Praise for Pet Detectives

Camille is an indoor kitty but she gets to play outside supervised. It was her daily routine of going out to play for a few minutes, when it was time to come back inside Camille was nowhere to be found. We panicked. We heard of Lisa Willems of The Feline Finders from a friend and immediately got in touch with her. The same day Camille went missing she talked to me on the phone for almost an hour, and she was able to assure me that she would help bring my kitty home. We made a plan and she came out the next day with her search dogs. The dogs were able to find Camille’s scent trail and both dogs took us to the same spot even though they had different starting points. Lisa assured me that she was in the area. I was told to set up game cameras, traps, and food, and to make a magic potion. The magic potion Lisa showed me brought Camille home! We sprayed it in the area and along the scent trail that the dogs found and sprayed it all the way back home hoping the smell would lead Camille home, and it did! Lisa Willems of The Feline Finders is truly a blessing and I could have never done this without her and her sweet search dogs, Maddison, and Layla. She checked on me multiple times while we waited for Camilles return home, and gave me the best advice while helping me stay hopeful and reassured.

For my family, finding Lisa was invaluable.  We love our Simba and he, like our children completes our family unit; when one is missing a part of who we are as a family goes missing. Once again, we are now a complete family!

If you share the same philosophy of family as we do about your lost loved one, I recommend without hesitation contacting Lisa Willems of Feline Finders.  Every minute is significant to their health and well-being and I do not believe we would have our Simba home in good health after 23 days if it were not for her wealth of knowledge.  Very few are truly willing to help, many expect to be paid and ask for additional funds each time you reach out for their help.  Lisa communicated with me daily at NO additional costs, she is not desensitized by what she has done successfully for over 15 years, each of her clients and their grieving situation matters!!

I came into contact with Lisa on Thursday, February 23rd after Simba had been missing for 17 days.  Coincidentally, I had an image of him near the property that same evening around 1 am.  By this time  I have done countless weeks of research, own every e-book available, and have read them cover to cover countless times.  The farthest I have ever researched an indoor-only cat venturing was a ¼ mile.

Speaking with Lisa daily after no additional sightings and almost a week since proof of life, I quote her as saying “something is not right!”  She asked that we look at the address again and wanted additional information about a restaurant that was well outside the ¼ mile radius and two streets away from our residence.  For a “cautious” cat I was very skeptical of the possibility he would be found near this location.  Once again I visited this restaurant, asked the list of questions she provided, and walked the ground of the property as suggested.  She concluded that we must immediately bait the area with cameras and turn our attention to this location.  Again, I was skeptical…

That same day, baiting traps around 7:30pm my wife got a call from the restaurant stating they found Simba!  He was in their basement cold cellar and had been since the previous weekend unable to escape.  It is rare they visit this part of their restaurant but decided to do so after I once again stopped in and told them the concern Lisa had regarding their location.

I believe Simba was seen on camera 2/23 made his way to the restaurant over a ½ mile away just as Lisa said he would and became trapped sometime over the weekend.  He went from 10.5 lbs. to 7lbs. was dehydrated and missing every nail down to the quick of his paws from attempting to dig his way out.  I will not share the image because every time I see how close I was to losing him… If Lisa did not focus our attention on that location… If I had not listened and trusted her judgment…  he would still be trapped or maybe worse as I will not speculate.

All I know is our Simba is now home, his vitals tested normal by our veterinarian, he is on a full recovery… Thank you so much Lisa for everything… Our family APPRECIATES you!

Tracey and Jeff(Luzerne County Pet Recovery Services), What you do is absolutely priceless for the animals, but you put so very much into it. Thank you very, very much for doing what you do. You’re also just awesome people. I hope we get the chance to get together in less intense circumstances! In the meantime, know that I think of you guys every single day when I take Kaia out, especially in the morning before the sun comes up when I can already hear the traffic whistling from 435. Every day I remember I have a miracle living in the house! (OK, Edie is sitting here while I write and she protested that SHE is also a miracle and she never got in trouble, so I am legally obligated to add this disclaimer on her behalf. We love her, too!) Best Wishes and Much Gratitude from Holly, Chris, Edie, and Kaia!

