Our much loved family pet is missing, please help us find her.

Roscrea SPCA

Have you seen this dog?
Much loved family pet.

Her name is Princess and she will be 3 years old in November.

She is a black and white lurcher, her coat is fluffy around the ears, paws and tail. Princess is neutered.

She is very affectionate and friendly.


Princess went missing from the Borris-In-Ossory area 28th September, she may have been stolen. She was wearing an old red leather collar with little silver paw studs (in photos) and also a “Pet Safe” collar which is an electronic collar, red in colour with a large black plastic transmitter.

Any information please call
Gareth on 087 953 8637 or Teresa on 087 268 2466 teresa@roscreaspca.com

If you find Princess but can not call us please bring her into your local vet and ask them to contact Roscrea SPCA.http://www.roscreaspca.com/

~Thalia~

She is really lovely. Did she have an id tag with your number on her collar.

Seriously, check out all your local halting sites too, travellers are b*stards for stealing worky looking dogs.

Best of luck in finding her

Betsie_xr3i

i dont suppose you had her micro chipped did you ?

best of luck finding her though

arybvtcw0eolkf

Let it be known in the travelling community that there's a substantial award for her safe return too.

Lovely dog, you must be desvastated.

whitser

a missing lurcher...my money's on travellers. go down to the local halting site and offer a cash reward.

arybvtcw0eolkf

whitser wrote: »

a missing lurcher...my money's on travellers. go down to the local halting site and offer a cash reward.

I was going to suggest bumping this thread for Whitser but I was afraid you'd take offence thinking I was suggesting you were connected with robbing lurchers, but I know your a hunter and have read your posts re. lurchers in the Hunting Forum.

Question, and it might be a silly one too.

What happens to lurchers when their robbed and brought into the travelling community?. What are their value to travellers, ie valued family pets or used for hunting hares?. Or is there a market for them outside of the travelling community where the dog is sold onto?.

whitser

try him for hunting. if he's any use they'll keep or sell him on to other travellers. if he's no use they'll probably just stray him. either way he hasnt got a good future in their hands. dont think there's a market for them outside of the travelling community. you'd need you head examined if you were to but a dog off them. cos it'll be either robbed or useless. no self respecting dog man would buy a dog that was stolen.
dog nappers are the scum of the working dog world.

arybvtcw0eolkf

whitser wrote: »

try him for hunting. if he's any use they'll keep or sell him on to other travellers. if he's no use they'll probably just stray him. either way he hasnt got a good future in their hands. dont think there's a market for them outside of the travelling community. you'd need you head examined if you were to but a dog off them. cos it'll be either robbed or useless. no self respecting dog man would buy a dog that was stolen.
dog nappers are the scum of the working dog world.

Thanks for that.

Do they use Staffordshire Bull Terriers too?.

I was warned they'd rob mine.

Whispered

Mairt wrote: »

Thanks for that.



Reason I ask is the guy I got my last dog from hunts with Lurchers, plus badger baits with Staffs .

As far as I know this is illegal because of the damage a badger is capeable of doing to a dog. It's almost as bad as dog fighting.

Not being smart or anything, the reason this is an issue for me is my dad had a dog that pre us getting him was used for badger baiting and the poor old boy had a hole in his throat, some toes missing, an ear missing, it really was horrendous (sp?). I know you're not involved yourself and I'm really not having a go, but would consider gently pointing out that it's illegal and for good reason?

I doubt they use staffies for hunting, I'd imagine it's for fighting. A good hunting dog (esp badgers) would make a good fighting dog?

Over the weekend I picked up the name of a very old man who breeds fighting dogs. This man is 80, lives alone, drinks his pension, a real old loner. I know I should report him but not sure how to go about it. Also the guilt of getting this old man into trouble is bothering me.

EDIT: Got in there before you deleted the badger baiting bit.

BlackCat2008

I have to drill this home to yous all never offer travellers money they'll drag every cent out of you even if they don't have the dog, have a look at this post I put up on topdogs I,ve been active for years getting dogs out of traveller sites I never offer money, I'll throw them a few bob for a point to relax them so I can get out of there thats about it. Money brings out the worst in people.

http://www.topdog.ie/showthread.php?t=1011&page=4

Clare Bear

helena.ryan wrote: »

As far as I know this is illegal because of the damage a badger is capeable of doing to a dog. It's almost as bad as dog fighting.

