Buddha Dog Rescue & Recovery

06/15/2024

What do you do when you have to snappy snare a 130lb pup… you hold on for dear life!!! 🤣

Beauregard (Beau), pulled away yesterday from his mom while on a hike in Little Stony Point Park. A chase ensued which only caused him to run.

Thankfully, a family member who is follower of our page contacted me almost immediately. I instructed them to call off the searches and chasing to allow him to calm down and settle. With no one pursuing him and leaving a food source he stayed close to the area.

This morning I made the trek out to Cold Springs armed with my own giant pup, Yeti, hot dogs, pepperoni (Beau’s kryptonite) and a snappy snare.

Beau was approaching dogs but would bolt the second anyone reached for him or made any type of movement in his direction.

I secured Yeti on a long lead next to me and sat calmly and quietly for almost two hours and let Yeti work his magic to lure him. Yeti was play bowing and enticing Beau to come closer, all the while Beau was side eyeing me as I was completely ignoring him.

I placed the snappy snare loop on the ground with little pieces hot dogs and pepperoni inside the loop. As he was finally inches from the snare loop and was distracted by Yeti and the treats…with one flick of the wrist I was able to snappy snare him. He fought it for a moment but then sat down in defeat, he knew the jig was up!

Beau is an extremely friendly pup who under normal circumstances never met a human he didn’t like. This is the perfect example of how in and instant even the friendliest, well adjusted dog/ puppy can go into survival mode like a light switch going off.

Beau is now home and reunited with mom. As we celebrate a successful capture, I am also over the moon and celebrating my big mook. This was Yeti’s first official rescue mission with his mama and I am so damn proud of him!!!

Welcome back Beau and great job Yeti Spaghetti! Proud mama moment!!

06/14/2024

Laura Dellatte, one of our rescue partners, reached out to us yesterday for assistance. An abandoned or lost dog was spotted at Ferry Point Park in the Bronx, scared and alone, with no collar. With the heat and storms approaching, it was imperative that we bring her to safety.

We headed to the area as the sun was setting, using the photos to identify the landmarks and confirm our location. After scouting the beach, she was spotted walking along the waters edge. She was attracted to voices and the lights from across the sound as though she was looking for help and trying to find her way.

We quickly set the trap along the reeds and within a few hours she was safely captured.

She is young, approximately a year old. Very sweet, gentle and polite when taking treats. She loves toys, knows some commands and is very affectionate with her rescuers and loves to give hugs. No microchip.

Pet Rescue NY is kind enough to hold her through the stray hold, but she will need rescue placement or a foster once the stray hold is up. This is such a difficult time in the rescue community as dogs are being abandoned at alarming rates and rescues and shelters are filled to capacity.

Are there any rescues willing to step up for this gentle soul? Please contact me or private message the page if you are able to help.

Thank you, Rahme, Laura, Dawn and Maria. A beautiful team effort to bring this girl to safety. 💗

06/03/2024

Mater has been safely captured after nine days on the run through Ringwood, NJ.

Mater's family had brought him to the pet sitter, entrusting her to keep him safe. Later that evening they received a call that Mater had jumped a fence and was gone. His mom and dad, George and Emily, had just arrived in Florida only to immediately turn around and head back home to find their boy.

Sightings were coming in but Mater was terrified and and running from everyone including his dad. Survival/ flight mode is one of the most difficult concepts for people to understand. We hear this question so often: Why wouldn’t your dog come to you? This is often said with disbelief, and the owners of the lost dog will feel/hear a sense of disdain in the question.

A dog that has entered Survival Mode prioritizes things in the following order: Survival, Food, Water, Shelter. When a dog has entered survival mode, very often EVERY human is viewed as a predator – even the one that has fed, loved, walked, bathed and pampered them. People yelling (calling a pets name), shaking a food container (loud noises), cars, other dogs barking and pursuing, squeaking toys, a door slamming – these will all potentially invite a flight response causing the dog to leave the area.

