Lost Dog Search and Trapping - Louisville, Ky (2025)

06/08/2025

Barley
Female white with tan Maltese mix
June 4 - 17, 2025
Foxboro Rd / I-71 South
Pendleton, Ky

This is a story about perseverance of a dedicated family that stopped at nothing to find their dog. The resilience and determination of a little 8lb dog that survived nearly 2 weeks on her own in the most undesirable conditions for any dog,
let alone a tiny dog. Heavy woods surrounded by miles of farmland and I-71, where we eventually trapped her.

On June 4th, every worst dog owners nightmare came true for the Barley’s owners. She was outside with them on their property, just as she always had been like any other ordinary day. But on this unusual morning, something spooked her terribly sending her running scared. She was so spooked, she managed to escape their yard and kept running. They lived near a busy road. Thankfully, when she got out she ran the opposite direction of heavy traffic heading to the back of Foxboro Road. She was seen a couple times popping out of the woods, but she was so confused. She kept running from anyone trying to catch her.

Her owners did everything right they sat out every evening where she was last seen hoping when she saw them, she would come to them. But unfortunately people continue to chase her, so she continued to move further from home becoming more frantic. They hung signs. They posted all of her social media. They drove all the to nearby neighbors, many, if not most of the properties were huge farms. Making finding her extremely difficult (given her size).

Then, on June 8th, while the family was out searching again. They saw her dart out of the woods and almost to the on ramp to I-71. Barley caught sight of a family member but ran back into the heavy woods. This put her into some heavy, thick terrain. She was now across the road from her home and near I-71. Someone also said she was clipped by a car, but kept running. We knew time was not in our favor.

A trap was set in the field where she was last seen running. But unfortunately nothing appeared on it for days except cats and wildlife.

On June 10th, our friend Justin Hilliard with Remote Aerial LLC came out to the area to assist with his amazing drone skills. He covered miles and miles of farmland, both sides of 71, woods, trying to see every little hiding spot a tiny dog could be. No luck. Some of the woods were just too dense making visibility poor.

The family wasn’t giving up. They hung more signs. They continued to drive the area and speak to people, updating social media posts.

FINALLY!! Natalie texted me! the morning of JUNE 17th.. a friend of the family was on her way to work and just so happened to see little Barley standing under the guardrail on 71. She then she ran back towards the woods. Barleys owner went to the area immediately and actually saw her herself. But Barley ran again.

I grabbed my trap and met Natalie, Samantha (Natalie’s cousin) at the Pilot gas station so we could make our plan. It wasn’t going to be ideal or easy. We were going to have to go out on I-71 and pull way off the interstate into the grass to get this done. Thankfully, where she had been seen, there was a good area to pull clear into the grass so we were well off the interstate.

The three of us got out and began walking down into the woods where Natalie‘s mom had seen her run. At the time we just had the camera and food, until we could get our bearings of the terrain and where we were going.
As we were walking along, I saw Barley.

Samantha and I immediately went back to my Jeep to get the trap. Natalie stayed put to make sure she did not return to the interstate. We had to climb down a steep, rocky incline to get to where she had been staying. Once we got down below, you could tell she had been down there for quite a while. There was a pretty decent path she had worn down doing circles around the trees. She began pacing right in front of us traveling the same circle, and then she disappeared. But then she came right back and actually ran right behind me as I was setting the trap..and then left. The poor dog wanted help she was just so confused, anxious with all the traffic whizzing by above us. It was so sad…it seemed she wanted to come to us, but she was so nervous, she couldn’t stop moving to think and realize she recognized voices. So I knew the trap was going to be best solution.

I quickly set the camera and trap with the food.

The three of us returned back to my Jeep so we could watch the camera. It was nerve-racking to leave the area because we didn’t want her going back up to the interstate, but I felt pretty confident she was hungry enough. She would stay where the food was. I waited anxiously for the camera to ding. Finally the notification went off. She was at the trap.