We were connected with The Feline Finders after our cat; Bunny was missing for a few weeks. We had tried to find our boy for weeks but were unable to get a valid sighting. After speaking with Lisa at The Feline Finders, she helped us identify where Bunny most likely was. Refocusing on this area helped us locate him and we set up food, water, and a camera. Once we saw him on camera, Lisa walked us through setting up a trap and the next steps. It took a few days, but we were able to trap Bunny and bring him home…a full 28 days later. A lot of things had to go right for Bunny to come home. One of those things was having the steady influence and experience of The Feline Finders to guide us through the process.

Hiring Bravo and Balynda Brown was the smartest choice I made when my cat, Napoleon, went missing!  Bravo immediately established the areas where Napoleon had been traveling.  It excluded the woods and the marsh across the street which had been my biggest fears.  With this information, Balynda helped identify a suitable food station where I could set up food and a camera. Once he was seen on camera, I would be able to set up a trap and get Napoleon back home where he belonged.  A series of unfortunate events [detailed in the whole story below] delayed the homecoming until a whopping 23 days had passed.  I consider myself so lucky to have had a successful outcome and it wouldn’t have been possible without the help and experience that Bravo and Balynda provided.

Our cat, Pico, escaped off his harness and disappeared into the green space behind our new home. We were feeling hopeless trying to find him in the dense vegetation, but Bonnie guided and supported us on our search. Her tips helped lure Pico back closer to our home and allowed us to catch him on camera, assuring us he was still out there. Without Bonnie’s support and advice, we would have felt lost and given up much earlier. Thank you for all your help and getting us our kitty back!

I can’t say enough about Sharon Morris with her calm demeanor and extensive knowledge gave my nephew clear guidance that you can trust in his time of need. Just 24 hours gone my nephews phone was hit at least twice by scammers claiming they had found the dog and clearly did not. Then we found Sharon who gave him guidance and managed his expectations. This gave him the patience and courage to forge on and this morning after about 36 hrs gone he was found trapped in a shed in an area he was sited the day before. He used her guidance to not call out his name but say words like day care and cookie so the dog did not feel chased but was able to come forward so he could put his collar on. Thank you Sharon your work truly makes a difference in people’s lives.

Our petite tortoiseshell rescue found a hole in the fence the first day she was out with us under supervision and promptly got lost in deep woods on our rural property. Team Bravo came out after about a week and scented her very close to our home but miles away for Aidy given the terrain! They coached us on the use of lures, traps, and navigating rescue in an area teeming with wildlife and feral cats. We were able to get her home after eighteen days! We don’t plan on ever having this happen again, but we cannot recommend Bravo enough. We are deeply grateful for their expertise and professionalism. Thank you so much!

Our dog Roscoe got out of our apartment on a Tuesday afternoon. We looked for him for the rest of the afternoon into the evening. The next day we placed posters and fliers while continuing to look. Because of posts we made on Facebook for lost dogs, Balynda and Bravo were recommended to us. Shannon immediately reached out with recommendations to help find him and we booked a tracking for early the following week. Once Balynda, Sarah and Bravo showed up they immediately tracked a solid grid Roscoe had been walking. With that information we could focus our efforts to find Roscoe. Unfortunately part of his path were train tracks and Roscoe is no longer with us. Without a doubt we never would have known and not have gotten closure. Roscoe can now get the rest he deserves. Thank you so much!

Jason

I can’t begin to express how grateful I am for Balynda and her team. While I was home in NC visiting for the holidays, my rescue Pomeranian slipped out the front door while I wasn’t home. After countless hours and days of looking for him with no leads, we were sure someone had picked Rascal up and were trying to keep him. I even had the local news feature him and had hired a different local tracker dog that had lost his scent. After 8 days with Rascal still missing, someone passed along Balynda’s contact information to me. Balynda took the time to provide me with information and additional ideas to bring awareness to the community of his disappearance. On the 9th day, I received a call that Rascal had been spotted about half a mile from my parent’s home. I immediately called Balynda with excitement and she walked me through the important steps I needed to take next. Rascal was already an extremely skittish dog due to a rough life before we rescued him. Due to these circumstances, I was going to need professional help in trapping him safely and quickly. Balynda came from Raleigh and set a trap where Rascal was last sited. It took all of 15 minutes and we had my sweet boy back home!! I was absolutely blown away by the skill and professionalism of Balynda and her partner that evening. I am forever grateful and would highly recommend her services!!