Not being smart or anything, the reason this is an issue for me is my dad had a dog that pre us getting him was used for badger baiting and the poor old boy had a hole in his throat, some toes missing, an ear missing, it really was horrendous (sp?). I know you're not involved yourself and I'm really not having a go, but would consider gently pointing out that it's illegal and for good reason?

I doubt they use staffies for hunting, I'd imagine it's for fighting. A good hunting dog (esp badgers) would make a good fighting dog?

Over the weekend I picked up the name of a very old man who breeds fighting dogs. This man is 80, lives alone, drinks his pension, a real old loner. I know I should report him but not sure how to go about it. Also the guilt of getting this old man into trouble is bothering me.

EDIT: Got in there before you deleted the badger baiting bit.

Look I'm a sucker for sad lonely old people too, it upsets me but what he's doing is wrong. Yes you feel guilty thinking about reporting an old man like that but what about the guilt you'll have of the countless number of dogs that will suffer because of this man if you don't report him?


And OP I really hope you find the poor pet, very best of luck, finger's crossed you find her alive and well.

Whispered

Clare Bear wrote: »

Look I'm a sucker for sad lonely old people too, it upsets me but what he's doing is wrong. Yes you feel guilty thinking about reporting an old man like that but what about the guilt you'll have of the countless number of dogs that will suffer because of this man if you don't report him?
.

Yep I agree, just have to steel myself for the inevitable guilt who is it I report him to?

Clare Bear

helena.ryan wrote: »

Yep I agree, just have to steel myself for the inevitable guilt who is it I report him to?

I'd guess your local SPCA? I know it's not easy for you but it's the right thing to do. I've had to do it myself in the past. No one will find out who reported him. Good luck.

minxie

sorry to hear about all of this..
no from past experience a lot of dogs are taken this time of
year and a lot end up at the ballinasloe horse fair..
have you tried lost and found.ie
hope you get good news...

BlackCat2008

I've never heard of them baiting badgers with pits and can't think were the money is in this and love toknow if this is true, i've only rescued one pit from themand seen one in another site, they would stealthem to fight them alright or train and sell on. Lurchers are trained to course plenty of money in the gambling end of it. Terriers are stolen to hunt out the hares.

www.banbloodsports.com/coursing.htm

BlackCat2008

Hope you get your dog back will keep my eye's open up in Dublin wish you the best.

votejohn

any luck? its heart breaking when your dog goes missing. He's the image of a dog I walk, a real beauty!

Roscrea SPCA

Thank you for all of your posts.

I sincerely hope we find her before Balinasloe, however if we don’t I already have people arranged to come with me to look for her there.

If anyone has any information about where she is please contact us, we are devastated and our hearts are hurting badly not knowing where she is or who has her.

Gareth 087 953 8637
Teresa 087 268 2466

arybvtcw0eolkf

OP I've added this thread as a clicky link to my signature for the rest of the other forums I use on boards to hopefully click it and be aware of your heart break.

Beth

Thats heartbreaking. I'll keep an eye out in lost and found sections. Fingers crossed you'll find her all safe and sound in someone's care.

Cross posted it too. It cant do any harm.

whitser

helena.ryan wrote: »

Yep I agree, just have to steel myself for the inevitable guilt who is it I report him to?

your going to report an old man to the cops on a bit of hear-say? thats a bit ott, when you dont have any facts. not condoning dog fighting but people should have some evidence or facts before calling the cops to bang on an old mans door.

Whispered

A person who knows the man mentioning it in conversation, the confirming it when I ask is not really hearsay. The SPCA calling out would know whether to involve the guards or not. I wont be calling them.

