Gabe Dog is SAFE

31/10/2023

It was three years ago today, Halloween, around 5:30 PM, that GABE decided he was ready to come to safety! We were so thankful it happened, because we had worried how he would react to all the trick-or-treaters. It had been a harrowing and tough six weeks for all of us! He came from a hoarding situation in Texas of over 90 dogs. He had been with a foster here for two weeks when he got loose. You can see more information and pictures in previous posts.

Over the last three years sweet Gabe has become one of the most wonderful and unique dog we have ever had! He is still super cautious about things he hasn’t seen before (like those iffy, newfangled, nylon grocery bags we use now) and the shade fabric we use for the deck, but he gets past that fear quickly now.  When we first had him it was every new thing he saw, and it would take sometimes weeks or months for him to decide whatever it was, was OK. He loves getting on the couch and the bed to sleep. It took him two years before he would do that. We have been so lucky to be able to allow him all the time he needs to adjust. We do not force him to do anything. It has been such a different experience with a rescue dog.

He is still very much a creature of habit – – out the sliding glass doors onto the deck, down the six steps into the yard, and then comes back up onto the deck via the ramp, we built along the west side of the deck! He never changes that order! His number one activity is protecting us from all the sketchy people, (like parents and kids walking to school) that use the bike path! 😂He usually does not bark at the younger elementary school, kids, however, the middle school kids are fair game! He absolutely hates stocking caps, and people wearing them get a full tirade from him!
We have a 6 foot fence around in the yard and on the inside of that is a split rail fence with a garden wire on it that surrounds the flowerbeds so he cannot get right up to 6 foot fence. He never barks at people until they are directly on our property line, and will stop as soon as they are passed it – – how he can tell that is beyond us, as he cannot actually see the people. He can see heads bobbing along, hence the extra barking at the ones wearing stocking caps!

 We still let him out and back in 40 to 60 times a day! He can look out the sliding glass door and the big picture window to keep an eye things. His hearing is extraordinary and even from inside will want out and run to the fence to wait for the person he heard walking on the bike path!

We never leave Gabe or his sisters, Nora and Kaleigh in the backyard by themselves as they are all rescues and a flight risk.  It keeps Michael and me moving and helps us get our steps in! Plus, watching the dogs is just plain fun! They all will play and interact with each other, although not for long periods of time. Nora is 14 and Kaleigh is 11 when they get tired, the playing ends. Sometimes Gabe ends it because he has to be on guard duty!  Gabe absolutely loves to sit in the backyard with Michael and just hang out! He hops up multiple times to run to the fence and do his guard duty and then right back to where Michael is. It is awesome! ❤️

The only thing Gabe does that we would change is catching bunnies and eating them!  We know he did it when he was loose because we have trail cam pictures of him with bunnies in his mouth.  Our vet said it won’t hurt him, and we have tried to get them away from him to no avail. That’s when he thinks it becomes a game of keep away! He won’t play keep away with toys, but the bunnies are different. (In fact, he doesn’t play with toys at all) During bunny season we go out into the yard first to s**g any bunnies away. The neighbors probably think we’re a bit crazy as seen one of us out there at midnight with the flashlight, walking all over the backyard! 😂 This summer, however, mama built her nest somewhere in the yard and we could never find it. He got all the babies. 😭 Ugggg

 Although Gabe was closest to me when we were lucky enough to have him become part of our family, he is now his daddy‘s boy and vice versa! We love Gabe beyond measure, and he loves both of us, however, his daddy is the bestest ever!
❤️

We are beyond thankful to have Gabe as part of the family and we have some of the best people that are now in our lives because of Gabe!
Stephanie and Dana are the founding members of the Dog recovery/rescue group, SCOUT and without their guidance, support and encouragement, I fear Gabe’s recovery would not have happened! The animal communicator, who worked with Gabe (and still does), is fantastic! She met Gabe in person about a year after he had been with us, when he was still extremely wary of people, and would go to another room when a person he did not know came in. When she came into the house and sat down he walked right up to her, sat down & leaned into her! He knew her! 
Peggy and Carrie were there every day with me to feed, sit quietly, not looking for or at Gabe if we did see him and just put loving vibes out to him.  They helped to build the shelter near his feeding station at Peggy’s house when we knew the October snow storm was coming.  He never used it and the three of us bolstered each other up through the horrible fear for Gabe during that time as it was so bitterly cold.
And there were so many people in the neighborhood where Gabe was loose that listened to what we were saying about not approaching him, or trying to catch him, but rather call with sightings information and put their faith in what we were doing.
Without all of these people, coming together to help Gabe, it could’ve been a very different outcome. We are so thankful for each, and everyone of them! ❤️❤️❤️ And there were so people following Gabe’s story and praying for the outcome that came about, and we have no doubt
that that played a huge part as well! 
We are so very, very thankful for our sweet Gabe and for everyone that helped him become part of our family! ❤️❤️❤️

