The Connection

Blaze Bhasker Age 4, Golden Retriever, Gender: Male, Breed: Golden Retriever, Roamer: Habitual. About a year ago, Blaze took off and made a friend a few streets over. Now he sneaks out weekly, cutting through several backyards to have a play date with his friend, Paisley.

Photo by by Rita Bhasker

Paisley and Blaze

Dukie Sahebzadah Age: 2.5, Gender: Male, Breed: Native American Village Dog, Roamer: Opportunistic. When Dukie gets a scent of one of the wild animals in the woods behind his house and he is off and running. He may be gone for an hour or two, but makes sure he is home in time for dinner.

Garth Comet Paul Age: 9, Gender: Male, Breed: Golden Retriever, Roamer: Opportunistic. Garth recently happened upon an open door and it was too much to resist. Owner, Amanda, believes that Garth’s adventures included stops at several of his favorite local haunts including; Great Dogs, to see Linda for a trim and a treat, Mookies for barbeque and a quick ice cream at The Creamery. By the time he returned home, he was ready for a long nap.

Nathan and Jackson Preston Age: 8 and 4, respectively, Gender: Male, Breed: Newfoundland, Roamer: Habitual. One hot July day, when a workman left the gate open, Nate and Jack slipped out in search of a cool place to relax. A very startled neighbor found Nate paddling around the pool and Jackson sunning himself on the pool stairs. At first glance, he thought they were little black bears. Nate and Jack look forward to the return of the pool season.

Paco, Mariposa and Sean Traver Age: 6, 6 and 5, respectively. Gender: Male, Female and Male. Breed: Papillon, Papillon and Miniature Schnauzer. Roamer: Opportunistic. This merry band works hard to make sure that the local wildlife knows that their yard is off limits. Occasionally a deer will taunt them into giving chase, but they are usually easily recovered. That is except the night that Sean snuck out through the accidently-left-open garage. Owner, Steve, describes a treacherous chase as he followed the flashing blue light, fortunately on Sean’s collar, into a gully and through the woods before Sean slowed down enough for capture.

Tucker Mansh Age: 10, Gender: Male, Breed: Havanese. Roamer: Once habitual. At 10, Tucker has slowed down considerably. But in his youth, he was quite the Houdini. He proved able to escape any collar or harness and would routinely find his freedom during walks. In one quick motion, he’d dart down the street to greet whoever was coming toward him.

Simba Srivastava Age: 4, Gender: Male, Breed: Maltese Poodle, Roamer: Opportunistic. Simba is curious about the neighborhood he sees from the window and will take any opportunity to exploit an open door. A little guy, he has also been known to find his freedom by sneaking through his fence.

Photo by by Jennifer Appleton

Brooks and Lola Age: 3 and 1, respectively, Gender: Male and Female, Breed: Wheaton Terrier, Roamer: Habitual. Brooks and Lola each have their own agenda. Lola likes to take advantage of a small hole in the fence, sneaking over to the neighbor’s to steal dog toys from their yard. Brooks focuses on finding homes with other dogs, where he is most likely to find treats.

Rosco Pierce Age: 5, Gender: Male, Breed: Plott Hound Mix, Roamer: Opportunistic. Rosco may have been born blind, but there is nothing wrong with his sense of smell. He once wandered off when his guardian stopped during their walk to visit with a neighbor. After frantically searching the area to no avail, guardian, Suzanne, raced home to post on Nextdoor. There she found Rosco waiting patiently at the front door.