I'm going to start a new thread on this, sorry OP, I hope princess turns up.

whitser

BlackCat2008 wrote: »

I've never heard of them baiting badgers with pits and can't think were the money is in this and love toknow if this is true, i've only rescued one pit from themand seen one in another site, they would stealthem to fight them alright or train and sell on. Lurchers are trained to course plenty of money in the gambling end of it. Terriers are stolen to hunt out the hares.

www.banbloodsports.com/coursing.htm

coursing or hunting hares is not illegal, when done properly. but stealing dogs is. genuine dog men involved in coursing or hare hunting have as much contempt for dog-nappers and illegall hare hunters as any one. i dont think your link is appropriate. its a very tiny few who are involved in the stealing of dogs for illegal coursing.
your entitled to your opinion on hare hunting, im not getting dragged into a debate on in. but this thread is about a stolen dog, (more then likely i would say taken by travellers). hare hunting is not all about shadowy figures gambling money on stolen dogs.

~Thalia~

Roscrea SPCA wrote: »

Thank you for all of your posts.

I sincerely hope we find her before Balinasloe, however if we don’t I already have people arranged to come with me to look for her there.

If anyone has any information about where she is please contact us, we are devastated and our hearts are hurting badly not knowing where she is or who has her.

Gareth 087 953 8637
Teresa 087 268 2466

My heart goes out to you, I would be devastated in your position also, ring around all your local pounds and rescues just in case and thinking of you and hope Princess makes her way home very soon!

Roscrea SPCA

Thank you for your kind words and well wishes. I have been calling pounds, police stations, rescue centres etc since 9 this morning and spend yesterday doing the same.

I have attached a poster with her photo and details.

Please print this and post it where ever you can and maybe you could email it to you email contacts also?

Thank you very much,

Teresa
087 268 24 66

whitser

she looks like a saluki x. i'd defo try the halting sites. travellers are fond of the saluki types.

Roscrea SPCA

Thanks for the advice. We have been into various halting sites and have given out posters of her to police stations all over the country and they assure us they are keeping an eye out for her.

Someone somewhere must have seen her or know where she is right now. The more people that see her photo the better chance we have of finding her.

Any information you might have, even if your unsure please call us, day or night. She could be anywhere in the country or even in England at this stage.

Teresa
087 268 2466

Morganna

Ballinasloe fair starts saturday is on sunday and monday if i where you i would take a tip up there .She looks a saluki x and thats the type they like.I would defo put my money on the travelling community.I pray you gey her back .

Vel

This is dreadful. My lurcher has attracted the attention of these tyoe of scumbags and I hate to think of any dog ending up in their hands. Hopefully if they discover that she is spayed they will dump her and she will have a chance at being found.

I have posted the details on a couple of sighthound sites in the UK because she may end up over there.

Roscrea SPCA

Princess is still missing. You can imagine what we're like trying to find her. We just spent the last few hours wondering around Tullamore as we received a call about a stray dog similar to Princess there, unfortunately we did not find her and from talking to people there I don't think it was her.

A Garda contact has emailed her poster to the Super in Galway and I have also been in touch with the ISPCA inspectors that will be at the Balinasloe Fair. If she is not home before Saturday we will be going down ourselves to look for her there.

If any of you are planning on going or have contacts in the area please let me know and I will get posters with her photo to you.

Thank you for any help you can give us.

Teresa
087 268 2466

The Sweeper

Roscrea SPCA, my condolences on your lost pet - it's horrible not knowing where your pet is.

I wanted to throw this out as a suggestion. You're obviously looking everywhere for Princess, and it looks like she's vanished into thin air. That made me wonder about other possibilities.

You haven't give us much info on WHERE Princess went missing. Did she go missing from a garden, or from out on the road? Were you walking her and she just didn't come back? Was she on a property where nobody was home?

Strange questions maybe, but I was struck by the fact that you say she was wearing a PetSafe electronic collar.

If you left your dog in a garden while nobody was home, and that PetSafe collar is an electronic bark control collar, is there a possibility that someone deliberately took Princess because they felt you weren't looking after her properly - hence they've got her but aren't stepping up to say so?

Please don't take offence at this because it's not meant offensively - it's very obvious that you adore your dog and are gutted by her absence. I'm just throwing it out as a thought.

You know what it's like - kids go missing and we all search the country only to find it's somebody who knew the kid and they're less than 10 miles from home. Your dog goes missing and everyone blames the travellers, and you're off to the fair at Ballinasloe, where it could be a neighbour who thinks bark collars are barbaric and that you leave her outside all the time, and they've taken her and handed her off to a relative in the next county who's hiding her, hale and hearty, in their house?