I’m so happy and relieved to report June 17 was Barley’s day to be reunited with her loving family. It didn’t take her very long to find the trap. She did a few circles to investigate, then walked on in.

Natalie, Samantha and myself climbed back down the rocky incline, picked up the trap and Barley. We loaded her into my Jeep and took her home to her parents waiting anxiously. She had really never left Mr. Wheeler’s side her whole life. Although she was a mess from her adventure, filthy, matted, her little tail wagged uncontrollably and eyes lit up as soon as she saw her person.

I’m happy to report, Barley is going great.. given the fact she was out for a few weeks, rolled by a car and eating who knows what. She’s back on her recliner sitting next to her favorite person.

I know her family is extremely grateful for the calls and sightings. Especially for the neighbor that saw her that morning on I-71, that helped us bring her home. Little Barley‘s family never quit looking, daughter Natalie, cousin Samantha all the family searched and looked daily. And huge thanks to Justin with Aerial Remote for driving out to the area and spending so much time with your drone to look for little Barley. I know that meant so much to the family.

Author - Julie Foley

Trapping Team-
Natalie Wheeler, Samantha, Julie Foley

(I’ve attached pics from the drones view to help give an idea of where she was traveling and how big of an area it was)

30/07/2025

Bryce
Intact Male Shar-pei, No chip
Beechmont area of Louisville, KY
July 19th, 2025

On July 18th, I received a call from Ricky and his wife Donna about a tan dog that had been sleeping under their carport for days. They said someone gave them my number saying that I could help. I asked if they could send me a picture and asked if they could feed it so that we could plan to trap it. The area and description matched the area of a Shar-pei that Charity Bateman-Mills & Lisa Williams Devine and a few others had been trying to track for over a month. The poor guy kept running and no one could catch him. Once Ricky sent me the photo, it was confirmed it was him.

Later that evening, Donna reported that the dog showed up and ate the food she put out for him. I asked if it would be ok to set a trap on their property and they said yes.

The following day, I had planned on heading to the area with a trap. He would usually come after 8 pm so I planned on heading over around that time. Charity said she was available to help so she said she was going to make her way to the area. Once she got there, she saw him laying under the carport. I got in my car and headed over. When I got there, Charity said a very loud vehicle had gone by and scared him away. I thought he would likely be back so we set the trap and camera and went to sit in the car to wait.

Around 10pm, he showed up, he circled the trap and walked right in. Finally he was safe. Charity said she would overnight him and then get him registered at LMAS on Monday so we loaded him into her vehicle and headed home.

Charity field fostered him during his 5-day stray hold and no owner came forward BUT he was pulled by a rescue and has made his way to a foster to adopt! ♥️

Thank you to Ricky & Donna Pickerill for calling me and allowing us to set a trap on your property.

Author: Annamaria Love

Trapping Team: Annamaria Love & Charity Batman-Mills

27/07/2025

Dodger
Intact Male Boxer Mix
Gene Snyder/I65 N, Louisville, KY
July 17th, 2025

PART ONE- Annamaria

It was 8:30am, I had just left the gym and was sitting in my car drinking water and checking my phone when I came across a post of a dog that was spotted off the Gene Snyder near the I65 North Exit. Since I was already in my car and near the expressway, I decided to go check it out. I pulled up by where the person that posted said they saw the dog and as I was pulling up, I saw the dog attempting to go under the guardrail to get onto the expressway so I drove right up to him, onto the shoulder and blocked him. The moment he saw me, he ran into the woods. I had just cleaned out my car so I didn’t have a trap or camera with me. I messaged our group chat to see if anyone else was available.

Unfortunately, no one was immediately available and I had to be at work by noon. There were a set of homes by the woods so I took a drive over to see if I could see the dog, but I didn’t find him. Julie & Rachael said they could make their way and arrive before noon so I sat in my car off the shoulder and waited for them. I was afraid the dog would attempt to go under the guardrail again. He came out of the woods a few times while I was sitting there so I would get out of my car so that he would see me and go back into the woods where he was safe.