We nailed down Mater's travel pattern and we set up strategically placed feeding stations monitored with cameras along his extensive path of travel. Finally, early yesterday morning Mater made his way to one of our stations. Finding a food source was critical to get him to settle in an area and return to a spot where a trap could be set for capture.

With no cell service, I sat in my car and monitored the trap from a distance. At around 11pm a fast moving shadowy figure turned the corner from Stonetown Road making a bee-line right for the trap... it was our boy, Mater! He circled the trap for quite some time but eventually his hunger got the best of him and he walked in to safety.

There is no greater feeling than making that call to a family and saying those words... "We got him!"

Survival mode is a regression to a dogs primal instincts. It can be severe or partial, but is almost always temporary; once a dog in survival mode is captured, they will generally return to their earlier personalities with very little noticeable change. The moment that Mater saw his family and it finally clicked, his body language shifted from fear to joy and he started crying, barking and wiggling with excitement.

Thank you to the amazing community of Stonetown for your outpouring of love and support for Mater and his family. Thank you for allowing us to use your properties to set up cameras, feeding stations and the trap that brought Mater to safety. We are so grateful!!

Welcome HOME Mater!!!

05/28/2024

Lost Pet Recovery is not a one size fits all. Each and every case that we take on is evaluated based on the circumstances of the case, pets history, age, breed, behavioral profile, health, environment, etc. There are many factors that go into how we may or may not proceed with our approach without wasting time and money on searching in an ineffective manner.

I see it often posted that we can only help if there are sightings, this is incorrect. Of course you need sightings to get to the point where the capture process begins, however, to get to that point a solid strategy needs to be in place.

Knowledge is power and implementing an effective plan of action in the search process can make the difference between your pet getting home safely or not.

We are not just "trappers" BDRR does Lost Pet Capture and Recovery which encompasses many methods and a myriad of tools, techniques, knowledge and experience to reunite you with your pet. While a trap may be effective for one particular case, I may not suggest it for another and the same holds true for other methods and tools used to find and recover a lost pet.

This month alone we have assisted in reuniting 19 dogs and one cat. Four by trapping and the rest were through guiding the owners using various methods as well as lost pet owners having access to our Lost Pet Portal.

While BDRR may not be available to take on each and every case we are contacted about, our Lost Pet Portal is there to offer guidance when we are not available.

https://www.jotform.com/app/bdrr/lost-pet-portal?fbclid=IwAR36IcAFUqvJ-HvUn52VZS5eFoY7OvCc9NfyRfbw9aiKcNc3qPCeo9cJHXI

LOST PET PORTAL

05/28/2024

Sailor is safe after a four day adventure in the Delaware Water Gap!

Sailor had accompanied his dad on countless hiking and camping trips and had never strayed or run off...but as I always say...never say never.

We stationed people at trail heads to pass out flyers and stressed the importance of not chasing him and asked them to pin sighting locations on their maps which proved incredibly helpful. Being the holiday weekend, the trails were inundated with hikers causing him to move far and fast.

Sailor was in full blown survival/ flight mode and ran from his beloved dad, Jason several times.

With the storms yesterday, things quieted down a bit. As I was parked at one of the trail head parking areas all the way on the other side, miles from where he had entered, a soaking wet Sailor emerged from the woods and trotted right past my truck. Once he was out my view I quickly jumped out and set up the trap. It was still lightly raining so I doused a towel with liquid smoke in the hopes he would smell it and circle back.

Within the hour, the rain had let up and he was back, nose in the air leading him right to the trap.

With very limited cell service in the areas he was traveling, this rescue brought me back to the days of old school rescue and recovery with no cellular cameras. Yes, I've been doing this for a very long time!!!

Sailor was loaded up into the back of the truck and finally reunited with dad.

Welcome back Sailor! ⚓️

05/27/2024

Brownie's moment of capture!

05/27/2024

Good morning everyone!

We are so happy to update that after eight long days on the run, Brownie in Beekman, NY was safely captured last night.

Brownie, a timid rescue from the Ukraine had just arrived at her new foster home when a noise spooked her and she was able to back out of her collar in the blink of an eye.

Within a few days, Brownie began to settle within a neighborhood with the help of feeding stations to keep her returning. Our trap was set but Brownie was a no show.

