Help for Feral-ish dog

[Tazwell]

Last week (Monday I think) a local foster parent had their foster dog slip out of her no slip collar and get loose in my city. Her foster parents only had her for a week, and she's practically semi-feral. She doesn't want anything to do with being caught, she keeps a good distance from people. Not even her foster parents can get close.

Here's the good thing, though, we live on an island (a big one, the size of a normal township) and its unlikely that she can leave it. She would either have to cross one of the two bridges, or swim (please don't do that!). So she has been spotted all over the island, from tip to tip. She is not settling down in one area, it seems. We unfortunately have lots of coyotes here, and she's only a beagle mix, so that's a big concern.

I was helping follow the dog the first day, and I want to help in any way possible. I was thinking it would be best to use food to get the dog going into a backyard or fenced area, then close it , but she won't stick around the same area long enough. Any ideas???

 

[~WelshStump~]

As I read this I can't help but think of Andy, a Pemmie who went missing over a year ago after being scared off by fireworks and has all this time eluded capture, and he was far from "feral" and very much loved. There's a Facebook page "Bring home Andy" that might have some tips.

My only suggestion, maybe a live trap? Our TSC stores sell large raccoon/fox and Coyote sized traps, I would stake it down to the ground and they're easy to bate. It might be the only way to really get this dog, I've seen captures in backyards not work out before because there always seems to be an easy escape route.

 

[frostfell]

live trap?

 

[JessLough]

My first thought was live trap too, but if she's not settling in one area, that's difficult. :-/

No idea, but I hope they get her back soon!

 

[Tazwell]

Thanks, guys! It seems like she won't settle into one area long enough to bait her, but it does seem like she's staying along the eastern most edge of the island (which is very long). So maybe somebody along that side could set a trap.

What are the most aromatic foods to bait a trap? Cat food? I would do tripe, it smells AWFUL, LOL!

 

[chaospony]

Go for the tripe!
I know a few people who have used it lure lost dogs in.

 

[MericoX]

The big pet recovery people around here use live traps. I would try mapping where's been seen and when, may help deciding a good place to stick some traps.

 

[~WelshStump~]

I would say go for both tripe and cheap canned cat food, you can never have too much lure (unless you filled the entire trap, lol!). The stinkier the better, usually. You could also try grilled burger and catch the drippings, that always seems to attract attention, as noted by the cat prints which magically appear around our grill after every cook out. Just make sure you get a big enough trap though, if it's too small and the dog gets half caught in and then slips out, she may never try it again.