In Puerto Rico, Doris, a dedicated rescue lady, sees a sick and homeless puppy, catches it
with a humane cage trap, and names her “Olympia.” Eventually, this gentle Whippet-mix is
sent to a rescue group in Massachusetts, and then adopted by a family who wants to share
their lives and love with a “rescue” dog. Newly named “Nellie” was on a retractable leash
when the handle was accidentally dropped. Startled, she bolted, ran out of her yard, and
disappeared. Luckily, the handle of the leash got snagged on something and broke off, leaving
Nellie free to run through nearby yards, power lines, and subdivision roads. She wandered
less than a half mile from home for eleven days and maintained a fairly tight circle. I decided
to try catching her in her own home yard because it seemed to be the most logical place.
The skies were black with a passing thunderstorm, so I waited for the brief torrential downpour
to pass. I then set my 4′ humane trap along a stone wall, abutting shallow woods, not more
than seventy feet from the home. The cage trap was loosely covered with an Army blanket,
the inside made “cozy,” and aromatic food bits sat in a small dish at the far end of the trap.
Nellie showed up and immediately went to the trap but hesitated to go inside. Very cautious,
she surveyed the cage from all angles, then looked around to see if anyone was watching.
Hiding in my Jeep, I saw her enter the trap with stretched out body, trying to “steal” food
without going all the way inside. Her front paw hit the trip plate and I caught her at 9:45 PM.
Nellie is pictured above with Ramon, a friend in Cuba, and buddy dog Christina (on left).