For the next three nights we kept the trap freshly baited in the hopes that she would get hungry and return, but she continued to elude us.

Early Friday morning, we received a call that Brownie had made her way into a pool. To our horror the video showed her running to an above ground pool with a solar cover and stepping down, not realizing it was water. Brownie had fallen in and for over an hour and a half was desperately struggling to get out. Thankfully she did.

Early yesterday morning, her hungry belly finally got the best of her and she made her way back to our feeding station where we had the trap set earlier in the week. I once again made the two hour trip back to Beekman. By 10pm she was at the trap scoping it out, she patrolled the neighborhood to make sure the coast was clear and within a half hour she was back and walked right in to safety!

Thank you to all who called in sightings and to the Kochie family for allowing us to take over your property for the past week.

Welcome H💗ME sweet Brownie!

05/19/2024

After two days on the run in Palisades, NY, we are overjoyed to share that Honey B (Biscuit) is reunited with his very relieved family!

What started out as a weekend away for a wedding, turned into a nightmare when Honey B darted through a gate as he was being leashed up.

He travelled along dangerous 9W and the neighborhoods along the way.

Today after having hung flyers, sightings started pouring in. Mapping the locations, we discovered the ideal spot to set up a feeding station.

While going door to door to speak with residents, we were surprised to end up face to face with an equally surprised Honey B. He initially ran from his mama, Kennedy and his fur sibling, Walter.

We felt that he would circle back and had Kennedy sit on the ground and play Walter.
With the smell of food and liquid smoke permeating the air, he started to make his way over. He immediately recognized his brother Walter who was wagging his tail and so excited to see him. Kennedy stayed very calm on the ground as guided and continued to play with Walter without making eye contact as he was nearing closer and closer. Within moments, he came from behind Kennedy and in that moment of recognition he planted a big smooch on his mama and she was able to grab hold of his collar ending his weekend adventure in New York.

We are so happy for his devoted family and BDRR volunteer, Dawn, who moved mountains to bring this boy to safety.

A huge thank you to the amazing residents of Century Road who graciously allowed us access to their properties, we are truly grateful.

Welcome back Honey Biscuit and have a safe trip back to North Carolina 💙🐾💙

05/07/2024

Rocko, has been safely captured after ten days on the run, traveling over four and half miles from home, in Glen Gardner, NJ.

An all too familiar story of a brand new rescue escaping from his new home. Rocko saw an opportunity to escape through a patio door and bolted.

This little guy covered a lot of territory with sightings few and far between.

Hundreds of posters were hung, numerous feeding stations and cameras were set but he kept moving. Getting ahead of him with our poster coverage was vital.

Today after a several days of no sightings, we got the break we needed. A homeowner who saw one of our posters spotted Rocko bedded down in a leaf pile. They didn’t approach him and called us immediately.

I raced to the area but was told he had moved on already. Thankfully, when I arrived to the area I spotted him hunkered down again. I quickly set up the trap and threw a trail of liquid smoke in his direction. Before I could get back to my truck he was already up and following the scent trail of the liquid smoke... he was so hungry! I dove across the seat of the truck so he wouldn’t see me and watched as he made his way into the trap to safety.

Thank you to everyone who allowed feeding stations and called in sightings. Holly Bate for always being a phone call away.

Welcome H💙ME Rocko!

04/06/2024

What a difference a week makes!!
After the stray hold was over we were finally able to get this baby medically treated, neutered and vaccinated. We were given options regarding his eye injury and we opted to try the less invasive approach of a steroid injection in the hopes of saving his eye.

He is decompressing and continuing to heal in the loving home of the property owner, Debbie Crotty where he was trapped until loving permanent placement is found for this handsome boy.

Thank you to North Warren Animal Hospital for your kindness and care.

03/23/2024

After more than two years roaming the areas of Edge Hill, Heller Hill and the surrounding areas in Blairstown, NJ, this stray is finally safe.