Around 11:30am, Julie & Rachael arrived and pulled up behind me on the shoulder, we lifted the trap over the guardrail and brought it down by the woods. We set the trap and camera and I headed home. They couldn’t stay too long either because they too had to work. Rita & Cheryl said they were available in the afternoon so they would take over.

Part 2 – NOON- third team arrives / Rita

Cheryl arrived and parked in the emergency lane on the guardrail. I followed about 30 minutes later. We couldn’t see the trap well from the emergency lane but we could watch the cam on our phones. I jumped in Cheryl’car as traffic whizzed by to the exit.

Within minutes the phone dinged. He was at the trap, went in to eat, but the trip plate didn’t engage. He finished the bowl of food and left. Of course our hearts sunk. If he was hungry enough, he would come back again to eat. If not, we might have to wait til dinner time. It was 1:20 PM.

Cheryl ran up the hill reset the trap as I guarded the guardrail. He peeked out of the woods and watched as she put more food in.

We waited, but alas no dog. Around rush-hour, traffic was really getting heavy, the exit was starting to form a line. I suggested we move our cars to the neighborhood. We couldn’t see the trap, but we could still watch it on our phones.

We got permission from the homeowner, who was closest to the trap to sit in their driveway and wait.

Then for the next two hours it poured rain. It was so heavy we couldn’t see out of the windows. We decided we would go home around 7:30 PM. But it was still raining, and we didn’t want to get out and close the trap. So we ended up just sitting there, of course.

About 20 minutes later, the rain stopped, and as Cheryl looked up, she saw the dog in the tall grass coming towards the trap.

This time we had the trap set lightly and as he went in to get his dinner, the door shut and he was SAFE!! 8:10 PM!!

Our Thanks to the homeowner, Lana who helped us carry the trap up and down the hill through the tall grass and water filled ditches.

That same day there was another dog on the Gene Snyder and we had some cams set in that area for another sighting. Louisville Metro Animal Services had also been called and an officer was in the area looking so he met us and took the dog to the shelter.

This poor dog was covered in ticks and soaking wet, but he still gave us tail wags and kisses. He seemed to be an intact older gentleman. He did not have a collar, tags or microchip.

After his five day stray hold is complete he is eligible for adoption at Louisville Metro Animal Services.

Author: Annamaria Love & Rita O’Hern Smith

Trapping Team: Cheryl Eblan Smith, Rachael Marie, Julie Foley, Annamaria Love, Rita O’Hern Smith

25/07/2025

Female mix breed
July 20th
Indian Trail

I received a message from someone for whom we had previously trapped a dog. They informed me about a dog that had been running loose behind their workplace for a week and a half, near the Fazoli’s on Indian Trail.

The next morning, I went out to see if I could spot the dog, and sure enough, there she was, running around. I spoke to a couple of people who were walking nearby, and they mentioned that the dog had been roaming around and no one had been able to catch her. I was able to keep her interested in some sausages while I set the trap.

Once the trap was set, I walked away towards my car, and as soon as I turned around, she went right in. I didn't even have time to hit record.
She is now safe! The dog is at Louisville Metro Animal Services, where she could benefit from a foster home.

Author: Rachael Maire
Trapping Team: Rachael

25/07/2025

Female Great Pry mix

International Drive, Jeffersonville

I noticed a post on the Jeffersonville, Indiana, page about a dog that resembled a couple of other dogs reportedly caught in the same area by the local animal shelter. I messaged Tracy, who said she would go out in the morning to check the area. Since Julie and I had already planned to go to Indiana about another dog, we also decided to check on the dog at International.

Tracy drove around and set up a camera in the field where the dog had been spotted, but unfortunately, there was no luck. She also spoke to a neighbor who mentioned that she had seen the dog and noticed a bucket with a large amount of food spread out in the cul-de-sac. We assumed that was where the three dogs had been dumped. I arrived at the area and set up another camera near the food location. Then,
Julie and I left to address another dog situation.

