I first saw the Border Collie “Viva” (her new name) wandering on the side of a very busy road. The posted speed limit is 50 MPH, so, of course, everyone goes at least 55 – 60. Over a period of weeks I repeatedly saw her in the same area, walking determinedly – still on the side of the road. I grumbled to myself about the idiot who allowed his/her dog to roam in this dangerous situation. One day I noticed her persona had changed. Her head was hung low, her beautiful coat was a mess, and she looked depressed. She was standing very nearly in oncoming traffic, and I then realized that it was not her choice to be there. She had always seemed to be heading towards a construction company, so I called them. They said they had been feeding her but she wouldn’t allow anyone to get near her. They had also contacted the local animal control officer who set up a humane trap and “caught” Viva, but she had managed to escape from it. Everyone at the construction company was very fond of this dog and probably would have been happy to just keep feeding her, but for their biggest concern….she was going to get hit by a car. This Border Collie’s habit of sitting on the yellow lines in the middle of the road, or lying down and stopping traffic, just couldn’t be ignored. They accepted my offer to work with them on the effort. I contacted the animal shelter but they didn’t express further interest.
Very disappointed, I began to contact Border Collie rescue groups and was lucky enough to find New England Border Collie Rescue. I spoke to Kathy who coordinated getting a trap to me. Dan, one of the NEBC volunteers, delivered several traps and also helped set them up at the construction company. As per advice from Debbie (LostDogSearch), I used a variety of human and dog foods, both yummy and smelly, to fill dishes that were set in the two traps. I asked the owner of the construction company to give me a call me when (if) the dog went into the trap. I received a phone call about 2 1⁄2 hours later with a funny description about her getting trapped. She was seen wandering in and out of both traps several times. My guess is that she was checking which one had the best food! She finally decided and then sat down on the trip plate and the trap door closed. She was very upset at first but calmed down relatively quickly.
I could not go and pick her up until after I got out of work at 5:00. While driving to the construction company, I wondered how to get the trap (with her still inside) into my little RAV4. When I arrived, much to my relief, two employees had stayed late just so they could help me put her and the trap into my car. It was obvious that they were very attached to her. One of the guys had been giving her part of his lunch on a daily basis. It was a bit sad that Viva was leaving her friends and the place where she felt so comfortable.
Viva didn’t seem to mind being in the cage trap and positioned herself to be as close to me as possible. She certainly liked having her back scratched….even through the bars. Fortunately, that same evening, I was able to meet with Kathy (NEBCR) who took Viva to her 300 acre dairy farm – complete with indoor/outdoor agility areas. A place that would undoubtedly make any Border Collie happy. Kathy was also kind enough to send me several updates, a picture, and a short video clip. Viva progressed to a new foster home and is considered a “charmer” who gets along well with the three other dogs in the house and the four small children.
I don’t think catching Viva would have gone so smoothly if Debbie hadn’t taken the time to “phone coach” me on how to set up a humane cage trap. She is an amazing person.
Vivien V.
The site for NEBC is https://www.nebcr.org