With the Missing Animal Response Network, & their pet detective, Jamie Bozzi, & search-dog Indy, we were able to narrow down & focus our search efforts on specific locations of where our lost cat had recently been. Watching Indy react to certain areas &, later, hearing from witnesses who had seen our cat, cemented the usefulness of an organization like MAR. The information on the website on how pets react in these situations, & the tips on the best ways to spread the word ourselves was also invaluable! We got our cat back! Thank you, MAR!

I’ve known Bravo personally for several years including during all of his training & I have seen the incredible progress he has made. Bravo was born to do this job & he loves it. There is no other dog I would ever trust the way I trust Bravo & his amazing loving owner/trainer, Balynda Brown to find your missing pet. They make an outstanding team. 10 Stars.

Recently, we reached out to Mike Chapman for his expertise in helping to find a very shy dog on the run. In my 40 years of owning dogs, this is the first time I’ve ever had to deal with something like this. Mike accepted our case, and led the way with knowledge, compassion, optimism, and the drive to get the job done.

Our time with Mike was never wasted. We were learning the whole time. The impact he made on our volunteers was profound. His vision of dog/animal rescue goes far beyond the scope of what we’re used to in our geographical area. Mike has a gift, and it is my sincere hope that he never stops sharing it.

I wanted to reach out to your organization since this is where Mike received his credentials. Hats off to a superb training program!! When you pair that with the dedication that Mike generously shares, it is the perfect combination!

Going forward, I hope that Mike continues the great work that he is doing. I’m not sure if Sailor ( the shy dog) would be with us today if it weren’t for Mike!

The reality is……there will always be lost and missing pets. It will be exciting to follow his cases, and watch his success as he continues to reunite pets with their people.

If you are on Facebook, we have a group page that we started when Sailor went missing. If you ask to join, you will see first hand exactly what I am talking about. SEARCHING for SAILOR!!

On February 14 after just moving in to our new home 4 days earlier our little 17 lb American hairless terrier, Peanut somehow came out of her collar and ran off. We did as most would do and immediately started to look for her and put flyers up. The following day as our panic was growing by the minute our breeder suggested contacting Balynda Brown and her K9 tracking dog Bravo. I immediately contacted her and within a couple of hours she called me and began giving me vital instructions on what to do in order to get Peanut home safely. After 6 days of following her instructions and no sightings with snow in the forecast Balynda and Bravo drove almost 5 hours to come and track Peanut. Bravo immediately picked up on Peanut’s scent and from there we had an area identified to set up our feed stations and cameras. Every day no matter what time it was if I had a question I could reach out and text Balynda and she would answer and be there to guide me through the day. After 11 long days Peanut was located exactly where Bravo had tracked her to. If it was not for Bravo’s tracking and Balynda’s expertise and guidance I don’t think our Peanut would have made it home. We are forever grateful for Balynda and Bravo.

Tracey and Jeff (Luzerne County Pet Recovery Services) went above and beyond for our new rescue this holiday season. Samwell has only lived in our home for four days when this foster family penned “escape artist” ran through a closing door on December 19th, 2019.

From the moment we reached out for help, Tracey was on google maps learning about our neighborhood. Once Sam was spotted miles from our house, she met me with wet hair on a Sunday morning by 9 am on a local farm 45 minutes from her home. She and Jeff tracked Sam, set up a humane trap and cameras and included us in the plan to recover our frightened guy.

When Sam found his way back to our neighborhood on Christmas Eve, she and Jeff came to our home to set up cameras and feeding stations. On Christmas Day, 2019, this couple was at our home twice! First setting up their high tech trap with lasers and magnets, and, when Sam went into the trap at 1:10 am, they came to our home again to make sure he did not escape while opening the trap to retrieve him.