At approximately 5:30 PM, we received a notification from our cameras indicating that the dog had appeared. However, I had already left to head home, and Tracey was no longer in the area. Julie went over and set the trap while Tracey headed back. Julie found the dog hiding in the brush; she looked overheated and stressed. The dog eventually approached the trap, but unfortunately stepped over the trip plate. We all stuck around for a bit, but eventually, we needed to head home.

We left the camera and the dog showed up several times throughout the night, so we knew she would eventually go into the trap. On Monday morning, I drove out and saw her, but she got spooked and left the area. Annamaria and Tracy also came out, and we decided to play the "wait it out" game. Both Annamaria and Tracy had to leave to attend to other matters, so I decided to drive around and see if I could spot her.

As I drove past the road she had been frequenting, I saw her slowly walking down the road toward where the trap was set. She walked right in, and we finally had her safe! Annamaria turned around and came back to help me load her. She was so sweet and even wagged her tail in the trap. Tracy and i met and she was taken to the Jeffersonville Animal Shelter, where she is completing her stray hold.

Author-Rachael Maire
Trapping Team: Rachael, Julie, Annamaria, Tracy

22/07/2025

C**T
JULY 10-13, 2025

A distraught dog owner Milton, called me Thursday, July 10 about his missing dog, C**t. His home cams caught voices calling to his dog on his property, then C**t disappeared. A few days later he saw C**t on a Facebook post… 10 miles from home.

C**t seemed to be staying in the same area, showing up mostly at night, but he was too frightened to come to Milton. It was a large church parking lot surrounded totally by a very sparse wooded area. I wasn’t available until Saturday.
Annamaria and I headed out at 7:00 am on Saturday morning. We set two traps and cams in locations C**t had been seen a few times. We propped the traps open so we could see C**t’s body language when he entered the trap. He was long-legged and we were afraid he would stretch in, grab the food and set off the trap without being caught.

Rachael Marie joined me when Annamaria had to leave. It was really sunny and hot. It difficult to find shade…we sat in our SUVs with the AC on. We searched surrounding areas and drove around the neighborhood. Had a possible sighting in a neighborhood not too far away. Turned out to be a different dog, but we didn’t see it either.

Rachael had to leave at dusk, but I decided to stay a little longer. We had permission to stay in the church parking lot for as long as we needed. It was well lit and no traffic. A concerned neighbor was keeping an eye out for C**t and making sure we were okay too.

At 9:30 PM I decided to go home and my phone dinged alerting me to activity at the cam. C**t had found the first trap… wouldn’t go in. Minutes later he found the second trap… that was a nope too!!
I waited until 11:30, he didn’t return, so I went home. We were able to monitor the cams from our phones. In the wee hours of the morning C**t returned, entered the second trap, ate his fill and kept coming back every hour to see if someone had refilled his bowl!! So now we knew he was comfortable entering the trap, no stretching.
I returned to the church lot Sunday at 7:00 am. He had been there 20 minutes earlier. I set the traps, baited them and waited. Maybe he would come back during the day since he had eaten and returned so many times. Nope!

Soon Annamaria joined me. We found a spot in the shade and waited. We visited the neighbor, drove up to the gas station for snacks, and repeated this about five times. Took a nap in our SUVs. No C**t.

Our phones kept dinging.. indicating activity on the cam…Annamaria got all her steps in that night… chasing a baby possum out of the trap about 10 times!! He was so brave that we would let him eat some of the food in the trap before chasing him away.

As darkness arrived, Milton arrived to wait with us. At 1:50 AM C**t showed up at the trap… not interested in going in. We felt he might be eating somewhere during the day. He came out of the woods and slowly approached Milton, but then got cold feet and returned to the woods.. only to totally disappear.

