Donate to ROAM
Due to the fact that ROAM is 100% volunteer driven, we greatly appreciate donations to aid us in attaining the much needed equipment and supplies for our searches. While we have personally purchased a good portion of the equipment needed, we can definitely use a few more traps, slip leashes, safety vests and other such things. Paper, ink, fuel, bait-food and other supplies are very expensive and most certainly add up for both the owner, and the ROAM searchers and volunteers. We most often assist owners of lost dogs (in particular), to flood the area with posters of their lost dog so that he/she has the best chance of being ‘seen’ by the general public. Any monies collected will go to either our ‘ROAM Supply Fund’ to help offset some of these costs for our admins and volunteers and the ‘ROAMER Fund’. This fund will be specifically geared at assisting the owners of dogs or cats (posted on ROAM), who may have been injured while out on their own. This will be an emergency fund that may enable ROAM to give the ‘go-ahead’ to a vet to begin emergency/comfort treatment on an animal (in the absence of an owner), or where the owner is not immediately able to come up with the required funds to begin emergency treatment for their pet.
On behalf of Queenie, all the local volunteers and the Puerto Vallarta SPCA (PVCA) we want to express our sincere gratitude for Terry of ROAM for his assistance. As you know Queenie arrived in Canada and was lost very shortly afterward, in the North Vancouver winter. She didn’t know where she was, and wasn’t used to the winter. As a rescue from Mexico, we relied on a group of random volunteers that came together, as well as a PVCA rescuer that flew up from Mexico. Within a very short time, you dropped everything to come to Vancouver despite the distance, with your equipment, your guidance, and your dedication. And even after leaving you were with us supporting remotely. Your contribution and your dedication to this dog and this group of strangers gives me great faith in humanity. We are grateful beyond words.
A huge thank you to ROAM and all of the the kind volunteers who dropped everything to look for our beloved runaway Kalle!! We were absolutely astounded at how quickly ROAM immobilized after I got in touch. Within an hour they had posters printed and volunteers scouring Mt. Doug. Every walker I stopped on the mountain to ask if they had seen my missing dog had already seen a poster and/or been approached by someone else! I couldn’t believe it. We are so very, very grateful for everyone’s efforts. We were so distraught that Kalle was missing but were very heartened by realizing what a caring community we live in. It was a long 6 hours, but all’s well that ends well!! Thank you all!! And another huge thank you to the kind woman that pulled over and rescued him from Blenkinsop Road when he ran into traffic! I was too overwhelmed to get her name. Kalle and I will be enjoying an ON-LEASH walk today in the beautiful sunshine.
When our little Sunny went missing we were advised to immediately contact ROAMBC through their website. They replied immediately and gave us critical steps to follow to get information out into our new neighbourhood. Within 30 minutes they were on site supporting our search. Over the next five hours 15 ROAM volunteers combed the area and provided emotional support to keep us positive. Terry and Barb have a thorough understanding of canine behaviour and educated us while keeping us calm. As they had predicted, Sunny found her way home as it became dark. The volunteers kept in constant contact and were following her. Words cannot express the gratitude we feel to the amazing ROAMBC team. You have provided us with your time and support at critical hours. Your kindness will never be forgotten and you are an inspiration of what volunteerism is all about. Thank you, thank you!!
All the way from Parliament Hill, in our Nations Capital, I want to say, thank you to ROAM for your volunteers, and for all they do for others helping find our loved, 4 legged fury kids. Your kindness and care for our missing pets is more than appreciated. Thank you for “being there” for us and Cholo..who is now, home safe and sound, in his Mama’s arms. Words can not thank you enough. Thank you…over and over again.
You guys may have only helped me for a day, but you gave me the strength and positivity to help me find my beautiful baby girl! I can’t thank you enough for everything you did, especially being so far away! You guys do an incredible thing, thanks again!!!
This is a very sincere thank you to ROAM for the excellent and immediate response I received when I contacted Lesli to report that my cat Mugsy was missing. After my week of fruitless searching, Lesli, through her contacts, already had a picture of Mugsy on the ROAM web site and I was able to focus my search where he was last sighted. Getting him back that night was wonderful. Thanks again to ROAM and everyone who contributed to his return with their words of encouragement.