31/10/2022

Gabe and an update! Many of you will remember Gabe, the dog that was on the loose for almost six weeks two years ago! He is thriving and so happy!! That’s because the wonderful neighbors in Lake Sherwood & Nelson Farm cared about Gabe, trusted the recovery/rescue team (even when what was being asked of people to do seemed counter-intuitive) and helped make his soft recovery possible!

The people who were boots on the ground—putting up flyers, the couple allowing his feeding station in their yard & helping with feeding, others going daily to just sit nearby even when he wasn’t in sight & building a shelter when the bad snowstorm hit, the nearby neighbors who reported sightings daily, the family whose backyard he followed them & their dog into then let us take the 3 hours to softly get a slip lead on him, the couple who followed them at a distance & shut the gate, the animal communicator who still helps Gabe and SCOUT, the recovery team that guided us—were invaluable!! Just as important were all the people who reported sightings and did not follow or try to catch him!

It truly took a village to save Gabe!! ❤️

He is a special dog and having him in our family is a gift! He came from a hoarding situation in Texas of over 90 dogs so was never socialized with people. He is very sensitive, cautious, set in his ways and doesn’t like change! We have let him move forward at his own pace. It took months before he allowed us to pet him or took treats from us. He had no idea what love was!

Now he wants loves all the time and sits between our legs for hugs & kisses! He is a “Daddy’s boy”! He loves being outside “guarding” his yard and since we absolutely do not leave him outside alone (he still gets spooked by the wind, flapping plastic tarps, airplanes) he goes outside & back in at least 50 times a day! We are so thankful we can accommodate!! 😄❤️

So Mike, Gabe & I want to thank all of you so much!! We made some awesome friends who come visit Gabe often!! It will be two years ago on Halloween that he came home with us!

04/02/2022

Gabe & his Dad, Mike, playing in the snow! Gabers is one happy & loved dog! ❤

01/11/2021

It's been a wonderous year since sweet Gabe chose to come to safety! He was on the loose for six, long weeks from the middle of September until Halloween afternoon. He had so many people in his corner, helping to bring him in to safety. We could not done it with out the help of the wonderful village! He followed a woman walking her dog into her back yard and another man walking his dog came behind them and closed the gate. They both were familiar with Gabe’s situation and called Stephanie (the fantastic gal who spearheaded the recovery of Gabe, is our dog guru & now a great friend) once they realized what Gabe was doing. There were three of us involved with Gabe on a daily basis (and now great friends!) the entire six weeks he was loose and we all rushed to the backyard. Gabe allowed me to put a slip lead on him and we took off his two old collars and leash he was dragging and put a new collar and harness on him. He was exhausted and although a bit hesitant, walked into their garage where I had parked my car so we we could put him in the car with no chance he could escape.

We brought him to our house and let him rest and decompress. We adopted him within a couple of days! We didn’t know if he’d try and escape and wanted to be extra cautious so we kept both the collar & harness on him for a month or so and took him into the backyard with two leashes. We took him out every 2-3 hours round the clock and slowly increased the time between going out. We were able to leave the harness off of him and just keep the collar on and continued to keep him on the leash when going out for four months. After that he was leash free but one of us was in the yard with him at all times. He was wary, on guard and afraid of many things—wind, anything flapping, birds and plastic bags. Inside, noises like the dryer were scary. He loved our other two dogs & the cats and they warmed right up to him. The dogs really helped him adjust and taught him about indoor living. He has never attempted to get out of the yard and when afraid he runs right to our back sliding door.

Now, Gabe is a lover dog—begging for hugs and pets! He wants to be near and is so happy! We are still extra cautious when he is outside and watch from the window or are outside with him. He loves being on guard when outside and since we back up to bike path he will bark at people walking past, but only when they are directly behind our house. He watches from our deck and runs down the stairs, does his patrol then runs back up the ramp we have on the side of the deck we built for our older dogs. We let him in & out at least 50 times a day!