Due to his gentle disposition he coexisted peacefully with the local wildlife and was frequently seen feeding with his possum and fox friends. Cats can be territorial and being a submissive cat he was repeatedly attacked by other neighborhood cats, which most likely caused his eye injury.

Due to this injury, it was imperative that it be brought to safety to get the medical attention it desperately needed.

The cat was incredibly trap savvy due to failed prior capture attempts. Conditioning the cat to a larger trap took a lot of time and patience not to mention battling other critters, resident cats and bad weather. Finally, on Thursday night after the cat was comfortably going all the way in, we set the trap for capture and were finally able to bring it to safety.

Thank you Sherry from Heller Hill for contacting me and Debbie Crotty for allowing this capture process on your property and working with me to bring this beautiful cat to safety.

Animal control responded and transported the cat to the vet where it will receive much needed medical attention and be scanned for microchip. It will then be going into the care Common Sense for Animals, thankfully they were able to make room for this cat in need and we are so grateful.

03/11/2024

I find myself questioning humanity more and more. This rescue has been incredibly disturbing and emotional for all involved.

This past Wednesday we were made aware of a frightened, stray dog running in Bronx Park East. To make matters worse the park backs directly up to the Bronx River Parkway with cars whipping by.

The dog kept running from a marsh area on the edge of the Parkway and taking cover high up on the rocks in the park by a homeless encampment. It was his safe place, his lookout where he could see all that was going on around in the park.
What we learned was that his “safe place” was anything but…

To our horror, a deceased grey and white pitbull was found on these rocks. We believed that this may be the reason our dog kept going back. Could this be his buddy, could they have been dumped together, was he hit on the Parkway and went up to the rocks to pass? I’m not sure we will ever know. Before days end today we would learn that there was not one but TWO deceased dogs. This was a dumping ground for a monster!!!

Thankfully, this afternoon just as it started to rain, our boy finally made his way to the trap and followed his hungry belly into the trap to safety.

To our shock, he was microchipped. Through the chip company I was able to contact the rescue where he was adopted from as a puppy on January 21, 2023 to an adopter who lives in Shrub Oaks, NY. The adopters number is no longer in service. Did you re-home this dog, did you dump him? Whatever the case may be, we will be thoroughly investigating this situation and you will be held accountable, we know who you are!

Laura Dellate, Kristina Marie, Dawn Reilly… without your dedication, love and pure bad assery this rescue would not have been possible. I’m proud to have a tribe of women who aren’t afraid to trudge into the unknown and get sh*t done!!!

He is now safe and sound and that’s what’s important right now. If anyone has any information regarding this case, please contact us through private message.

02/29/2024

Monday I was contacted about Jett missing in Green Township, NJ. She had just been adopted and slipped her harness within twelve hours of arriving at her new home. The property was vast and backed up to thousands of acres of the Whittingham Wildlife Management area.

I arrived and set up a trap believing that she was hiding out and would circle back. Little did I know when I arrived that this dog turned out to be a BDRR alumni, who I had trapped last October as a stray in Stony Point, NY. As soon as I realized who it was, I knew she was not going to go in the trap.

The next morning we had a sighting of her a little over a mile away. Knowing Jett, I still had faith that she would make her way back to the property. Feeding stations were set and sure enough, at 3am she was on camera and then once again disappeared.

Jett is a food motivated girl and I knew if she could find the feeding stations, she would keep returning. I had the family get the grill going so we could get that scent wafting throughout the property to help attract her. With the rain storm, we set one of the feeding stations inside the garage.

During the night she found the food and kept coming back, but as expected she wanted nothing to do with the trap.

This morning, Jett’s new mom, Tina called and said I see her outside by the pond, what do I do? I instructed her to calmly go out and sit butt to the ground in the driveway with stinky hot dogs. In the short time that Jett was there, she started to form a bond with Tina and I knew that there was a chance Jett would go to her. While on the phone with Tina coaching her, she tossed hot dogs and Jett slowly but surely made her way closer and closer and finally close enough for Tina to grab her collar. Jett was fighting it and trying to back out but Tina held on!!

Jett is finally safe and sound inside. The family was so wonderful to work with and Tina, I’m so damn proud of you! Thank you for trusting in me to help bring this girl home.