Reuniting Owners with Animals Missing
I have loved and had dogs all my life. My partner and I just last week acquired the most beautiful standard poodle named Lena. She is three years old and she came from a lovely horse farm in Nova Scotia. Her former mom has been a breeder of standard poodles for over 30 years and she is one of my best friends. Lena had been selected to be a breeding bitch but it didn’t work out. Apparently she didn’t like male dogs! So my friend knew I was wanting a new dog after our beloved standard died a few months ago. And she offered us Lena and we jumped at the chance. Lena had only been with us for TWO days when she was lost. On Thursday Nov 2nd she flew from Halifax to Vancouver. She had not only a 4,000 mile plane ride BUT she had a 1.5 hour drive from her former home in NS. And most importantly, she was left by her obviously very sad former mom of 3 years. What an incredibly stressful day for a dog. Then on Thursday evening she was handed over to us in Vancouver and we drove to a hotel. Lena had never been in a hotel before and the sweet natured jet lagged dog quietly settled down on the bed. She even had a small supper! Next day, Friday, we departed for the ferry terminal and she had her first ride on the ferry. We stayed in the car with her and she enjoyed the ride. Once back home in Victoria we introduced her to her new home and that night she slept for hours. ROAM came into our lives Saturday morning. I had taken her out for a pee break and naively–when she hadn’t peed for 14 hours–I took her off the leash just to pee. We were in an enclosed fence park, very small with two exits. A strange dog SUDDENLY out of nowhere bolted up to her JUST as she finished peeing (she was literally off the leash for no more than 2 minutes) AND she froze, jumped backward and then ran. Her fear of the dog was so great that nothing I could do worked. I ran after her for three blocks down a city street but I lost sight of her. Everyone in the neighborhood called out encouragingly as I ran down the sidewalk in search of her. In about 10 minutes I reached Beacon Hill Park, across the street from my home. I ran home hoping she might have come to our front door. No luck. I then ran back towards the park realizing it was the first walk I had taken her on and IF she was as smart as I thought she was–she would remember it. I also thought it most resembled the pastoral area where she grew up. Fortunately for me I met the most lovely woman and 3 dogs number in her contact list. Terry, the acknowledged search wizard at ROAM, got the call from his dispatcher, and apparently dropped everything at home and bolted out the door so quickly his wife Barb didn’t know what was happening! Meanwhile I was desperately retracing my first walk in the park with Lena hoping to spot her. As I ran through the park, I heard from many people Lena had been running from everyone who tried to help catch her. I even saw her with my own eyes and called out to her and she ran AS FAST AS SHE COULD in the other direction. I was devastated. Then I realized she was so traumatized that nothing could calm her down. At some point in the 4 hour search for Lena, my partner, Darrell, ran to the fire department in James Bay behind our house. The fire men jumped in their truck with the largest ladder and drove to the highest point in the park. They put up the ladder (which I think extends 10 stories) and they had a perfect outlook and actually spotted her heading for Dallas Road. For those who don’t live here this is the most beautiful dog park in the city and it runs along the water.This turned out to be the next piece of good luck in a day that started in a very bad way. Between the Victoria Animal Control (VACs) (Matt) and ROAM (Terry and countless volunteers) they managed to finally locate and corner Lena at one end of Dallas Road. She was so scared of them she ran down a huge embankment but lucky for us, the beach meant she couldn’t run into the streets anymore. With more skill than I could imagine, Matt and Terry worked together like a well oiled machine and closed off Lena’s possible escape route from the beach. Total strangers walking along the trails stopped also to help block her from coming back up the hill into traffic. By this time she apparently was too tired to run up the embankment (thankfully!) and within minutes Terry had safely and securely captured her. To think that one frightened dog–so far from its original home–ran through traffic for almost four hours and escaped unharmed is nothing short of a miracle. Except that in reality it was the training, love of dogs, and common sense of many people that brought us to this happy conclusion. We will always be so grateful to ROAM and all the good people of Victoria who came together to save our dog. Lena I’m happy to report is unscathed by her terrifying adventure. She is now wearing a HALTER and I have a 20 foot training leash. She has been back to the park in my company and she is also enjoying her walks on Willows Beach. Because of her ordeal we’ve been spoiling her just a bit :). I can’t tell you how many times Saturday night I looked down to see her sleeping beside us and pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I could never imagine a dog surviving what she did–and totally unharmed. Thank you Terry and Matt and all the fabulous people at ROAM and all those kind strangers who pitched in to help us. Cindy T and Darrell B Victoria BC
We would like to thank you and your organization for the amazing work in reuniting lost cats and dogs. In spite of losing almost 4 lbs, 1/2 of her body weight, Munchkin is fine, no cuts or scratches she is home safe and sound. Pat and John August 19, 2020
We are so thankful for ROAM stepping in to help us find Hazel! We were in Toronto when we discovered our 10 lb rescue had spooked at a dog park & escaped, running for her life. The ROAM team deployed at our panicked request and stayed out in the wind & rain until late in the evening as they co-ordinated a search with our family, friends & community. Fortunately, and with great thanks to ROAM’s knowledge of how to handle scared dogs, Hazel only had to spend one night out in the cold. She was found safe the next day! Thank you ROAM for volunteering your time and energy to find our much-loved family member.
Thanks to Terry and co. for working with Good Samaritan (Dan) to help capture and return Smokey, our very sly and speedy sled-dog. Even more importantly, thank you for understanding our plight and helping to educate and encourage us rather than chastising us or suggesting that we give up on our dog. We adopted Smokey knowing that she has serious issues to work through, but we did so because she is an excellent physical and emotional companion for our son, who has also had a very difficult time making it through elementary and middle-school with his self-esteem intact. In giving Smokey what she needs, we are also providing our son with the motivation and example he desperately needs to take good care of both his dog and himself.