Homeless Dog is Safe Once Again Thanks to the Dedication of the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge
RBARI Rescue Dog Escapes from Foster Home and is Found 48 Hours Later by Dedicated Staff and Volunteers
Things were starting to look good for Tasha, a mixed-breed dog that had been rescued several months ago by the Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge (RBARI) from an empty lot where she was living with her five young puppies. Not much was known about her background when she came to the shelter and she was very timid, so the dedicated staff and volunteers worked very closely with her to teach her to trust people.
“Dogs like this need lots of socialization to let them know that humans are OK” says Karyn Montouri, staff dog trainer at RBARI. “We see this quite often in rescue dogs, and we have a special program designed for our staff and volunteers to help them adjust”
By Sunday, June 5 Tasha had made great progress, and Montouri felt it was time to put her into a home environment, so a foster-to-adopt arrangement was made with a family from Ramsey that had fallen in love with her. “We were so happy to see her go to a loving home that understands her issues and is willing to work with her to make her part of their family” said Steven Mark, RBARI’s Executive Director.
Tasha was very scared when she first arrived at her new home, so the family took her out to their fenced-in yard to see if she would relax with them outside. Then suddenly something spooked her and she jumped against the fence, accidentally knocking the gate open, and she took off. After trying to catch her with no luck, the family called RBARI, and shelter staff and volunteers immediately went to the scene to begin searching for Tasha.
The flyer that was circulated and helped find Tasha.
“There are some very important steps that need to be followed when looking for a lost dog” says Steven Mark. “You must immediately notify the police and local animal control agencies and circulate flyers to let the public know to keep their eyes open”
After taking these actions, calls began coming in with reports of sightings which allowed the search team to hone in on Tasha. Finally, on June 7, after 2-days of intense searching, the winning tip came in from a worker at the Cambridge Apartments in Ramsey saying that she saw Tasha by the lake. RBARI staff members Janet and Lynda and volunteer Steve were nearby and went right over. They began calling Tasha’s name, and shortly thereafter, Tasha’s head popped up from a ditch near the lake and she came to them. The friendly scent of those that have been caring for her brought her out from hiding. She was immediately taken to the Franklin Lakes Animal Hospital to be checked out, and other than being hungry and tired, she was fine. She was then taken back to the shelter around 7:00 PM where she rested comfortably in her big fluffy bed with her favorite toy after a nice meal and some doggie treats.
“We can’t thank the staff, the volunteers, and the community as a whole enough for rallying to help find Tasha and bring her home safely” said Steven Mark. “It was a total team effort”
Ironically, Tasha was named after a dog name Tanya who had escaped from her adopter after one day in the home, resulting in a successful 4 week search for her. “Tasha resembled Tanya in her physical likeness, her shyness, and her amazingly sweet and loving soul” said Karyn Montouri. “We are so happy that Tasha is safe and her story has a happy ending like Tanya’s”
If you are interested in adopting a cat or dog or learning more about R.B.A.R.I. and how you can help, please visit their website at www.rbari.org, call the shelter at (201) 337-5180, or stop by the shelter at 2 Shelter Lane in Oakland during regular business hours.
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Ramapo Bergen Animal Refuge Inc., R.B.A.R.I., is a no kill shelter dedicated to the humane treatment of companion animals, their care and rehabilitation until they can be adopted into a suitable, loving home. R.B.A.R.I. is a 501(c)3 organization and relies on the generous contributions from businesses and individuals for the housing, medical treatment, training and feeding of its animals. Log on to www.rbari.org, call 201-337-5180, or email: Adopt Love@rbari.org. R.B.A.R.I. is located at 2 Shelter Lane, Oakland, NJ 07436.