Roscrea SPCA

Hi Minesajackdaniels,

Mines a Jamesons and a strong one at this stage.

Thank you for your advice and suggestion. I totally understand where your thoughts are coming from and don’t take offence at all.

The electronic collar is not a bark collar and is a far way from being one. Very briefly, with the collar we use you train your pet by showing them the boundaries where they can go which are marked out by a highly visible physical boundary. You set the frequency and power on the collar yourself and use different collars for different breeds, so a long haired collie and a short haired greyhound would have different collars. The collar beeps when it is within the range of the boundary you have set, the beeping gets louder if the animal gets closer to the boundary and eventually it vibrates which is not something the animal likes. Princess is very used to this collar and it works. By anyone’s standards the vibration she would receive is a lot less than a belt of a car. A bark collar is something that is not only used for when you want to get your dog to stop barking, people use it to “discipline” their animal. When they call their dog and the dog continues to move away from them they give it a dart in the neck with the collar. I want to keep my pets safe not have a power trip.

As you can see by my username I am a member of Roscrea SPCA (Chairperson), and we are well known in the area as people who have helped rescue many dogs, it is not unusual for us to get a knock on our door at 11pm by someone looking for their dog or someone who just found a dog. Local businesses and authorities often contact us when they see a stray. As a result we have fostered over 30 dogs in the past 24 months. That’s not counting the amount of dogs we have picked up from somewhere, looked for and found their homes and returned them safely without the dog ever leaving the back seat of the car.

I understand how easily the finger could be pointed at the wrong people; however the circumstances of her disappearance do nothing but point the finger and lead us to believe she may very well be in Balinasloe.

Because we have so many dogs on our land we do attract attention. We have a number of people from the travelling community stopping to ask us about the dogs, in particular the lurchers, do the race, do we hunt them etc. There is one young man in particular who has expressed more interest than any of the others and has offered to buy her from me on a number of occasions.

I was admitted to hospital last week; I was still in hospital Sunday 28th when a young man said hello to me as I was walking up and down the corridor outside the wards. While I am usually good with remembering faces his escaped me until a few hours later when I recognised him as the man who had offered to buy Princess. My fiancé (we’re getting married in less than 3 weeks although neither of us have any interest in our wedding anymore) was in the hospital with me and when he got home Princess was gone and another one of the dogs was out on the lane in front of our house, still wearing the Pet Safe collar. The one that was out on the lane had received a blow to the side of his head and was very shaken. On looking around the property it was clear that someone had gained entry onto our land from the back of the house, as the thick bushes were beaten back and the grass was flattened from the outside of the property in. The first gate that you would come to from that entry point was open, grass had grown over the bottom of this gate and there is no way that it could have been opened and moved by someone without some strength. A wire fence which would be the next barrier had been scaled.

We reported her to the police and from the description I gave them they were able to tell me who the young man I saw in the hospital was. He is from a family notorious for lamping and taking dogs. We have contacted various members of the same and related families and they have assured us that it was not them. They also said that when they “come across” a new dog they try them for work and if they are no good they would just let the animal stray. If Princess was left to stray or she got free she has no street cred and she is just like her name indicates, a real Princess. I’m praying that she has gotten loose and that she is on her way home, but she will be scared, lost and probably hungry, thirsty and cold so the more people that see her photo and are looking out for her the better her chances of making it home safe and sound.

Teresa
087 268 2466

fits

I hope you find her. I have a saluki x myself and I'm very very paranoid about him.

I'll mention it to a friend of mine from that area.

The Sweeper

Thanks for the additional info.

Again I'm terribly sorry for your loss - I've been that soldier, out looking for a pet for hours in the middle of the night, wondering where it is - I know it's a horrible, horrible place to be.

I hope you find her, my thoughts are with you.

Roscrea SPCA

Thank you all very much. I have been posting the flyers to Garda stations around the country (she could be anywhere, no just in our local area). If anyone can print off the attached poster and drop it into your local Garda stations, vets and rescue centres please please do so.

Thank you very much,

Teresa
087 268 2466

dollydishmop

Any news today?

Roscrea SPCA

No. Still nothing. I just got in from handing out 100 posters today in the surrounding counties.

