Dog tragedy in Buchloe: Search team warns of dangerous capture attempts!

Dog tragedy in Buchloe: Search team warns of dangerous capture attempts!

A tragic incident in Buchloe has alarmed the local animal welfare community. Michaela Fichtl, a committed animal rights activist, is vehemently committed to ensuring that incidents like the death of the dog Sina do not happen again. Her story begins with a four-year-old English pointer who was given away from the animal shelter to an older woman at the end of May. On June 1st, Sina escaped during a moment of inattention from her owner, triggering an extensive search operation. The volunteer search team “Dog Runaway Heidenheim” was contacted immediately to provide assistance.

Fichtl and her colleague Lea Kronmüller organized extensive searches within a radius of 50 kilometers, including setting up feeding stations and cameras. Live traps were set in consultation with police, hunters and property owners to safely capture Sina. Despite their efforts, well-intentioned attempts to help from the public hindered professional processes. Many people tried to surround Sina, which, according to Fichtl, was very dangerous.

Warnings about capture attempts

The morning after the failed attempts to catch her, the federal police received the tragic news that Sina had been hit by a train. Unfortunately, only half of the dog could be rescued, which caused sadness and anger among Fichtl and her team. This concern is reinforced by a similar incident six months ago, when another dog died under comparable circumstances. Fichtl therefore warns that mobile dogs should not be actively searched for, as this can drive them away further. After 24 hours, many dogs no longer recognize their owners, which further exacerbates the situation.

Fichtl has found that around 95 out of 100 animals can be captured if the work of the search team is not disrupted. Former street dogs are particularly affected, as they often show a high willingness to flee. She calls for consequences when rehoming dogs and points out that sporting breeds may not be the best choice in the hands of older people. She recommends taking special care when acclimating new dogs for at least six months to a full year.

Resources and support

For those who need help, the contact information for the Allgäu-Upper Bavaria team is available: 0151/20732227 or 0172/8567014. In addition, emergency placement centers run by animal shelters and animal welfare organizations can offer support. These places are often the first port of call for lost or lost dogs. The animals can be identified via tattooed or chip numbers, which makes repatriation easier. The pedigree dog breeding clubs are also active in the adoption of dogs and do everything in their power to find suitable owners in order to avoid the animals' odyssey through many hands. Comprehensive advice is crucial to ensure the conditions for an optimal human-dog relationship. The welfare of the animals has the highest priority during placement, and the animal protection officers of the VDH member associations support these efforts.

The sad story of the dog Sina should serve as a warning example to underline the importance of the correct adoption and sensitive acclimatization of new pets. Treating animals responsibly can prevent potential tragedies and lead to more harmonious human-dog relationships.

Further information on the emergency placement of dogs can be found on the VDH website: vdh.de.