Since we are retired we are able to give him the time he has needed to become the most wonderful dog that he is. It has been a wondrous journey and the best bonus is the fantastic friends we have made! Besides the three of us there daily with Gabe there were the neighbors near his feeding station that watched for him and reported to us, the doggy friends & owners he visited near their yard or on walks, the neighbor across the lake who watched for him every morning at five am & even sent photos from her ring camera when she was out of town, the kids who would give us Gabe sightings when they saw us and so many others who called with sightings. There were people monitoring the trail cameras 24/7; the team members of SCOUT, the volunteer dog recovery group that worked the entire 6 weeks for his recovery and who taught us so much! So many people loved & cared about Gabe and we can't thank you enough! He is truly amazing and we are so lucky to have Gabe as part of our family!

The pictures start with Gabe right before came in, Halloween day and throughout the year ending with Halloween this year, 2021.

11/12/2020

This is Gabe, in his rehab home, where he has two dog friends and three cat friends and two full-time human parents. He's still a little jumpy, but he is learning "how to dog" like a champ! And just look how HANDSOME - not even the same skinny, dirty, frightened pupper that ran Lake Sherwood for 43 DAYS this fall! This is what love does. This is what patience does. This is what you ALL did by helping bend the universe so that Gaber could choose to come to safety.

PS - Gabe GAINED over 10 POUNDS while he was on the run! Burning so many calories with constant hypervigilant movement and also the cold (extreme on a few nights) - but the search team implemented a structured feeding schedule with TONS of calories and really high-quality food and supplements, so Gabe actually IMPROVED his body condition and gained muscle mass from all the exercise while running loose.

05/11/2020

Here is a PUP-date from our goodest boi, GABE:

It's hard to believe that just 5 days ago, I was running around scared and sleeping outside, with no home or safety of my own! This week, I mastered STAIRS, and RAMP, and DOOR - I wear my leashes (2), collar, and harness to go outside and do my business. It's not scary out there when I am with friends! A really nice lady came - I didn't even startle when she walked really close to me - and I watched her care for the other animals here before she checked me over, gave me a little poke, and said that I am in wonderful condition, especially for living outside on my own for 6 weeks! Thanks for the house call, Dr. Elayne! And thanks to the search team that cared for me in the field and helped me markedly improve my body condition despite the colder weather and the fact that I burned a lot of calories running around every 3 hours around the clock!

So now I'm enjoying the blue squeaky ring! (I think it was a gift from Carrie ❤ while I was on the run. I love it now, even the squeaks!) We will be getting more toys today! And there's an "antler chewing party" here EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I rolled over for a looong belly rub first! Sometimes I put weird stuff in my mouth, like shoes or rugs or snacks from the counter - but my friends say "Leave it" and I do (I learned that command in the field!). Life is pretty good here on the dog bed! I'm glad that I finally chose to come in to safety.

From Gabe's foster mom:
This is the dog who averted his head from being touched on Sunday, 11/01/20, and went to letting us pet him Monday, 11/02/20, and is now actively asking for loves! It's only day 4-1/2! He is getting past his fears SO quickly! We were prepared for weeks--now we are preparing for the puppy behavior! He still tries to sneak a nibble of something he shouldn't! 😅❤ We give him something he can chew as a replacement & he now let's us put it right in front of him! Gabe is doing GREAT with potty training - no accidents in the house, and he is up and ready to follow the other dogs out to the yard, with far fewer "startles." He loves the man of the house and follows him everywhere. That's how he learned to go out the sliding glass door, and that you can see people through the window even when they leave the room. He is so so smart and sweet, and he is learning "how to dog" really fast!

From the SCOUT Search Team (a.k.a. "Gabe's Gals"):
This, folks, is what good rehab looks like! And it's really not rocket science - it's structure, and love, and listening to the dog. Remember that Gabe has two "hoarding sisters" from the same situation in Texas who both live in kennels at the Big Bones Canine Rescue "ranch" in Windsor. If you think YOU might be able to love one from scared to dog, either as a foster or an adopter, please let us know!

03/11/2020

01/11/2020

Gabe was recovered safely and gently by his team this afternoon. He is in very good physical condition, but super tired of course. More details tomorrow, but love on this tonight:

29/10/2020

Gabe-the-Loose-Rescue-Dog came through the cold snap and snow in great shape! He has achieved many "milestones" as he becomes more willing to trust humans and come to safety. Gabe's Gals worked very hard to improve his body condition before colder weather arrived, and fed him often - up to 8,000 calories daily of high quality food during the storm. In addition to several "hides" that Gabe uses for shelter around the neighborhood, the team built him a cozy den near his feeding station to provide shelter from wet and wind, as well as clean bedding, a special heated mat, and an electric water bowl.

