Last month, a client dog in my care went missing. In all the years of boarding dogs, this was a first for me. I will share the harrowing details of the event later, but suffice to say for now that it was thanks to the incredible volunteers at Team Chelsea Lost Pet Search Group that Skylar was located safe and sound, a few hours after her disappearance.
I happened to be at the studio recording my audiobook, the dogs crated in the van, under the shade of mature trees, windows down and doors open, taking in the sights and sounds of the beautiful country property. When I stepped out for a break and made my way to Skylar’s crate, I was shocked to find it empty. It took me a moment to figure out the lock malfunction that had occurred and when the reality that Skylar was missing sunk in, I began frantically calling. Realizing she was nowhere near, I drove out to look for her. In the meantime, our host contacted Team Chelsea who promptly posted about Skylar and mobilized their volunteers.
Founded in 2011 and operating primarily in the Durham region but often beyond, Team Chelsea started after a Bernese mountain dog named Chelsea, a senior citizen’s sole companion, went missing from a daycare and was never recovered. The small group that tirelessly looked for Chelsea grew into a large and incredibly well coordinated team of dozens of volunteers who have reunited more than 5,000 dogs and 3,000 cats with their owners, working tirelessly with Parks Canada, animal control, veterinarians, and shelters.
The Facebook group where the animals, their sightings and updates, are posted is almost 50,000 members strong. Team Chelsea’s priority is reuniting lost pets with their owners but sometimes the animals are never claimed, likely having been abandoned. After a month, Team Chelsea will put these unclaimed dogs, cats, and other species up for adoption.
With Thanksgiving upon us, I hope that you will consider donating to Team Chelsea’s Animal Care Fund, in gratitude for the extraordinary and life-saving work that they do every day, reuniting lost animals with their owners and finding abandoned ones new and forever homes.
E-transfers:
janniegee@rogers.com
PayPal Donation:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7MRUZMBLWCRMS&fbclid=IwAR0KRmDcDCvitRhvQ2lGfQDRhqxsYwdlcRHofDDKVC1gpQ3dWifuUWeZYWA
To find out more, check out the Team Chelsea Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/165123396868018