We leaned on our cars and chatted. No one was giving up yet. At 4:30 AM I texted Milton in his truck next to our SUV. If C**t wasn’t there by 5:30 I felt we should all go home and come back in the evening.

We turned on our car A/C. Put the seats back and rested. All of us fell asleep, when DING! At 5:10 am C**t entered the trap and was SAFE!!! He was so happy to see his Dad. We put the trap in my SUV, double leashed him and got his wiggly butt out of the trap.
Milton carried him to his truck and they had a happy reunion.
We packed up both traps and cams and happily went home to grab a couple hours sleep before our busy days began!!

We privately thanked the Church and the kind neighbors. Because of the mysterious circumstances of C**t’s disappearance, all names and locations have been changed until further investigation. We also will not be posting the trapping video or any pictures.

TRAPPING TEAM: Annamaria Love, Rachael Marie, Rita O’Hern Smith

Author: Rita Smith

16/07/2025

Tanner
Tan unaltered male pitbull mix
Crittenden Dr / Phillips Ln / near 264
Louisville, Ky
June 3, 2025

Rebecca Ficklin reached out to Rita for help about a loose dog. The dog had been staying on and around her friend’s business property for several days. The nice man Cal, had been trying to gain his trust. He had been leaving food and water for him as well. The dog mainly seemed to be staying in the bushes. The biggest, immediate concern was the high traffic area he was surrounded by. He was right next to I-264 where he had been seen running alongside the previous day.

Rita had prior engagements for that day, so I offered to ride out with my trap. Cal met me in the businesses parking lot to show me where the dog was staying. It really was heartbreaking. He was living in the bushes surrounded by heavy traffic. Cal and his employees helped me carry the trap across the busy roads to get to where he was.

It didn’t take long for the dog to come out of the woods once the trap and camera was set. We all watched from the parking lot. He was hungry. He made a few circles around the trap and walked right in. Cal drove his work truck across and into the field so we could load him up and get him out of the heat.

I ended up taking him home for a few days to see if a foster could be found, rather than taking him straight to the overcrowded shelter. He appeared to be in overall good health. Young, well fed and so handsome.
But unfortunately not neutered or microchipped. He was such a sweet dog.
But scared of life, every noise, every quick movement sent him into a panic. He had to learn about a collar and how to walk on a leash. But each day got better.

Thankfully, a foster was found so he could continue to stay out of the shelter and get socialized. Unfortunately, an owner never came forward to claim him.
Cal stayed in contact about his progress and worked to help find him an adopter.

Happy to report, he’s since had been adopted by Cal’s friend after he was fully vetted. He also has a 4-legged friend to play with.

Thank you to Rebecca for reaching out to Rita for help. Many thanks for Cal for caring so much about this sweet boy and working to help him. And to his foster that helped him continue to learn about life giving him a safe place to crash.

Our group is very thankful for the community and everyone that helps us help these dogs.

Author & Trapping Team -
Julie Foley

13/07/2025

MAFLINGO
FEMALE BROWN LAB MIX
LYNN FAMILY SOCCER FIELDS
UPPER RIVER RD
LOUISVILLE
JUNE 28, 2025

After several reports of a loose dog at the busy soccer fields, Rachael, Cheryl and Charity converged on the area. Jim and Jennie Lins had been trying to catch her and figured out the frenzied path she was taking around the soccer fields. They were most helpful showing everyone where she was traveling.
She had crossed River Road a couple times. There were so many families driving in and out for soccer practice. Traffic was a huge concern and distraction.

Rachael had one trap and cam set but she reached out for another trap. I was 10 minutes away, the SUV was already loaded with equipment so I drove over .
I saw her as I pulled in the busy parking lot …running scared. We ignored her as we hurried to set traps in her path.
Rachael and Charity went one direction to set a trap and cam. Cheryl and I headed the opposite way to her path on a hill close to River Rd.

You could see the beaten down grass of her path down the small hill. We set the trap at the edge of the parking lot. Headed back to the SUV to grab a cam. Cheryl and I barely got the car doors shut. We looked up and she was running down the path ran up to the trap and walked in… SAFE!!