I have never experienced anything like the dedication these people have to lost and frightened animals. And their kindness and patience to panicking family members was most welcome. They went above and beyond for our family and we will never forget them. You hope you never need them, but it’s so wonderful that they exist if you do! Support this all-volunteer organization!

Recently, we reached out to Mike Chapman for his expertise in helping to find a very shy dog on the run. In my 40 years of owning dogs, this is the first time I’ve ever had to deal with something like this. Mike accepted our case, and led the way with knowledge, compassion, optimism, and the drive to get the job done.

Our time with Mike was never wasted. We were learning the whole time. The impact he made on our volunteers was profound. His vision of dog/animal rescue goes far beyond the scope of what we’re used to in our geographical area. Mike has a gift, and it is my sincere hope that he never stops sharing it.

I wanted to reach out to your organization since this is where Mike received his credentials. Hats off to a superb training program!! When you pair that with the dedication that Mike generously shares, it is the perfect combination!

Going forward, I hope that Mike continues the great work that he is doing. I’m not sure if Sailor ( the shy dog) would be with us today if it weren’t for Mike!

The reality is……there will always be lost and missing pets. It will be exciting to follow his cases, and watch his success as he continues to reunite pets with their people.
Leah

I am so thankful that MAR exists Belinda Brown is a hero to me. She swung into action with useful advice and coaching. It was her advice to set up food stations that saved my dog, Xin. Thank you is not enough to express my gratitude. Xin is very much a part of me that I hit been brought back home.  Michael Lilly

Teddy, Lynn, and Winston worked tirelessly for 12+ hours each day for 13 days!

Niko was lost at the beach on Long Island, NY..
VERY difficult area.. Niko traveled 5-6 miles in different directions…
He was spotted by several people… who tried to “catch” him…
there were a lot of snags along the way because of the area he was lost..

Teddy took Winston for a walk Sunday morning…. saw Niko’s paw prints in the sand… Teddy told Winston “scent” and off Winston went.. and found Niko… wasn’t easy to grab him… Niko is very skittish.. being a rescue dog from a hoarding situation.. so Niko lured Teddy into the water!!!..

Teddy refused to give up.. went into the water after Niko… and got him.! so not only did he find him with Winston’s help.. he saved him from drowning..!

I am forever in their debt

Teddy, Lynn, Winston., you are amazing people for what you do to help rescue and save animals

I cant even begin to explain how amazing Bonnie Hale and her search dog Bodhi are!! Our cat Westie, new to outdoors and the area, went missing 12 days ago.
Even with daily searches and 400 lost cat posters, several hopeful but deadend sightings we couldnt find her.
Researching and reaching out to anyone who had ideas or could help us we were given Bonnie’s name and number by Susannah at Wagback Lost Pet Specialists. Who is also Amazing!!
Bonnie not only responded right away she was very straightforward in preparing us for possible outcomes.
Bonnie and Bodhi arrived this morning and began after a few minutes of instruction for us.
We went through a couple of neighboring yards when Bohdi picked up on a scent. Into the next yard was again on to something. Pushing a little further in to the brush in a closed off area not used Bonnie and Bohdi zeroed in and Bodhi found Westie!!!
12 days missing and 5 or 6 days of torrential downpours, but Bodhi and his SUPER nose found out furkid!!!! We all cried happily!!!
Again I cant explain how amazing they are! Thank you to Susannah and to Bonnie and especially Bodhi, for all your effort support and hard work!!! Alao to the owners of this website thank you for being here and connecting us!

Lee Evans Denton,TX

“Annalisa Berns is a true detective who works methodically but also empathizes with pet owners and can think like a lost cat! She got in touch with us immediately, created a map (specific to our neighborhood) to guide our search, developed likely scenarios preventing our kitty from returning home and gave us a plan of action that was personalized to our situation and our cat’s historical behavior. Our kitty had been missing for three days and we found him within hours of receiving Annalisa’s materials. When we were filling out Annalisa’s questionnaire, we knew she was focusing on the individual characteristics of our area and pet. She did not feed us boilerplate advice or repackaged tips from the internet. That is for sure. I would recommend her to anyone going through the ordeal of searching for a lost pet. Even if you think you’ve done all you can do, get some coaching from Annalisa.” Enrique – FOUND!
From Tiffany & Roey, Lost Cat FOUND with Consultation!

