Lassie: a story of catch and release

It had been almost a year since we established Moo Moo Meadows as a 501c3 non-profit animal sanctuary, and we had recently been discussing the number of animals we have been able to help in our first official year, 29…almost 30. Until this point, we had not taken the time to count them up but it seemed logical as a metric of our impact in year one.

 “What if it were 30?” we asked ourselves, a nice round number. Well, that’s when Lassie showed up.

On my way back to the farm early one Friday morning, I spotted her walking in the tall grass in the field across the street. It took me a moment, but I identified her as a golden retriever and thought she MUST belong to someone. Instantly, my plans for the day changed. I was going to help this dog get back home. I spent the next 4 hours driving around following Lassie to see her patterns. I called her and offered snacks but she wouldn’t come. This could mean she had always been a stray and didn’t trust people, or it could be lost dog syndrome. When lost and afraid, sometimes dogs don’t recognize and trust even their own owners when they see them. 

After spending most of the day following her and doing everything I could to keep her safe, a neighbor offered to contact Anakins Trails to help trap her for us. Thank goodness she did. My job in the meanwhile was to keep tabs on Lassie and to kindly remind neighbors not to chase her, throw food at her, or yell at her. It was inspiring to see how many people were truly invested in helping this lost dog, but it was equally frustrating how our efforts to help often have the opposite effect. So… I watched. I followed. I worried. And I advocated on behalf of Lassie.

As soon as Ashley and Beth from Anakins pulled up to the farm with their trap, I knew this

was going to be a great partnership. Ashley and Beth went to work setting things up. While they sat across the street from the trap watching the camera waiting for Lassie to arrive, we got to know each other. I asked them so many questions as I tend to do, and they were both so willing to share their stories and explain what they do and why they do it. I learned SO much, but most importantly I learned that these were two incredible women who love helping animals and who would not stop until Lassie was safe. 

After a couple of hours, the Anakins crew needed to head back home for the day so we added extra food and called it a night. We hoped Lassie would find a place to stay warm as the temperature would be dropping to 25 degrees that night. We watched the camera from our phones and tried to learn Lassie’s patterns. When might she come to eat? Not that evening.

However, that night, around 1am we did have a visitor in the trap, but it wasn’t Lassie. It wasn't a dog. It wasn’t even an animal. It was a person. We still don’t know who it was or why they were there, but we saw in the photos that they explored the trap, took it apart, put it back together, and ultimately removed the bait. What were they even doing?? 

This human visitor worried us a bit and added urgency to our trapping efforts. The next day, Beth came back out to set the trap and watch for Lassie. She stayed for a few hours with no luck and very kindly showed me how to operate the trap before she left. She gave very specific instructions on how to set it up, watch it, and I was told to facetime with Anakins the moment Lassie walks into it. After sitting in my car across the street from the trap for almost two hours, I was just about to give up and go inside for dinner. I never really believed I would be the one to get her anyway. The professionals would be back the next day. However, as I stepped out of my car, there she was. Lassie came walking around the corner toward the trap. My heart started racing. Could this be it? Had I done it? What if the trap doesn't work? What if it DOES? 

As Lassie walked into the trap and crossed to the food, the laser was tripped and the door

slammed shut. She was in and she was scared. And so was I. I immediately facetimed Ashley who had already been watching on the cameras. She was so excited! She coached me through the procedure which really felt like it came naturally from experience with our other animals. I laid outside of the trap, provided treats, and let Lassie sniff me when she would. I called for my sanctuary partner and a new friend down the street to come help. We spent so much time calming Lassie down and practicing our zen when it was hardest to do so. Shock in dogs is real and it takes a long time to settle from it. 

After about an hour, our hero Beth came to help us retrieve her. I had the honor of being the one to go into the trap with Lassie, earn her trust, and pet her for the first time. To think that my hands were likely the first human hands to reach out and touch her with compassion was overwhelming. Within an hour, we had Lassie out of the trap and in a crate in our house. Even though it felt like the hardest part was over, I knew there was a lot of work still to do.

Lassie slept for nearly 48 hours, drinking and eating very little, apparently common in animals who have recently been trapped. After the first two days, she finally started to come around. I was able to take her very cautiously out on a leash. I was so nervous about losing her though that I used both a slip lead and a leash on a harness. I also equipped her with a Life360 tag in case she happened to bolt. Thank goodness she never did. 

In our three weeks with Lassie at the sanctuary, she went from terrified to leave her crate to

never wanting to go back in. She started looking to humans for companionship. She did great with our other dogs. And, finally, as difficult as it was, we finally started looking for her forever home. I knew that she was just comfortable enough with people to trust a new family, but not so connected to us that she wouldn’t be able to leave. So, with mixed feelings, we posted the application.

The first response we received was from Megan who had been following Lassie’s story all along. She and her family were excited about the prospect of bringing Lassie into their pack and giving her the life she deserves. When Megan and her little brother came to meet Lassie, I could see Megan loves animals and possesses the patience Lassie will require for a full recovery. Megan took Lassie home that day and immediately texted us a photo of her new dog sitting by their Christmas tree. What a great end to year one for Moo Moo Meadows, and a great new start for our 30th rescue!

Now, called Lola, our golden girl is warming up to her new environment, learning to trust people more and more. We are excited to stay in touch and follow Lola’s journey with Megan and her family. I can’t wait to see her again in a year and see how much she has changed. I also have a feeling this won’t be the last time we partner with Anakin’s Trails.