Welcome back Jett! 💗

02/29/2024

Brownie escaped his fenced in yard on February 14th in Upper Saddle River, NJ Shiba Inu’s are known escape artists and the slightest opening they will find a way to get through.

Miraculously, Brownie crossed deadly route 17, at the one spot where there was no median barrier. He made his way into Ramsey to an industrial complex that backed up to a wooded area and a neighborhood where he would make his home for the next two weeks.

Ring camera sightings started coming in, he was often mistaken for a fox and regularly seen traveling with one whom he befriended.

After speaking with many of the residents of this neighborhood we were able to figure out his multiple cut throughs. Several feeding stations with cameras were set and it was just a matter of time until he hit one. Once we had him locked in on one feeding area the others were removed and a trap was set.

The first night the trap was set, he was a no show. It was a waiting game and finally the next night in the rain, he made a brief appearance, checked out the trap and off he went back into the woods. Between the torrential rain and critters, the decision was made to tie it open to allow Brownie to get more comfortable. At 1am, he came back and eventually entered the trap.

Tonight I had a hunch he’d make an early appearance. The trap was freshly baited with a smorgasbord of yummy food. As darkness was just setting in, Brownie showed checked out what was on the menu for dinner and went right in. A slight hop when the door shut but his hungry belly was priority and he didn’t even turn around to realize his days on the run were over.

Fifteen days on the run, Brownie is safely home and reunited with his loving family.

Thank you to all the incredible residents of Sherwood and Nottingham who allowed feeding stations and called in sightings. Thank you to my friend Kristen for always being there to help when needed rain or shine. Huge thanks to the Goldman family who allowed us access to their property at all hours. Brownies family and myself have the deepest gratitude to such an incredible community who were so willing to help in bringing this boy to safety.

Welcome H💙ME Brownie! 🦊

02/16/2024

Maya missing in Wantage, NJ is safe after three days on the run.

Invisible fences offer a false sense of security for numerous reasons and can be no match to a determined Labrador. Maya didn’t need to wear her collar to stay on the property, that is until Tuesday night when a herd of deer were all too tempting directly outside the perimeter…and off she went.

Even though she was not wearing her collar, she eventually tried to come back home but was too frightened to cross the line to come back into the yard and she quickly disappeared.

We tracked her prints through the snow and were able to locate an area a little over a half mile from home where she had hunkered down. We had hoped that her mom could calmly lure her, but she was in flight mode and when Maya heard her slowly approaching, she bolted past her and took cover deep into the woods.

Well intentioned searchers kept pushing her back into the woods each time she attempted to make her way to our trap. Late this morning when all was quiet and no one was in sight, she finally made her way out and into the trap to safety.

Please be respectful when asked not to chase or approach a lost or frightened dog. You may be “good with dogs” or “dogs love you” but when a dog is in survival mode and won’t come to their own family, they are most likely not going to come to you. Maya was out there longer than she needed to be due to this mentality.

She is exhausted and has a sliced paw pad and the family got a crash course in just how unreliable invisible fences are. For five years, she never crossed that perimeter… until she finally did!

Welcome H💗ME Maya!

02/13/2024

I am so thrilled to update that “The Warwick Stray” has name and a family!! 💗

Gabbana slipped her collar and bolted on January 22nd while hiking on the Appalachian Trail with her family. Her owner who does not live in the area and did not have a facebook account created one and tried in vain to join groups to post her but was declined.

They had no idea that complete strangers were working hard to bring her to safety and in turn we had no idea that a family was missing her. Many people do not know that lost dog recovery groups exist. With the amount of dogs being dumped these days, it is hard not to think the worst when you see what appears to be a stray dog.

Large breed dogs like cane corsos and great danes can drop body mass very quickly. Gabanna was on the run for twenty one days, running for miles and miles.

Gabbana’s owner went to the Warwick Valley Humane Society FB Page yesterday and when he saw Gabbana he dropped to his knees in tears when they were reunited.