We loaded her up and took her to Katie Messenger’s house to be fostered for the evening. Katie registered her with Louisville Metro Animal Services and decided to do her stray hold Foster.

Maflingo is currently at Louisville Metro Animal Services and eligible for adoption. Katie reports she gets along with kids, dogs, adults and cats! She is gentle and quiet.

TRAPPING TEAM: Charity Batman- Mills, Cheryl Eblan Smith, Rachael, Marie, Rita O’Hern Smith
AUTHOR: Rita Smith

10/07/2025

Willow
Spayed black and white heeler mix
Oldham Oaks Apartments
Lagrange, Ky
May 24, 2025

I received a message late on the evening of May 23rd from my county shelter
animal control officer. He asked if I could help catch a loose dog, recently adopted from a local shelter, who escaped from her home. The owner along with animal control had been trying for a few days to catch her, but she was too skittish and fast. She was staying close to her new home, but had also gotten spooked and ran to I-71.

I went to the area the morning of May 24th with my trap. As soon as I pulled in, there was the dog walking on the sidewalk looking tired. But as soon as she saw me, she was off and running. I hadn’t even gotten out of my car. They had told me they had been out late the night before trying to catch her. I went ahead and set my trap and camera where she seemed to be frequently passing through.

She stopped by the trap a few times, but didn’t seem overly interested in food plus any noise she heard, she ran. It was a busy day, with kids out playing, people walking and a preparation for an evening outside party at the pool was underway. All this kept her either hiding or moving around constantly. I found her a couple times sleeping deep in the woods, under a shed, between buildings and under vehicles. She was exhausted.

I ended up having to leave early afternoon to transport my foster dog, so I let the owner know that I would be back in a couple hours. I left the trap and camera set up.

By the time I got back around 5:30, the pool party was taking place, loud music and a lot of people. It was right near where I had had my trap all day. As I was walking towards the trap to freshen up the food, I saw the dog on the other side of the fence sound asleep, sacked out in the grass. She didn’t even care about the party taking place. She was just so tired. She saw me, she lifted her head and then went back to sleep.

I tossed her a couple pieces of chicken nuggets over the fence. She finally seemed a little hungry. This time when she saw me, she did not run. She just watched what I was doing. I continued to toss a couple more pieces of food towards the trap. She eventually slid through the fence heading to the trap.

My camera on the trap decided to stop working just as she was approaching. I then found myself hiding in between the tall hedges watching her and trying to video.
Finally, she went in and was secured. I called the owner who drove straight over from her apartment.

We loaded her up into my car, and I drove her home. Then we all carried her in the trap up two flights of stairs. I talked with the owner about her and her being a flight risk. The owner was very committed to helping her through this transitioning process and now fully understood the importance of taking extra precautions.

I called the Animal Control Officer to let him know she was back safe with her owner. He was ecstatic and appreciative of the help.

I was happy to be able to help this dog and her new owners reunite after several days running loose. Im glad I was able to assist animal control in their efforts. This little girl had a lot of people worried about her!

Author & Trapping Team -

Julie Foley

07/07/2025

Blue
Female Australian Kelpie/Husky Mix
Broad Run Park, Louisville, KY
June 27th – July 2nd, 2025

I came across a post made by Julie Nance about a dog that was likely dumped in Broad Run Park and she was trying to carch it. The dog was very skittish so I offered to go trap it but wasn’t available until later on. Leslie Linkenhoker called me and said she was available and can go sooner. Amy Romine had offered to come help so I told her that Leslie was going instead. Leslie went and set the trap and waited until Amy arrived. About an hour later, Amy arrived and Leslie left to go help her mom with something. Amy trap watched for a little while but then had to go to an appointment she closed the trap before she left. Leslie went back around 2:30 and just as she was pulling up, she saw the dog standing on the trail. The dog was heading towards the trap but the trap was closed. A few hours later, Amy returned and she and Leslie stuck around until 9:30 but the dog had not shown up. Louisville Metro Animal Services had shown up but they did not find the dog. Leslie closed the trap and loaded it into her car and just left her camera with some food to see if she would show over night and she did. She showed up several times overnight.