Pet Search and Rescue

I met Tracey through a mutual friend on July 12th. I coordinate a transport for Mary Ann Morris Animal Society out of Bamberg SC and we had a dog get loose on transport on April 21st – Luci. We were all devastated and desperately tried for the next 4 and a half months to get her safe and off the street.

That day, April 21st, volunteers searched for hours and a humane trap was set. Posters were put out in the immediate area which widened over the next few weeks – which led to months. We set food stations, continued to track sightings of her and flyer the area. A volunteer would get within an arm’s length a time or two but could not capture her. We had cameras set up, maps with her sightings, etc.

By the time July rolled around, we had tried everything we knew, and no luck. There continued to be sightings and so we knew she was still alive and in the area. Fortunately, a mutual friend connected me with Tracey. Tracey gathered all of the details of what we had been doing, and where and who and how – all incredibly important details to her – she slept in her car, she lost tons of sleep and work hours, and her dedication and determination never waived. I knew, after the first time of actually speaking with Tracey on the phone, she was our last and only hope to capture our little Luci. Even her voice itself is calming and reassuring.

Labor Day weekend – I will never forget – makes me tear up still thinking about it – I got call from one of our dedicated volunteers that had been boots on the ground listening to Tracey’s explicit instruction when she couldn’t be there herself, and she said “We have Luci!!!” The tremendous overwhelming admiration, appreciation that I have for her is immeasurable.

Suzanne Scott

I met Tracey through a mutual friend on July 12th. I coordinate a transport for Mary Ann Morris Animal Society out of Bamberg SC and we had a dog get loose on transport on April 21st – Luci. We were all devastated and desperately tried for the next 4 and a half months to get her safe and off the street.

That day, April 21st, volunteers searched for hours and a humane trap was set. Posters were put out in the immediate area which widened over the next few weeks – which led to months. We set food stations, continued to track sightings of her and flyer the area. A volunteer would get within an arm’s length a time or two but could not capture her. We had cameras set up, maps with her sightings, etc.

By the time July rolled around, we had tried everything we knew, and no luck. There continued to be sightings and so we knew she was still alive and in the area. Fortunately, a mutual friend connected me with Tracey. Tracey gathered all of the details of what we had been doing, and where and who and how – all incredibly important details to her – she slept in her car, she lost tons of sleep and work hours, and her dedication and determination never waived. I knew, after the first time of actually speaking with Tracey on the phone, she was our last and only hope to capture our little Luci. Even her voice itself is calming and reassuring.

Labor Day weekend – I will never forget – makes me tear up still thinking about it – I got call from one of our dedicated volunteers that had been boots on the ground listening to Tracey’s explicit instruction when she couldn’t be there herself, and she said “We have Luci!!!” The tremendous overwhelming admiration, appreciation that I have for her is immeasurable.

Tracey is a naturally gifted pet detective, mentor, and friend. Her passion for locating missing animals is evident when you work with her. She is motivated, driven, and focused on the MAR techniques essential to successfully and humanely recovering beloved missing pets.

Recently, we worked together to capture a male mixed breed hound named Fred (who supposedly jumped the fence at a boarding facility no less than an hour after being dropped off). His family was leaving for an extended vacation to Europe and although saddened to leave the country without knowing if their beloved Fred was safe – they boarded their flight to Europe 24 hours later. Frantic neighbors of Fred’s owners jumped into action with an active search. Although, there were many possible sightings – sadly, none were confirmed. Connected to one of the neighbors on Facebook I offered to help. And, all of the sudden I was connected to a group of 10 women via text that I had never met. Neighbors saw him but, when they called his name and/or tried to approach he ran every time. None of the ideas sat right with me.

The next day I swung by McDonalds, purchased plain cheeseburgers, and drove to the location with the most sightings. I sat quietly with my dog Zoey waiting for Fred. Burgers and fries laid out in a huge semicircle around my car. The bag was on my roof. I had no idea what I was doing but I prayed my plan would work.