Gabbana’s story is a wake up call and reminder that not everyone is on social media. This is why we stress microchipping and always contacting and stay in contact with your local police, animal control and shelters when your dog goes missing and of course hanging posters.

Gabbana’s story thankfully has a happy ending but sadly there are many that don’t. Think lost not stray and remember not everyone is on social media!!

Welcome H💗ME Gabbana!!

02/11/2024

At least 21 one days (that we know) of nonstop running, the Warwick stray has been safely captured!

After a week of seeing posts for sightings of a large, skinny cane corso/ great dane looking dog, a concerned resident, Casey Roerden, took matters into her own hands. She reached out to the local authorities and scoured social media. There were no reports or posts of someone missing a dog fitting this description. She then reached out to BDRR and asked for help.

Posters were hung and we posted all over the various lost pet pages, still no one came forward.

This dog was terrified and running great distances, at times covering over 6 miles within just a few hours. Each day her loop was getting bigger and bigger. She travelled from Warwick, to Greenwood Lake, running along dangerous route 17, route 94, the Appalachian trail, Waywayanda, various apple orchards, the Shoprite and beyond heading towards Vernon, NJ.

The community rallied and called in sightings to us, at all hours. She was mostly active in the middle of the night, desperately searching for food, she was starving. She visited many chicken coops to scrounge for any scraps. Our biggest fear remained the ever present packs of coyotes, it is currently coyote mating season. If they weren’t on my cameras, I would hear their chorus serenading me every night from my truck. I had to be very careful where I was setting up feeding stations, so as not to lure her to her demise. She was extremely smart and I believe the coyotes are in part why she kept moving so far and so fast.

This past Tues, she finally found one of my feeding stations and she ate every morsel. A trap was immediately set in the hopes that she would come back the following night, but it took five days for her to return. I spent five nights sleeping in my truck fending off critters at the trap and waiting for her arrival. I think I met the entire Warwick Police Dept who came and blinded me with their spotlights every night, so on a side note… Warwick residents, feel safe, they are patrolling your areas very well!! LOL.

This morning at 7:19am she waltzed right up to the trap and went right in for her breakfast without an ounce of hesitation, thats how hungry she was.

Thank you to the amazing community of Warwick, NY, everyone who called in sightings, shared home video surveillance and gave me access to their properties, Danny from Ball Rd, Maskers Orchards, Stephanie on Iron Forge. A huge thank you to the Fitzsimmons family who allowed me access to their property all week to finally bring her to safety. Casey Roerden, thank you for stepping up to be the voice for this frightened girl and getting BDRR on board to find her and bring her to safety. Suzyn Baron from the Humane Society for taking my call early this morning and meeting me at the trap to load her up and bring her to the shelter.

Such an incredible community effort, and outpouring of love and concern…. this would not have been possible without all of you!!

She is very thin, trembling in fear and looks as though she has recently had puppies. She is now safe and sound at Warwick Valley Humane Society FB Page, thawing out in a warm bed and getting much needed sleep and TLC. You’re safe now sweetheart!!

02/06/2024

TUESDAY TIP!

Did you know that dogs have a homing instinct? 🧭 🐕 🏠

Nine times out of ten an escaped dog will return to the point of escape. Regardless, if the dog has been there one minute, one week, one month or one year....

So often I get "we just got our dog and he doesn't know the area." It doesn't matter... their instinct kicks in. They will usually return to the most familiar point and that can be the new home they just arrived at, the park they escaped from, the accident scene they ran from and so on. Dogs can travel many miles in unfamiliar terrain and still find their way back.

Dogs will use their noses to familiarize themselves with familiar or unfamiliar territory. The dogs will leave their own scent trails, that they will use to navigate and find their way. It is usually humans that interfere with this causing the dog to be pushed out of an area.

Some claim "drag" methods are why they find their way home...in reality it's instinct and their own natural ability to follow their own scent trails. It's not a method or a miracle...it's plain and simple INSTINCT.

This is why BDRR always recommends setting a feeding station at the point of escape and the capture process (if necessary) goes from there depending on the situation. Not every dog will return but the majority will, on their own. Stop underestimating their ability to find their way.