The black and white dog, which had been named “Wilson” because it was lost near Wilson Lake, ran away from its original owner who was travelling through the area and let the dog out of the vehicle for a break back on June 13. After Wilson was lost in early June, a few individuals in the community independently went searching for him in the area he was reported missing. About a month-and-a-half lat
er, a post was made on the Facebook group Temagami Talk by a gentleman named Charlie Ferguson, which stated that he thought he had seen a black and white dog in the Herridge Lake area. A working group, which was dubbed “Wilson’s Warriors,” started leaving food and installing trail cameras to find out Wilson’s patterns, should he return. As their photo library increased, they converted a large wire dog crate into a trap “using gate latches and a gravity trip system.”
“Eventually, Wilson entered the cage but we think his tail got in the way and the trap misfired.”
“Wilson was now spooked. A member purchased a coyote live trap in Sudbury and, though fascinated, Wilson would not enter the cage, as was supported by our over 1,000 15-second videos from the trail cams.”
Another member of the working group made a new, taller trap with a guillotine-style gate that “over a period of about a week, finally worked.”
Wilson was in the bush for 75 days total. The group has been selling coffee mugs as a fundraiser to pay for Wilson’s eventual veterinarian bills. The mugs cost $20 each and the online link to the mug fundraiser is https://www.facebook.com/groups/temagamitalk/permalink/1462160417504899/?sfnsn=mo&extid=I7vNzXtNKLOpHBGn. Wilson is now being brought back into civilization on an island in Lake Temagami before the group gives him to another community member for adoption. Wilson's Warriors remain committed to helping other lost pets in the Temagami Region. Message us if you would like our help.