Next morning (June 28th) Leslie went over there around 6:30am to set the trap. Amy arrived about an hour later. They stayed until noon as both had other things they needed to do so they closed the trap and left. Leslie returned around 2:30pm and saw her at 3pm on the trail was heading towards the trap, she sniffed around the trap but didn’t attempt it and then walked away. Leslie asked if I could take over as her Amy had other plans and I agreed so I made my way over, I arrived around 6pm and Leslie and I stayed until 10pm and the dog did not show up. We would have stayed later but the park closed its gates at night. We swapped traps, I put mine out to have it there since I planned on going early in the morning and Leslie took her trap with her. We left a bowl of food out and the camera. The dog showed up around midnight.

The following morning (June 29th) I arrived at 6:15am and set the trap. Rita joined me 30 mins later. We stayed all day and the only sighting was her on the camera running full speed by the trap at 3pm…something must have scared her. We had been sitting in the car for 14 hours, it was super hot and neither of us had gotten any sleep the night before so we propped the trap open and left around 8:30pm. We had a family of racoons and a possum show up but not the dog.

The next day, (June 30th) I had to work so Leslie went to set the trap around 6:45am. She also set a second trap on the other side of the trail where the dog had been seen. She couldn’t stay long so she left around 9:00. Rita arrived at about 10am and Jan Wise joined her for company. At about 4:30pm, I arrived and Jan headed home. Sat with Rita until 6:30 and Rita went home while I sat and trap watched until 8:30. No sightings of her so I propped both traps open and went home. Later on that evening, racoons returned and ate all the food at one of the traps. The dog showed up shortly after, she walked into the trap but there wasn’t any food in the one. A few minutes later, my camera notification dinged, and she was at the second trap! The racoons had not found that trap so there was plenty of food for her to eat. She was seen going back and forth to both traps a few times.

On July 1st, I headed out super early. Since she had been to both traps and eaten, we wanted to take every opportunity to catch her. I arrived around 5:30am, the gate to the park was still closed but the ranger arrived 15mins later and opened the gate. I set both traps and sat in the car. About 40 mins later, Rita arrived. We both had appointments so we left the traps open and left around 9. Julie said she was around so if the dog would go to the trap, she would be able to get to it immediately. Around 2:00, I returned. I spoke to a park ranger to ask if there was any way that we could stay later and that we would close the gate once we left and he said it shouldn’t be a problem and that we should confirm with Matt the evening ranger.

Around 4:30 I left to go to an appointment…Rita returned around 7:00 and I returned at 7:30. We spoke to Matt the ranger and he said we could stay later. We refreshed the food in the traps and Julie Nance joined us a little while later. At about 8:30…racoons showed up at the one trap. I got out of the car and ran towards the trap to scare them off so that they wouldn’t get trapped. Had to do this a few times. Then around 9:30 the camera dinged and before I got out to run towards the trap for racoons, Rita confirmed it was the dog, she was at the trap. She circled it a few times and then finally went in and she was SAFE just in time before the fireworks!

Julie had said she would temporarily foster her so we took the dog to her house and got her situated in a crate and Rita and I headed home. A few days later, Julie got her registered at Louisville Metro Animal Services and already has someone interested in adopting.

Thank you Julie Nance for spending every day out there looking for her and for offering her a safe space to decompress after she was caught. Thank you to all the park rangers for being patient with us and for allowing us to remain passed park hours to be able to catch her.

Author: Annamaria Love

Trapping Team: Rita O’Hern Smith, Jan Wise, Leslie Linkenhoker, Amy Romine, Annamaria Love

Lost Dog Search and Trapping - Louisville, Ky

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