STAR, Idaho — Star residents connect over social media to help reunite a German Shepherd named Max with his owner. The owner suspects loud booming fireworks drove Max to dig his way out of the yard, early this morning.
“He was soaking wet and looked like he was lost, so I brought him in and advertised him on Facebook,” says Cindy Gray, the neighbor who found Max.
Max’s owner had the help of her neighbor seeing Cindy’s Facebook post and from there they coordinated a pick-up time.
“I’m just thrilled I was able to help the neighbor,” says Cindy, “It’s very difficult, it’s heartbreaking when dogs go missing.”
The Idaho Humane Society already has a steady number of missing dogs being dropped off, but not quite as many as in years past since owners are utilizing apps like Nextdoor and Facebook.
“People are really learning the importance of having that collar on, especially during the fourth of July, " says Kristine Schellhaas, Communications Manager for the Idaho Humane Society. "Even if you put your phone number on the reverse side, if there is no dog tag, just having some form of identification helps keep those pets get home,"
The best way to keep track of your pet is by getting them microchipped, and it's important to update them if any contact information has changed over the years.
If you find a missing pet, you can take them to the Idaho Humane Society and they can scan them. Schellhaas says, “you can also stop at a vet clinic; they can scan it for a microchip and then make that phone call.”
As star resident Cindy fosters many dogs, she has a system of her own for keeping her dogs safe during 4th of July fireworks.
“I keep them locked up in the house and turn on the TV to make some noise. I make sure they got on all their collars, of course they’re all microchipped, if something did accidentally happen.”
To file a lost pet report or see if your missing pet has been dropped off, you can visit the found pet portal.
