Dogga with long coat. Photo below of him with a short coat is how he looks now although it will have grown a bit since being clipped in October.
BRING DOGGA HOME FOR THE NEW YEAR!
Are you a dog or cat owner, or an animal lover of any kind? Imagine how you would feel if your loved companion animal suddenly disappeared, & you knew it was out there somewhere, but you couldn’t get it back. This nightmare is what happened to Gail Jamieson ‘s daughter Katie, in October 2011, when her treasured family pet, a six year old border collie named DOGGA, was stolen from the gates of the RSPCA, & they have been searching frantically for him ever since. The story of exactly what happened reads like a whodunit, so follow carefully:
On Friday October 14th, Gail & Katie left Brisbane to attend an Awards ceremony at Caboolture. Dogga was left secure (or so they thought) at Gail’s home in Runcorn, under the care of Gail’s husband Frank. There was a thunderstorm early Saturday morning & like many other pets do, Dogga freaked out & somehow managed to escape the yard & run free. Frank realised Dogga was gone from the yard at approx 3.30pm when he returned home from work, and rang Gail & Katie, who returned to Brisbane to commence a search for him throughout the neighbourhood. They rang the RSPCA, & then a friend told them Dogga had been at the local shops earlier that morning. They went there about 9am Sunday 16th, & spoke with the Newsagent there, Ken, who told them Dogga HAD been there from about 5.30am til 10am on the Saturday 15th, & that they had kept him there until Ken’s wife & her son took Dogga to the RSPCA at Fairfield, on their way to a maths tutoring appointment.
A good Samaritan story, which should have had a happy ending. What happened next is bone-chilling to anyone who knows what it’s like to have a run-away dog.
Ken’s wife, who had never before been to the RSPCA & wasn’t familiar with their procedures, parked her car in the loading zone at the front of the big gates & went to take Dogga inside to hand him in. It was approx 10.30am on Saturday 15th October 2011. Just outside the reception area, a middle aged woman approached her, (she remembers she was wearing a ‘freshly ironed’ brown shirt), & TOLD THE GOOD SAMARITAN, THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAND THE DOG IN. The kindly lady was rightfully distressed to hear this, as she had done nothing wrong, but rather was trying only to be kind & helpful. The assertive woman then told her SHE WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE DOG…and unwittingly, Ken’s wife handed him over. She assumed the woman was an RSPCA worker, or volunteer.
Dogga has not been seen again.
BRING DOGGA HOME FOR THE NEW YEAR!
All of this took place in front of the RSPCA, but no-one from there actually took possession of the dog, and it was a busy Saturday morning, when the reception area is often filled with various families & people arriving to look for a lost pet or to rescue one. The RSPCA have confirmed that the incident was reported to them, & have said “Unfortunately we don’t have cameras outside the shelter. It’s sad to hear of Dogga’s disappearance, and we hope he can be found soon”, & they have released their surveillance footage to the Police, with whom the family have also filed a report about Dogga’s theft, but so far they have not succeeded in finding the thief, or Dogga, to return him home.
Gail & Katie & their family are devastated that they have been unable to find Dogga, and they know he will be out there somewhere pining for them, as loved and loyal dogs do. They have no other way to bring him home, other than by asking other dog-loving members of the public to start a Dogga Watch to see if anyone in their neighbourhood has acquired a new male desexed Border Collie in the past few months, matching Dogga’s description. He is a long haired black and white collie, but he had been clipped for summer just before he was stolen, so at that time he was very short-haired but with a bushy tail & quite distinctive, By now he will be back to his luxuriant coat, & hopefully is being well cared for & looking healthy.
Dogga’s family have nowhere else to turn, but to ask for the support of their community. Dogga is microchipped, so they hope that eventually he will be taken to a vet, & they will hopefully discover the theft & Dogga will be returned, but who knows how well or badly these outrageously greedy & cruel thieves will treat him, so this could take years. By now he may even be living with an innocent family who paid someone for him, not knowing he was stolen.
We all know how we would feel if this happened to us, & that we would never give up searching. Dogs have long memories for their loved ones, & are the most loyal of all creatures. Somewhere out there, probably in Brisbane or surrounds, but possibly anywhere in Australia, Dogga is waiting for his family to come get him & take him home. Can you help make it happen as soon as possible?
If you have ANY information that could help Gail & her family in their search, please phone Gail on 0418 745 125 or email: piatex@hotmail.com or leave a message on Dogga’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dogga-needs-to-come-home-Help-us-find-him/213780702023218?sk=wall
If you are able to help us look for Dogga by helping distribute this Media Release as widely as possible, please contact Gail to let her know where & what help you can offer. We know that places like Dog Off Lead Areas, Vets, Pet Shops & Grooming Salons etc are our best bet, so any help you can offer is much appreciated. We who love Dogga say *Thank You*!
