When a yellow Labrador named Otis’s fur parent suffered a heart attack while they were out hunting in the woods of Browntown, Minnesota, Otis was devastated. For three days, Otis stayed with his owner until help arrived. But because he was traumatized by the experience, Otis ran away when people tried to help him.
Hoping to get Otis back, his family reached out to a group named The Retrievers, which helps people locate their missing furbabies. The family was advised to lay out the unwashed clothes of Otis’s furparent in different parts of the woods. According to The Retrievers volunteer Amy Addy, the clothes would act like a trail for Otis to follow back to his family.
Loyal to his owner
It took a little while for The Retrievers’ plan to work. When Tara, one of the people handling Otis’s case, went back into the woods to set a trap for Otis, she found him sitting next to his furparent’s shirt. By getting another dog to help, The Retrievers could catch Otis and give him back to his family.
The fact that Otis took the bait is proof of how loyal he is to his deceased father. According to The Retrievers, their method is most effective during winter because scents last longer in the cold. The group also said that in cases similar to Otis’s, where the dog is already scared, yelling will only frighten the dog even more.
Dogs can feel trauma and pain too
The Retrievers also said that in cases where the owner’s death is unexpected, the dog will most likely stay near where they last saw their furparents. Hoping their beloved humans would return, the dogs kept circling the area. The experience of losing their beloved foster parents can also be traumatizing and painful for dogs, especially if the death is as sudden as what happened to Otis’s owner.
Hoping to help people avoid losing their beloved pets, The Retrievers’ volunteers suggest using name tags and leashes. Check out the clip below to know more about what happened to Otis.
Credits to WDIO abc.
