BY KAREN BOSSICK
A college student and his family are searching for a 2-year-old Brindle Shar Pei mix that needs seizure medication. The dog also needs medicine to treat Shar Pei fever, which involves a high fever for up to 24 hours at a time accompanied by a build-up of fluid. Untreated, it can cause chronic kidney disease.
The dog is believed to have gotten lost near Buttercup Road and the Valley Club Road on Tuesday, Jan. 3, possibly after breaking through an invisible fence that wasn’t working to chase a rabbit or other wildlife.
The 45-pound dog’s home is several miles up the highway in Elkhorn’s Lane Ranch.
“We got her from Mountain Humane two years ago when she was four months, and she’s like my teddy bear,” said Kohler Wood, who leaves this afternoon to return to Colorado School of Mines where he is studying mechanical engineering.
Wood said his dog was picked up along the highway by someone who got the phone number off the large brown leather designer collar with its teal design and white beaded circles. But the dog jumped out of the car and ran away.
The dog was spotted on Thursday near the Valley Club but appears to be scared and reluctant to come to people. Friends think she might take shelter from the snow in tree wells, barn-like areas, abandoned shelters, empty second homes, overhangs, under a parked car or places where food might be found.
The family is offering a $1,000 reward, no questions asked.
“She likes any treat, but her favorite snacks are bully sticks,” said Wood. “She’s in a place she’s never been before and may not know how to get home. We’ve looked for her every day.”
The family is reluctant to give out the dog’s name since she’s scared and they think calling her name might make her run.
But, they said, she loves people and other dogs. She lets their chihuahua Pickles bite her face and she happily licks the face of the family cat. She nibbles on the tags of blankets, she loves hikes and she loves to hide in a hole in the yard and jump out and surprise other dogs.
“She the best dog we’ve ever had,” said Wood. “She’s kind of like a junkyard dog who’s always rolling in dirt and stuff. And she loves to hang out in the front yard and watch people go by. She’s just such a great dog.”
If you see the dog, call 208-720-2433 or 208-721-0743.