dogs and owners and in this case being asked to do nothing once trapping had started, you listened.
Thank you to the bikers, walkers and runners who kept an eye open, reported sightings and moved on when asked.
Thank you to Eddy’s walkers for accepting help and doing all that was advised.

Eddy needed a simple approach and we thank our supporters for ensuring the equipment needed was available for Eddy.

https://www.caninecaptureuk.co.uk/donate

10/05/2023

Lorca, a gender neutral name of Spanish origin, meaning “the five elements of water, earth, metal, air and ether (space)” and is also an abbreviation of the Irish name Lorcan, meaning “silent or fierce and a nickname for a brave warrior”.

Meet Lorca, the name given to the silent but brave dog straying in the Powys area who is SAFE 💚

On May 5th 2023 CCUK were contacted by DOODLE RESCUE about a dog who had been straying in the Powys area of Wales for some time. This straying dog, whilst now alone, had previously been sighted with another dog who had since been rescued after being found collapsed by the side of the road. The collapsed dog was taken to the vets and then taken into the care of Doodle Rescue who named her Eliza.

Two dogs now become one and this lone dog, Lorca, was in an unknown condition in an environment where lambing season was in full swing. It was therefore imperative that there was no delay to this straying dog receiving the support she needed.

To progress and provide Lorca with support, sighting information was assessed and with the assistance of LOST DOG Capture Team CIC by dusk three remote cameras and a trap were placed across an area of interest in the hope that Lorca would still be in the area and would take the provided opportunity. Sadly, despite the team waiting all night there was no sign so the cameras and feeding zones remained in-situ.

The following day a sighting came in of Lorca 3km away from the feeding zones and she was on farmers land. The farm had livestock and was worried about the effect Lorca would have. The initial response when a straying dog is in this situation is one of panic. However, making decisions in a panicked state rarely produces good results! It was important that no recapture attempts be made in the location she was sighted in due to the risk to Lorca it posed. To feed her on the land she should not and we did not want her staying on would be a mistake, so it was preferable to allow Lorca the time and space to pass through the land without publicity so she could make her way back to the feeding zone area, safely! To support this a remote camera was moved to monitor her entrance to the unused bridle path it was suspected she used to pass between two key areas.

Lorca did what she needed to do and by morning she had passed through and travelled back to the working feeding area and was picked up by one of the remote cameras. Despite a local cat and the birds helping themselves to most of the food, Lorca knew food had been placed there and she sought refuge a short distance away. To ensure she would remain in the area and not travel back through the area further, food was immediately placed for her. If she did leave, it would be another 5 days before she returned and would likely return to the land 3km away!

As the food was placed the teams were discussing which trap would be best placed to facilitate a successful outcome for Lorca and due to the local cat and the fact Lorca was a large dog, the ‘super trap’ was deemed to be the most appropriate and by evening it was on site. Once again the team waited all night for Lorca to show but there was no sign.

As Lorca visually appeared to have registered the fact that food was around, it was important the trap and therefore the opportunity remained in place for Lorca and it did so as the days passed with no reported sightings and no sign of her on any of the cameras.

With the decline in the area and rain it was suspected she was still resting, very close by!

It wasn’t until 8.22am on 9th May that the remote cameras showed Lorca was at the trap. She was visibly nervous of the passing cars and a van who had sighted her had stopped in the lay-by opposite and Lorca knew it. She was very nervous but after carrying out her checks she began to investigate the trap and just as she did so, the farmer entered the field. Lorca took flight into the nearby copse and was sighted by the farmer who proceeded to close the gate to the field. Lorca swiftly exited the copse and squeezed under the gate, no small task for a large dog but a risk she took to get away from a person and in doing so she narrowly missed causing an RTA.

Lorca knew there was food there but it was a tense wait to understand if what had occurred with the farmer was enough to cause her to leave or stay! Plans were being discussed to place a second trap in the area and swiftly incase she should decide to leave. However, a call then came in that Lorca was in a field only 130m from the trap and the homeowner kept a watchful eye on her from his upstairs window. It transpired that Lorca had been there previously and whilst attempts were made to catch her, she did return to the area 5 days later so it was looking promising that Lorca was simply biding her time before making another attempt to get the food, so we waited out that time with her!

All afternoon Lorca remained 130m away in the field whilst a bird went in and out of the trap for hours sending the camera into motion alert overdrive whilst depleting the food on offer for Lorca! Plans were being made to place more food in the trap before Lorca arrived however there was no time as with surprise at 15.57 Lorca was at the trap and within 60 seconds the door closed and she was safe!

A very empathetic and invested local man sat with Lorca whilst experienced help travelled to transfer Lorca from the trap so she could be transferred to the local vets. Lorca is currently under the care of the vets and is being supported by Doodle Rescue, along with Eliza. Lorca has no visible injuries but is incredibly thin and will stay at the vets until she is fit and well to hopefully join Eliza.

We wish Lorca and Eliza the happiest and healthiest of futures! 🐾💚

Thank you to Lost Dog Capture Team for putting Lorca first, as always.
Huge thank you and well done to Lauren for your efforts in helping Eliza and Lorca and for trusting the teams process, your support saved her.
Thank you to Richard and his wife for supporting the process and for keeping Lorca safe and calm.
Thank you to Claire for your efforts in helping Lorca and trusting the process.
Thank you to the farmer for understanding the situation.
Thank you to the local communities who supported Lorca and let her travel on her way.
Thank you to Sue for being there for Eliza and Lorca, during some very challenging times you reached out and both the girls are now safe.
Thank you to Doodle Rescue supporters for supporting both Eliza and Lorca through to what will now be a very happy future.

Helping these dogs like Lorca comes at cost to the teams, If you’d like to donate and help other dogs in need, donations, which will be split, are welcome via;

Paypal: [email protected]

Lloyds Bank:
Canine Capture UK CIC
Lloyds Bank
Bank is 309191
Acc no 36918760