The "team" really appreciates how helpful and patient most of the neighbors have been in allowing Gabe the time he needs to gain confidence, learn to trust humans, and get ready for his next life as a family dog. We continue to monitor Gabe around the clock. Several containment strategies in process, and we are working in collaboration and close communication with Larimer County Animal Control; it's just a matter of which tactic is successful first! Sightings and reports are still very important, as well as NOT grabbing at Gabe or following him. Please do not feed him, as we want him to return to the feeding station on schedule. Thank you for your help in this - you are all helping "foster" gave.

Take a look at these photos: remember when Gabe was so skinny and scared, with his tail tucked and ribs visible? Now he has a thicker coat, muscular thighs, is nicely filled out, and his pretty tail is usually confidently UP. Please call or text any sightings or questions to 970-391-4821 or 775-385-7215

23/10/2020

Gabe Update: 10/22/20

The search team working with the rescue that owns Gabe, the loose foster dog, hopes that the colder weather will help Gabe to choose to come to safety with a human sooner rather than later. However, in preparation for colder temperatures and snow, Gabe's Team has been preparing for his safety:
* We have consciously managed both his nutrition and feeding schedule to steadily improve his body condition and coat while he has been out in the area.
* We have prepared several shelter spots in his "safe area" for him to use if he wishes during severe cold and/or wet weather.
* We continue to monitor Gabe's location, movements, and condition around the clock through both remote cameras and on-the-ground team members.

Gabe's body has had several weeks to acclimate to the gradual seasonal shift of northern Colorado weather. His musculature and body condition has improved noticeably. Prior to his escape, he also had several weeks to acclimate to Colorado's altitude. This dog has settled in a relatively small area of the neighborhood, and he knows it well. Gabe is smart, brave, and strong - and the team sees him gaining confidence and trust every day. There are many unseen natural places to curl up in the immediate area (we've found a couple of his spots), plus decks, sheds, a door ajar offer him shelter. And remember that snow blanketing leafed-out shrubs or full evergreens creates cozy doggy igloos in a storm.

Please continue to send Gabe your positive thoughts. If you run into him, please let him pass and do not block his path to his safe space or feeding station. And PLEASE, Please do not try to catch him, corner him, grab his leash, or frighten him in any way as he could be flushed out of the neighborhood in fear, and find himself out there with no resources, no care, and no idea where the safety is. Help Gabe learn that choosing to come in is much nicer than choosing to stay out, because most humans are good to dogs.

21/10/2020

Gabe Update 10/20/20

Huge progress has occurred in the case of Gabe, the rescue foster dog who is loose in Ft. Collins, CO. A team of volunteers works daily to care for Gabe and prepare to safely contain him. This sweet doggo is becoming more and more resilient, confident, and dog-like, despite several setbacks related to well-meaning but ill-informed people interfering with Gabe in the field of search. The team feels that he is close to choosing to come to safety. Please note that Gabe is not "lost," as the search team that is coordinating his rescue has a network of human spotters and 24/7 wildlife cameras that have allowed them to learn his route and routine very well. Gabe is on a feeding schedule at a monitored feeding station that he attends regularly, and he has settled into a small geographic area near Lake Sherwood. He eats a special diet that has greatly improved his body condition while he has been out.

The search team is desensitizing Gabe to a large humane trap; he watches for his caregivers to bring his food, which is moved closer and closer to help him learn to enter the trap. Once Gabe is comfortable entering the humane trap and it is set, it will be monitored around the clock to minimize stress for him. Safe and successful trapping requires patient preparation; we usually only get one chance.

The other good news is that Gabe is feeling more comfortable around the neighborhood because many residents have allowed him to be "invisible," like a stray cat. This allows Gabe to watch how humans and dogs interact with each other, which is all new to him as he grew up in a hoarding situation with many dogs and few people. Gabe has become more comfortable with search team members watching him eat from a short distance (

11/10/2020

PUP-Date 10/11/20:
Gabe is doing well: his body condition is good, and he is starting to understand that most humans are "safe." Gabe's search team, working with Big Bones Canine Rescue, so appreciates the efforts of the Lake Sherwood neighborhood in helping Gabe get ready to come to safety.

