Mary Schlautman is a committed volunteer for the Get Toby Home Lost Dog and Rescue Group.
This organization started in 2017 when Toby, a dog from Suamico, went missing. A group got together to find Toby, and although Toby was never found, this group stayed together and started a non-profit organization to find other missing dogs.
Their current search is for Snickers, a dog from Manitowoc who has been missing for two and a half weeks.
Despite this, they never give up searching until the dog is found.
She explained, “When we have large road signs out, or you’re getting a flier, that means the dog is still missing.”
Mary joined this group in 2020, when she was alerted of a missing dog in her area and was actually able to find it and return it to its owner.
She loved the feeling of getting to reunite the dog with its family, and she has been with the group ever since.
“I love it; we have great volunteers, and we always accept volunteers. It’s the feeling of helping,” Schlautman told us.
There are several precautions dog owners can take to keep their dog safe.
If a storm is coming, or you know there will be loud noises that will scare your dog, get it locked inside in a safe place.
Also, make sure your dog always wears a collar or has a microchip.
Mary says to alert a dog rescue group as soon as your dog goes missing, because the longer you wait, the harder it is to find the dog.
“When dogs, after a while, they tend to go into a survival mode. They forget who their owners are, won’t come to their owners. And then, they just run. People become threats; they’re trying to survive, eat, find water. It gets hard then to find a dog or to get it to trust,” she stated.
Once they are alerted of a missing dog, they meet with the owners to learn the dog’s favorite places and treats.
They map out the dogs’ daily patterns around the town to see where the dog might have gone, and they put up tons of fliers and information so people can be on the lookout.
These volunteers love working with the families and reuniting these dogs.
Schlautman said, “It is a wonderful feeling to call an owner and say we have your dog. And then we work with the owners too after that, because after a dog’s been missing, to get proper vet care, because we know they’ve been surviving out there. To make sure that they don’t overfeed the dog right away and that they really acclimate the dog back to the home.”
Get Toby Home Lost Dog and Rescue Group is an amazing organization that gives back to their community, and they are always looking for volunteers.
To volunteer for this non-profit, or for more information on current lost pets, visit GetTobyHomeLostDog.org.