It was an extremely hot and muggy day. I was getting incredibly bored. After, an hour I pulled out my iPad and started to read. Three and half hours later I looked up from my iPad saw Fred 50 feet away eating the cheeseburger I swallowed the lump in my throat and pulled out my iPhone. I began taking pictures of Fred as he ate. I sent pictures to the group text. Harmoniously, all 10 responses were “Fred!” I now had a positive ID. He had his eyes solidly fixed on my car. Fred slowly walked to the next cheeseburger which was 50 feet away from my side doors. Zoey stared at him, sniffed, and watched. I could tell by her body language Fred would bolt if my feet ever touched the ground. Very softly I said, “hi buddy.” Then, Fred walked back into the woods.

A woman named Tracey texted me to call her. As soon as she answered the phone she asked, “Are you MAR trained?” Not sure what MAR was I replied, “No.” She then asked a series of investigative questions: “Was this your first sighting?”, “Where have your sightings been?”, “What date/time of day was the sighting?”, “Do you know if Fred has any food allergies?”, “What is Fred’s temperament?” I answered Tracey’s questions as best I could. She then asked me what my schedule was like and we agreed to meet 2 days later at location I took the pictures of Fred.
Two days later, I met Tracey. She was so informative, helpful, and focused. She pointed me to the MAR website and recommended I buy window markers to “tag” my car so neighbors knew why I was there. She also recommended I purchase bug spray, sun screen, pheromone spray, a cooling towel, and a battery operated fan. But, in the meantime she loaned all of these items to me while we laid out a plan.

While standing by a chain link fence the homeowner came to speak with us. We learned Fred most often came up the path from the creek in between her and her neighbor’s yard. This had been a daily occurrence for the last couple of days and was most often between 6:00 – 9:00 PM. The homeowner agreed to let us use her fenced in yard and we strategized our next steps. We first needed to see if Fred would come through the open gate into her fenced in back yard. We laid out a couple of cheeseburgers about 12 feet within the fence line and waited. Fred did not show. An hour later, a false report came in that there was a sighting 3 miles south. Everyone became concerned because Fred appeared to have left his current radius. Another hour later, the neighbor texts Tracey and I that Fred came for the burger and is inside the fence line. What a relief. Tracey instructed the homeowner to throw some meat on the grill to keep him in the area. Fred returned to the neighbor’s yard several times that night.

The next day Tracey and I met up early in the day. I pulled my camping grill out of my SUV and set it up in the neighbor’s backyard. It was July 4th weekend and we were competing with the smell of burgers coming from the Falls Lake Recreation Area about a mile from the neighbor’s house. So, when the boiling water was ready I broke apart raw venison dog food patties and hotdogs and put them into the boiling water. Within 30 minutes the smell of venison was permeating the air. Tracey moved the neighbor’s canoe to a location in the yard that would prevent Fred from running by it. Then we cleaned up our gear and put it inside as not to distract Fred. I was originally planning to go back home to get Zoey since we knew Fred was dog friendly – we were going to use her to lure Fred into the yard if the food didn’t work. But, Tracey felt Fred would come earlier that day so we took our positions. Tracey was by the front fence holding on lead that would pull the side fence gate shut when I gave the signal. I took shelter in the basement. We waited.

I picked up my phone and was about to text Tracey that sometimes Fred comes up through the front fence when I noticed someone was composing a text. “I hear something coming. Get ready.” I continued to wait. Then another text, “OMG … he’s staring right at me.” What?! “He’s sniffing me,” the text continued. A big sigh left my body. Tracey, knowing that Fred was a runner sat quietly while Fred sniffed her. She slowly turned her head away from Fred and looked up the street. She was ignoring him. Fred lost interest and walked down the hill to the side gate. I watched him through the basement window. He was slowly eating the food we set out “Hansel and Gretel” style just outside the gate. A breeze picked up carrying the odor of venison and hotdogs through the air. We placed a large plate of the boiled meat on a rope swing in a tree by the gate. I was praying this plan would work.