If she is not home tomorrow it'll be off to Ballinasloe.

Please God may she come home to us soon.

~Thalia~

Roscrea SPCA wrote: »

No. Still nothing. I just got in from handing out 100 posters today in the surrounding counties.

If she is not home tomorrow it'll be off to Ballinasloe.

Please God may she come home to us soon.

I keep hoping everytime I see your name here that it's good news and Princess is home. I really hope that this weekend brings with it some very good news

arybvtcw0eolkf

Forgive my bad geography, but isn't Ballinasloe in Co.Mayo?.

It might be an idea to post an appeal in the Co.Mayo Forum here on boards.ie.

Alun

Mairt wrote: »

Forgive my bad geography, but isn't Ballinasloe in Co.Mayo?.

It might be an idea to post an appeal in the Co.Mayo Forum here on boards.ie.

It's in Co. Galway isn't it, on the N6 just over the border with Roscommon?

arybvtcw0eolkf

Alun wrote: »

It's in Co. Galway isn't it, on the N6 just over the border with Roscommon?

Dunno, don't go near those savage boggers too much these days :pac:

Either way, it might be an idea to post on the county forum to get the word out to more people.

Vel

And maybe get in touch with the ISPCA, who I presume would be sending inspectors down to check on the welfare of the animals. I presume they will, but who knows.

Has this person who you suspect took her moved on from the area or is he still around?

Killme00

I think i seen this poster on the back of a van in Donneycarney last night!!

Roscrea SPCA

Hi,

We have been in touch with every SPCA group in the country and also the RSPCA. The inspector that is going to the Fair has her photo and we have also sent it to the local police and shelters in that area along with a lot of other areas.

A Renault Master van with the poster? That's my other half.

Thanks for all your help, advice and best wishes.

As soon as we have her I'll let you know.

Teresa
087 268 2466

Rashers

Teresa I hate to have to suggest this, but have you asked the Council Cleansing Dept (road cleaners) if they picked up a dog after a road accident?

It's just a thought. I hope you get her back safe and sound.

Morganna

If the tinkers have her she may well end up in the uk .I pray you get her back my money is still on the tinkers .I hope she is back with you this weekend.I would say from waht you have said it sounds like travellers who knew exactly what dog they where coming for .I would say it is either the ones you went to or some realative of theres .

Beth

is there anyone else around your area with one of those electronic fences? Have you checked with them to see if their land is clear? could be that she got inside another fence and is stuck there now. If she's not gotten food in a while, she might not have the strength to handle the shock trying to get back out. (trying to look on the positive side and that she hasnt been 'napped)

I hope you have some good news soon.

kleefarr

BlackCat2008 wrote: »

.....have a look at this post I put up on topdogs .....
http://www.topdog.ie/showthread.php?t=1011&page=4

Can't read that post as I'm not registered and I not going to bother registering. May be you should cut and paste?

kleefarr

Rashers wrote: »

Teresa I hate to have to suggest this, but have you asked the Council Cleansing Dept (road cleaners) if they picked up a dog after a road accident?

It's just a thought. I hope you get her back safe and sound.

Just out of interest, if you do have a car accident involving a dog, don't you have to inform the police? I'm sure you have to in the UK and there is a law governing that.

Rashers

kleefarr wrote: »

Just out of interest, if you do have a car accident involving a dog, don't you have to inform the police? I'm sure you have to in the UK and there is a law governing that.

Once a dog ran into the side of a van I was driving. I felt the bump and stopped. The dog was dead. I drove to a nearby Garda station to report it. I was told not to worry... sort of dismissed. After telling the Garda in charge that the dog looked well looked after and I wanted the report taken seriously I was told I was wasting Garda time.

But I do know that you're not supposed to swerve to avoid a domestic animal. I think the law is different for horses.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Rashers wrote: »

But I do know that you're not supposed to swerve to avoid a domestic animal. I think the law is different for horses.

I'll give you a laugh.

This was the nearest I've come to having a car crash.

I was off out shooting one day, driving through Co.Meath and a rabbit ran out in front of me, I swerved to avoid it, stuck the car in a ditch (I missed the rabbit) then laughed at my stupidity - I was off out to shoot rabbits!.