"Concept", Labrador mix, Black, Ceres, CA

Concept is a black five year old, spayed Labrador mix. She is wearing a collar and ID tags and has a microchip.

Her people had just moved into this new home, and they were having the carpets cleaned. Concept was in the backyard, but had managed to get through the dog door and out the front door. There were no sightings of her. She had been missing for a few days when I was called.

The track we found led from the door and then to the left to the street. The track stayed on this side of the street and went down for a couple of blocks and then crossed over into a neighborhood park. The track went all the way around the park and then down into another neighborhood. The track continued this way for several miles in and out of neighborhoods, crossing railroad tracks and then it did an almost backtrack to the house and she crossed past the house within a half block, back almost to where we started.

At this point her people wanted to take a break at the home, get some water and use the restroom. After several minutes I peaked my head into the front door and asked when we would get going again. I was told that they wanted to stop the track early because they did not believe what me and the dogs were doing. He said that there was no way that Concept would have passed the house by a half a block and not come home. He said she loved her home. I reminded him that they had just moved to that house and that she did not seem to recognize the area. I told him that I have done many searches for animals that, for various reasons, do not recognize the fronts of their homes, and pass right by them when they become lost. I said that she obviously got very scared of the rug cleaning machines (which are EXTREMELY loud) and she become disoriented when she got out and then got lost. I reminded him that she was able to do a backtrack to something familiar, but then appeared to keep going without making the direct connection to the house.

After several more minutes of discussion he agreed to keep going and at least finish out the three hour minimum. He wanted to see what happened after she walked past the house. However, he decided to stay home with his wife and father, and just have his mother accompany me. I could tell he was still very unconvinced and suspicious.

We continued on the search, which continued down their street and crossed the next big street. It made a left down the street and eventually made the right turn into the high school. There was a gate that was open (This was a Saturday.) and the track went through it. The track went all over the school and the yards and the fields. At exactly three hours total the woman who was with me said to stop the search.

It took us another 30 minutes to walk back. When I got back to Concept's home, I told him about the extra 30 minutes which we covered in the beginning was included in the time. He was not happy. I told him I hope he finds his dog. He said he would continue to look for Concept.