It felt like hours had passed by the time Fred approached the gate. “Get ready,” Tracey texted. I stood up and walked to the basement door. It was open. I sat in the doorway watching Fred. Once he was a good twenty feet inside the fenced in back yard I slowly stepped forward onto the back deck. I wanted Fred to focus on me. I text Tracey, “NOW!” I watched the gate slowly close behind Fred and Tracey quietly snuck down the hill as I slowly continued to walk forward on the deck. Fred was gazing at me the whole time.

I stepped off the porch toward Fred. He picked his head up looked toward the gate and saw Tracey. He darted to the back right corner of the yard. I walked straight down to the fence line blocking Fred’s path. He ran up the hill. Tracey was to Fred’s left and I was to his right. He stopped to go to the bathroom. I squatted as best I could with a bad knee, reached out to pet him with my left hand with my slip lead in the other. He darted to the front left corner of the fenced in yard. I walked diagonally toward Fred and stopped right in front of the neighbor’s chicken coop. I was on the low portion of the hill in the middle of the yard. Tracey grabbed her snappy snare and stood just out of sight of Fred by the basement deck. Fred bolted again. He ran diagonally across the yard in front of me. I yelled, “Tracey here he comes … closer … closer … NOW!” Swoosh. Tracey had him in the snappy snare. He yelped with freight and tried to run. He jumped on the porch and tried to go right. I jumped in front of him. He tried to go straight. I jumped in front of him again … waving my arms. He put his head down and walked into the neighbor’s basement.
Once inside Tracey removed the snare from around Fred’s neck. He quickly rolled over on his back and stretched with his bright pink belly sticking straight up into the air. We gave Fred food and water and he gulped everything down. Shortly after Fred had the hiccups and we noticed he was having trouble swallowing. I quickly checked his collar. Tracey had him double leashed with slip leads, the basement door was now closed, so I took his collar off. Fed continued to relax. He licked us. Lay on us. Rubbed his nose against us tail wagging the whole time.

After Fred had some time to decompress we invited the neighbor and her children downstairs to meet Fred. He crawled up into the neighbor’s lap and gave her great big wet sloppy kisses as way of thanking her for letting us use her basement. We loaded Fred up. Stopped by Walgreens on the way home to pick up some electrolytes and took him to a neighbor’s house for the night.
Tracey sat with Fred in makeshift fencing that was attached to a crate. He nuzzled her, licked her, and nudged her. Once another neighbor arrived we left to get Tracey’s car. We parted ways and both headed for home. It was a 10 hour event. I was exhausted.
Tracey recommended MAR training to me. Although I was hesitant at first I glanced at the MAR site for several hours. Trying to determine which course was for me. I had a lot of questions. Tracey got the answers I needed and I was ready to dive deeper. So, I listened to Kat’s book on audible. Wow! Was all I could think. I need to learn more about this MAR training. So, the next day I listened to another book on the site’s reading list called “Cormac.” Wow!

I felt so misinformed about what really happens in a dog’s life when they go missing. I wanted to help any way I could.

More recently, there was a case that tugged at my conscience. The details are cryptic so I won’t try to explain it. Tracey had already determined there wasn’t much more we could for the missing dog. There weren’t any confirmed sightings, pertinent information was difficult to decipher from the owner, family members weren’t helping with the search, there was no supporting physical evidence, and local volunteers were lying to us about what had and had not been done as part of the search. As a rookie, I felt like I needed to go look one last time. Tracey encouraged me to follow my instincts. When nothing new resulted from my search I felt defeated. Certainly there was something I could do. But the reality was – there wasn’t. Tracey guided me through some investigative questions to get me to realize we were too close to this case to see the truth. She pointed out that making mistakes is how we learn and grow. And, that over time … with MAR training I would have the tools I needed to be successful.

In closing, I would like to thank both Tracey and Kat for changing my life. I cannot tell you both how grateful that I am that God enabled us to cross paths. Your insight, honesty, knowledge, and grace have made me realize there truly are animal heroes out there — and they are doing everything they can to educate people and make the world a better place for our pets.

God Bless you both,

Kimberly Brown

Susan Long quite simply saved the day.

