"Can We Keep It?" The Likely Scenario for #FindDigger

I’ll start as I always do with a loud and hearty thank you to all of you who have given the latter portion of your summer to help my family find our lost loved one.  Digger has now been gone for 38 days.  August 5th, as we entered Disneyland (aka “The Happiest Place on Earth”), the facility we chose and trusted to take care of our 3 rescued boys called with the news that one had been lost.  Ironically, the entrance gates to “The Happiest Place on Earth” were the beginning of the most depressing rollercoaster ride my family has experienced, and the ride won’t end.

Digger - a dog actually named after a burger my wife & I had in Door County.  Digger - who we jokingly referred to as “our favorite” around the other two dogs.

Maybe he’s entered the witness protection program.  Maybe our other two dogs kicked him out of the boarding facility because of the “Digger’s our favorite” jokes. Maybe somebody has him.

A few days ago, an adorable kitten went running through our yard.  One of our girls saw it and yelled, “Can we keep it?!?”.  Can you imagine...someone in our own house, after all this, asking that?  What does that tell you?  It tells you that the conversation around keeping an animal found on the street happens every single day.  And, it tells you that the answer is likely “yes” more than we’d all like to imagine.

If you want to depress yourself, go into Twitter and just search the keywords together “found dog” and “keeping it”.  The number of people out there who proclaim ignorantly on social media, “Found a dog today.  Keeping it!” is staggering.

There are families, like ours, that are suffering because of a gaping hole left in their family due to the loss of a pet.  This isn’t a third world country.  There isn’t a contingent of wild, stray dogs that run the streets day and night around here.  This isn’t Belize.  If you found a bicycle, a briefcase, a purse or any other thing on the street, would you just keep it, then proudly proclaim to the world on social media in an attempt to rack up likes & favorites?  Or does that only apply to living, breathing things?

If you find a dog on the street, please do the right thing.  Think safety first.  Then think "Lost", not "Stray".  By law you are required to turn found dogs over to local authorities.  Go to Google and just search “what to do when you find a lost dog”.  It’s easy.  Make sure, whatever you do, that you have the dog scanned for a microchip.  Digger is microchipped.  We’re counting on you to do the right thing.  See previous posts for reward information.

Does your neighbor have a new dog that resembles Digger?  Hear some barking in the neighborhood you don't remember before?  Digger can be a loud mouth (he is part beagle).  If you see a dog you think looks like Digger, take a picture and send it to me.

Thank you!

Todd Caponi

#finddigger #palatine #arlingtonheights #rollingmeadows #barrington #deerpark #kildeer #lakezurich #hoffmanestates #buffalogrove #schaumburg #chicago #lostdog #founddog

The #FindDigger Photo Reward

Tomorrow will be 4 weeks since the facility in #Palatine where we were having our 3 dogs boarded while we were on vacation, lost one of them...Digger.  During that time, the effort to try to find him has been exhaustive, having deployed every technique and communication strategy available to find him...including 100’s of volunteers.  Unfortunately, we’re still searching.

During that time, we have received multiple reports of potential spottings of Digger.  Sometimes multiple reports in one day, in multiple locations far apart.  Without the ability to confirm that it’s actually him, it makes focusing our search practically impossible.

Rewards for his safe return are fraught with danger.  We’ve been advised by every expert (including Lost Dogs Illinois) to NOT offer a reward.  The number of stories of people chasing dogs into traffic, holding out for higher rewards (which faces legal ramifications for those who do so), and scams are plenty...and scary.

With that, we’ve decided to take a different approach.  We’re offering $500 to the first person who is able to capture & submit to us a clear picture of Digger, inclusive of the specific time and the specific location.  

Rules:

Photos must be clearly identifiable as Digger as judged by Digger’s family.  Photos that have been taken before September 1st, 2015 at 12am CT will be disqualified.  Photos that have been digitally altered will not be eligible for the reward.  The objective of this reward is to attempt to identify his specific location & time of that spotting.  It’s not a photo contest.

All images must be submitted through Facebook private message to Find Digger, via text message to 847-567-4550, or via email to tacaponi@gmail.com. including including your name, specific time the photo was taken, and the specific location of your photo submission.

Do NOT chase him.  Putting yourself or Digger in harms way will NOT be rewarded.

Reward will only be given to the first person who is able to submit the photo meeting the criteria above.

#lostdog #arlingtonheights #rollingmeadows #deerpark #kildeer #lakezurich #missingdog