PLEASE TREAT HIM LIKE THE FLUFFY BLACK CAT WHO ROAMS THE NEIGHBORHOOD; let him be the "invisible dog." It can be difficult to be patient, but Gabe is making progress according to the schedule that experienced search team members expected. If you see Gabe, with your eyes or your doorbell camera, please report the date, time, location, and direction of travel to the search team via TEXTING or CALLING to (970) 391-4821.

Gabe has settled back into a predictable route and routine in the area. The search team monitors him closely via remote wildlife cameras, team members in the field, and a network of wonderful "spotters" in the neighborhood. We are also appreciative of the collaboration and communication we receive from Larimer County Animal Control.

Members of Gabe's search team are steadily building a trust relationship with him so that he will see humans as a source of safety when he is ready to choose to come to safety. Additionally, the team has placed a humane "live trap" in the area. It is monitored 24/7, and may help bring Gabe to safety. PLEASE KEEP YOUR DOGS LEASHED or under voice control, and DO NOT FEED GABE at your home or elsewhere, which could interfere with our ability to contain him sooner rather than later.

Last week, Gabe was spooked out of the the Lake Sherwood neighborhood after being chased by some kids. He was nearly hit by a car on a busy street. Luckily, Gave found his way back safely. Being followed and yelling also frightens him. Please ask your kiddos (and adults) to NOT follow or chase Gabe - it frightens him and causes him to make bad decisions about traffic! If Gabe is somewhere he should leave, like a private yard, simply use a firm (not loud) voice to say "Gabe, Leave It!" He'll go.

Thank you again for your patience and assistance. This dog is "the goodest boy" who loves other dogs, and avoids cats, squirrels, rabbits, racoons, etc. He just needs some additional time to process and understand that most humans are good, too. We appreciate you and will keep you posted!

Gabe's Team
(970) 391-4821 or (775) 385-7215

08/10/2020

Update on Gabe: 10/7/2020

We want to send a huge Thank You! to all of you who are so caring and understanding in this process of helping Gabe choose to come to safety, especially our Lake Sherwood neighbors! Because of the word being spread not to follow or try to catch Gabe, he is settling down and as many of you may have noticed, he is not sighted as much—which is a good thing! We ask you to continue to spread that information and call or text (970-391-4821) if you do see him, telling us where he is and what direction he is moving. If you can’t see which direction he goes, that’s fine. Don’t follow him to try to determine his direction or to take a picture. Also, please explain to your kids not to follow or chase Gabe. They may think it’s fun or they are just playing with Gabe, but for Gabe it is scary! Gabe has never met or been around children. Anything that follows or chases him will be classified by Gabe as scary or even predatory.

We are working with specific neighbors with concerns about Gabe passing through their property and we have taken every measure that they will allow to deter him from entering their unfenced property. Gabe is very polite around squirrels, cats, rabbits, raccoons and other dogs. He is not aggressive and will leave if you just say “shoo dog” or “go away dog”. We have had good collaboration with Larimer County Humane Society.

We have three wildlife cameras that relay Gabe’s images to us in real time and that team members monitor around the clock. We also have team members in the field at various times and are within 15 minutes of the field. One of the cameras is monitoring his feeding station so we know he is eating and doing well!! We appreciate your support to not put food out for Gabe so we know he is only eating at his feeding station.

Our hope is that Gabe will choose a dog or human to come to. However, we are also pursuing a well structured trapping program and to help this be successful, we urge you to keep your own dogs on a leash. The trapping plan is also a slow approach, so again, we ask for patience! We can not just throw a steak into the trap and have him go for it. 🙂 This process is more like a marathon than a sprint!

We realize that for an average dog to be loose for this long it’s a looong time. For a dog like Gabe, who has never enjoyed human care or had a loving home, this is an average time frame for a dog to learn humans are good. We want to make sure that this experience does not slow Gabe’s development into a wonderful, adoptable family dog and success with his furever family! That is why it is so important to treat him gently and let this go at his pace. Please send out positive and calm thoughts and energy—tell him good dog, brave dog. Don’t think in terms of him getting caught, or trapped. It’s amazing how perceptive dogs are!

The patience and care that the Lake Sherwood community is showing is letting sweet Gabe know that people are good and that will help him come in safely. You have become a giant foster family for sweet Gabe! ❤️

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