There is so much emotional baggage tied up in that dumb, lovable, exasperating dog (and now he’s even more expensive).

From the moment Susan answered the phone, she was all in on our behalf, arriving a few hours later to galvanize us into action.

Oliver was found within 24 hours and it was directly related to her efforts, both with the scent dogs and with the fluorescent flyer blasting we did, driving through neighborhoods with cars covered in blinding colorful posterboards. Really, election officials could learn from this.

Susan was both completely professional and compassionate, never once pointing out to us how dumb we were, but always supportive.

It was such a relief to get Oliver back. He actually “belongs” to a girl in Florida and a young man in another part of Texas. Oliver is their link. So we are glad to have him back.

Lisa Reed

On June 30th, 2018 I was devastated to find out that Tashi, my 1-and-a-half-year-old Lhasa Apso, got loose at the Granville North Carolina rest stop, from a dog transporter who was supposed to drive him from our old home in Northern VA to our new home in Tampa, FL. The County Humane Society, Animal Control, and many kind volunteers were on the lookout for him. I normally am not a huge fan of social media, but in this case, his LOST DOG Facebook post got shared to several hundred others within hours. Groups were on the lookout for Tashi with multiple sightings, but any time someone would get close to my little guy, he would sprint and run away, a few times over the dangerous I-85 highway, which still makes me cringe to this day.
On July 2nd, I received a call from Ms. Tracey Dreibelbis, who I quickly came to recognize as a true God send. Since I live hundreds of miles away from where Tashi was lost, Tracey’s continuous updates, immense knowledge of these types of situations, and professional demeaner really calmed my nerves and gave me more hope. Through her unsurpassed skills, expertise, and total heartfelt care and commitment for the wellbeing of animals, she was able to sing her way into Tashi’s little heart and safely rescue him…..and I literally mean “sing”, in which the actual video of Tashi’s capture is posted on her page! Tracey’s goal was to rescue Tashi before the fireworks went off on July 4th, which I’m sure could have been too traumatic for Tashi to handle at this point. Well, on July 3rd, I got that call from her…..my little guy was safely in Tracey’s back car seat, with pictures she sent me to verify. My family and I were crying with joy that our baby was going to be back home with us soon. I almost couldn’t believe it after the painful days of waiting and wondering.
Not only did Ms. Tracey Dreibelbis safely rescue my little boy, but she and her husband cared (and spoiled) him, like Tashi was one of their own, for over a week until I could find another dog transport. That is love and true commitment to which I’ve called her the “dog whisperer”.
My family and I are truly grateful to all the volunteers who kept eyes on Tashi, but mostly to an amazing woman, Tracey Dreibelbis, who ultimately rescued Tashi. There are not enough words to express our gratitude toward her.
If anyone needs an animal rescue in the Granville County area, please let Tracey help. Through this experience with Tashi, I would not second guess any of her skills or her love and commitment to what I believe she was meant to do.

I met Tracey Dreibelbis on day seven trying to catch Fred whom had escaped from my neighbor’s boarding facility. She was very professional and informed me of Fred’s patterns over the past few days. She came up with a plan to catch Fred using my fenced in yard. We baited my yard with McDonald cheese burgers and she recommended us to grill out on night seven. We did as instructed by Tracey and Fred showed to eat. I was able to take pictures of him. Tracey explained we wanted to build trust with Fred.

On day 8 of Fred’s jail break, Tracey & helper were at my house to create the enclosure with ropes, leads, any and every type of dog treats known; liver, hotdogs, & venison. They spent 2 to 3 hours baiting and setting up how to trap Fred in the least restrictive way. Tracey’s plan included using my backyard fence to trap him and then corralled him into my basement to feed and calm Fred.

Fred showed that evening to eat again. It only took 16 min from that sighting to have him safely in my basement. With the quick capture he did not show any signs of stress due to the capture. Tracey texted myself and helper each step along the way, so everyone knew their part and what to expect. I walked downstairs after Tracey had time to evaluate him, Fred was laying on his back and licking everyone hands & arms. Tracey’s compassion for these animals is seen throughout every step of the capturing process.