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In Hattiesburg, a beagle mix got away from the volunteer who was walking him and took off up on the hill. People started chasing it—which of course made the dog run more. We went out in a truck and drove on the roads around the facility looking for the dog, and we set a few traps in the hope that we could trap the dog. We came across the lady the beagle had gotten away from walking down a dirt road, hysterical and crying as she called out the dog’s name. We wouldn’t let her out there alone for fear she would get hurt and have no way of getting help. After talking to her and getting her calmed down, we finally got her into a vehicle and back to the facility. She couldn’t do anything; all she could do was think about the dog. The day went on; we all went back to our jobs and focused on the animals. A few hours later, Rose, a volunteer from my shelter, found the dog wandering around and walked up to it. And the beagle, exhausted from the 115-degree heat of midday, did not run. She let Rose pick her up and carry her back to the barn that Rose worked at. It made the volunteers cry with tears of happiness. Needless to say, this beagle was babied by the volunteers the rest of the week I was there.
Jim Bigelow is a Kennel Attendant at Lycoming County SPCA in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
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