Could my dog have survived outside overnight??

[pandoraphile]

I am literally beside myself. A delivery man left the gate open last night and he managed to get out. I didn't notice for about 20mins and by the time I got outside there was no sign of him. I spent an hour looking and calling for him - nothing. I thought he'd turn up overnight but no.

Straight away this morning I got calling around friends, the local vets, the kennels where they take 'stray' dogs - nothing. We live in a small village and everyone knows who he is and where he lives. No one has seen him and no one has reported a traffic incident with a dog. He's chipped and all of my details are up to date so if he'd been picked up I would have assumed I would be contacted by now? I even took my other dog out of our usual walk in case she could scent him but she didn't.

I'm desperately worried and the more I think about it, the more I'm concerned about him being in the cold overnight. It was sub-zero temperatures here last night. He's a six year old hardy terrier so not a delicate dog. But he lives indoors so he certainly won't be used to those sorts of temperatures. I really, really don't know what to do from here. I haven't stuck posters up yet but I've been into the local shops (three) and asked them to keep an eye out and spread the word.

Is there any chance that he would be ok overnight?? Or am I looking at the worst? :(

Curious, do you walk either of them or just let them sniff about the garden?

To be honest, rehome the escapee and your other dog. Best for them.

What? Why would a dog be unsupervised in the front garden? Mine are only allowed in the front garden if I'm in it gardening with the gate firmly closed and keeping an eye out for delivery men who i stop before they open a gate. My back garden is completely secure and if i didn't have any land that i wasn't able to secure they would never be out of the house without me at the other end of a lead. One of mine was asleep indoors and i mistakenly thought i couldn't find him and something had happened, i was utterly frantic.

What the actual fuck!

I know, i feel sick.

You've tried everything? Really?

Checking the gate is shut before you let him out, putting a please shut gate sign up or installing a gate that closes automatically? Keeping an eye on him when he's out? Portioning off part of the garden so no delivery men are going in 'his' bit?

WTF?

This is a sham.

Reported

It's all happening very quickly. One day you're beside yourself he is missing, next day he's found, with the dog warden and being rehomed by her, then the same day being rehomed instead with a friend of a friend. How well is this person known? How long have they wanted a dog? In such little time how have you assessed them for suitability and done a home check, how do you know he'll be happier and safer with them, how do you know they won't move him on again?

Don't know if this is real or not. Either way, you disgust me.

Do you actually walk this dog op?

You shouldn't have moved to a new house with a smaller garden knowing you have active dogs that enjoy the space. Selfish much!!

This is either a sham or a rubbish dog owner, if the latter dog will be better off elsewhere

But you said the gate got left open? That's hardly escaping. That's a dog wandering out of an open gate. That's on you, not him.

Who gives up on a dog so quickly??!

So you'd rather rehome your dog than make sure the other gate is totally dog proof and check that the gate is shut when you've had a delivery?

I hope your dog finds a responsible owner soon who won't just give up on him because they can't check that the gate is closed.

Wow your dog warden found him a home so fast! Unheard of really, and to tell you exactly where he's going too, almost unbelievable. Wait..

We had a dog when we were young who was an escape artist . We had a massive house and garden ( 2 acres ) but she still got out and ran off ( we chicken worried the whole lot !) it's possible some dogs don't want to stay where you want them. She survived to old age but frankly I don't know how as when we went for walks she would always disappear and return half an hour later etc .. maybe it's for the best OP as it is very stressful . We debated letting her live in a 200 acre farm a few times but could never do it 😬.

Jackanory, jackanory

It is best that he is rehomed, if that is what the op wants.

Chinny.

So the issue is delivery people leaving the back gate open and you not checking it before letting your dog out in the garden to play unsupervised? Seems like there are many ways to resolve that, but one that I don't think has been suggested is locking your gate so delivery drivers can't just open it..? If there's nowhere secure for them to leave a parcel (not that that's secure anyway given that anyone can just wander in) then you can just go collect the parcel. Surely the inconvenience to you is better than abandoning your poor dog.

I'm doing what's best for him, not us

Ripping him apart from his family and your other dog and putting him in a new home he's not used to where he'll be scared and frightened and missing you because you can't be arsed to keep control of your dog and to stop him getting out of your " dog proof " garden is best for him?

Ok

FWIW when my cat went missing I spent 8 hours looking for her until I found her not one hour and then gave up

Can you get a secure box attached to the gate for post and small parcels? Then you can keep the gate locked. For larger parcels you can arrange delivery to local shops via collect+ etc or Amazon lockers.

And the main problem is delivery people leaving the gate ajar

So lock them, like we do! Or is the delivery of your parcel more important than your dog’s safety?