Last Thursday afternoon the Forks Forum office was sort of like the happiest place on earth, sort of like Disneyland without all the people and activities. It was about 2 p.m. when I got a call from Ruby Swagerty, owner of Three Rivers Resort. She was calling to tell me that Brie, the 9-year-old Boston terrier that had been missing since Aug. 25, had been found. Brie’s people, Clark and Debbie Green of Sequim, have been camping with Brie at Three River for the past nine years and were devastated that she had gone missing from their camp site.
It was about 30 minutes later the Greens and Brie were in the Forks Forum office, with tears of joy. Brie had been at the home of Donna Wasankari. It seems that Brie, at some point after her disappearance, had been found along the La Push Road. She was missing her collar. She ended up with Wasankari and when Wasankari had read the Forks Forum on Thursday, she realized the dog she had was Brie. With all the emphasis these days on the use of social media etc., it is good to know a good old-fashioned newspaper story had a positive impact on this happy ending. So, how did Brie go missing? Where had she been? Only Brie knows, and she’s not talking …
In other happy dog news, Dusty Kenny’s dog, Pancho, went missing from Aldergrove Mobile Home Park on Friday afternoon. She put out a desperate plea on the Forks Forum Facebook page for his safe return. The next evening she posted again “Thank you to everyone who helped me find Pancho!! He’s home safe and sound!! Thank you!! — feeling grateful.”
Now in sad dog news
On Thursday around 9:30 p.m., Deborah Cutrell was rushing to get her husband Steve to the hospital. The Cutrells live on Elderberry Avenue, near the school, and as this medical emergency was unfolding a white Ford pickup drove down the street and intentionally swerved to hit the Cutrells’ little dog Sweatpea. A man who was nearby said it definitely appeared to him that the vehicle intentionally hit the animal.
Cutrell said, “She was a huge part of my heart. If anyone knows of who did it, please let me know. Also, I would like that person to know that not only did they kill my sweet dog, my husband was being rushed to the hospital with internal bleeding and almost died. What kind of human being do you have to be to swerve to intentionally kill someone’s beloved pet right in front of them? REWARD FOR THE INFORMATION LEADING TO THE PERSON THAT KILLED MY DOG. Please call 360-582-6308.
Cutrell also added that cars speeding in that area is a problem. “People tear around the corner and rocket down our street all the time. Elderberry Avenue leads to the school parking lot. I would like to see some speed bumps put in.”
A bit of good news is that Steve, after being rushed by ambulance to Bremerton, is home and doing well.
Most of us that have pets get so attached, it just seems silly sometimes how much they mean to us. In the case of a lost pet, and the wondering where they are, if they are OK. Brie was micro-chipped so if she had ever been scanned in the future, that chip could have helped get her back home. A few months ago two Bassett hounds were taken from the Forks area all the way to Puyallup. A veterinarian scanning one of them discovered they actually belonged to someone in Forks. Happily, the dogs were returned to their people.
In England dog theft is such a problem it has been decided that by April 2016 all dogs in that country must be chipped. According to figures, nearly 60 percent of the 8 million dogs in the U.K. already are chipped. There also is a push for vets to do a mandatory scan when animals are seen. Many cities in the U.S. are following the U.K. and some communities already require micro-chipping along with dog licensing.
It just so happens that this Saturday Dr. Pat’s pet clinic, 41 Bogachiel Way, will be in Forks for a low-cost vaccination clinic and she also is offering a micro-chip special of $25. It might be a perfect time to make sure your pet comes home again.
