Interesting story. We've had this full grown black lab showing up for routine swims this year. One of those deals, you see him but can't catch him, and don't know where he comes from. Although it sounds like fun having a dog swim in your pond; it really isn't, especially in a liner pond. Rock walls fall down, plants are uprooted, debris stirrs up clouding the water, and missing fish!

Two weeks ago we were visiting with the Chief of Police. We live in a small town. In conversation explained to him what's been happening. He said if we could catch the dog long enough to call animal control, they could site the owner for any damages including replacing missing fish. We said; Yea right! We can't catch the darn thing. (Being attacked by a pit bull a few years ago; I'm a little afraid, and don't put a lot effort into chasing a dog).

Well, yesterday after work. Cracked a beer and sat down by the pond. Notice this shinny thing shimmering on the pond bottom. What's that, I said to myself, there shouldn't be anything shinny on the bottom of my pond. Looking closer reveals a buckle, could it be a dog collar? I was actually a little nervous thinking I may be looking at a drowned dog. So I fished it out, sure enough, large dog collar but no dog, wheew!. Complete with name/address/phone tag, registration tag, rabie tags, and all. I felt like I hit the lottery. Not that I plan on pressing charges or anything, I just want a friendly discussion with the owner!

So guess what I did? Yup, wrote all the tag information down for myself and headed straight to the Police station, wet collar in hand. I'm going for impact, thinking the Police returning the collar will leave a bigger impression on the owner, versus me doing it. Sure enough, the Police know the dog well. They even guess his name right, saying they've had from tons of complaints from the neighborhood. The interesting part though, from the Police perspective is; now that we've retrieved the dog's collar from the pond, is that enough evidence to prove the dog was in the pond.

Seeing the dog isn't good enough, having his collar isn't good enough, I guess that leaves me with having to trap the dog, maybe a net will work.

You would think the collar would be enough for the police to take some action!! Maybe you should just call the owners and tell them you have seen the dog in the pond and that you have found his collar IN your pond!! And maybe they will be nice enough to offer some kind of payment. They surely know how their own dog behaves. Just a thought. Hope someone will help you!!

Agree, Ellen, I thought so too. But, the police thought I'd have more luck in small claims court than they'd have in civil court. They said they would talk to the guy, but sounded like they talk to him all the time. Evidently us, those having problems with the dog, need to restrain the dog at the time of incident in order for the Police to prove anything.

I'm not a leash type pet owner, but darn I wouldn't have thought the leash law was that loose.

I did in fact call the owner. Very nice sounding guy on the phone, and apologetic (spelling). He's new to the neighborhood and said he'd pay for any damages. I told him I wasn't worried about it (Yet!) I just want it to stop. Otherwise, continuing in this manner, and the dog tears my liner or steals my Koi, he'd get a bill he doesn't want.

Thanks for your thoughts, Ellen.

Did you read the horrible time we went through with the neighbor's Neopolitan mastiff and boxer swimming in my ponds a few years ago? It's in my newsletters told as it happened back then in a lot of detail. The dogs went for full body swims and knocked over all the plants. They also tore holes into my rabbit hutch.

My mother got the owner to pay $200 in damages which were extensive. The dogs kept returning. The mega-rich owner became more and more mean to us (especially when my mother called him at 2 am when the mastiff was trying to murder my rabbits) and would scream at and beat his "bad" dogs in front of us. He finally told us he had to have them taken to the pound thanks to us, and, wouldn't you know, they had no room so they were put down. And, we made his poor sons cry. My mother called the pound. Sure enough, they'd never gotten the dogs and don't put down dogs just turned in.

Almost a year later, who should show up in the yard but the "dead" mastiff, this time, without a collar, blood all over his neck (the guy chains him). My mother called Animal Control. In the past when she called, they said just to call the owner since we had the number on the collar. This time, my mother pretended not to know the dog so they took him. I got her to call back a week later. They had no record of him which they said means he went right back home to his "loving" family. He was probably microchipped, or they called there. It's only a matter of time before the 150 pound ghost returns. He is a sweet boy (just makes a HUGE mess). I wish we could have pawned him off to a decent owner instead. They would never have known.

Some people just don't deserve the company of a pet!! Poor thing. THe owner sounds like he should be the one chained!!

I'll have to read that article, Robyn. Sounds interesting.

Thanks.

I still can't believe how bizzar this must be to find the dogs collar in the pond. Almost like a burgular losing his wallet at the scene of a robery. Thinking about it, what chance would the burgular have saying I didn't leave that there, someone threw it there. Yea right! I wish I would have thought about that when the cop said we'd have to be able to prove someone didn't throw the collar in.

Have a nice holiday weekend all.