A stray dog that endured more than five weeks on her own, during which time she was injured after being hit by a car, has now recovered and is prepared for adoption. Estrella, the dog’s name, was initially spotted in Tahoe City back in February.
Animal control finally managed to rescue her after numerous attempts and several weeks. She apparently got hurt when she was struck by a car at that time. She’s now up for adoption, and the Humane Society of Truckee Tahoe (HSTT) is happy to announce it after extensive physical and mental rehabilitation.
On the morning of February 15, a resident of Tahoe City came up to Placer County Animal Control Officer Pete Krengel’s car to let him know there was a stray dog in the area. The neighbor claimed that the dog had been prowling the neighborhood for a few days but had eluded capture.
The majority of Truckee-Tahoe areas allow pets, and many times the local cats and dogs are well-known to the locals. On this particular occasion, though, nobody was aware of the dog’s identity or origin.
Placer County Animal Control officials and neighborhood people worked tirelessly for several days to try to lure, seduce, and capture this wayward dog. For almost two weeks, the dog evaded capture. After then, the reports abruptly ceased and she vanished. Animal Control kept an eye out as they continued to fear the worse.
She resurfaced a few days later, but this time in a different neighborhood a mile away. She continued to be challenging to capture and remained at large for a few weeks, subsisting on handouts, trash, and whatever else she could find to eat.
Animal Control, the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, and the California Highway Patrol were getting calls regarding her whereabouts hourly at that time. At least two reports of her being struck by a car were recorded during that time. She continued to run erratically despite limping, slowing down, and losing weight.
Animal Control contacted the well-known and skilled animal search and rescue expert in the South Lake Tahoe region, Wendy Jones, executive director of Tahoe Paws and TLC 4 Furry Friends. The stray dog was captured by Wendy and Officer Pete, who then took her to the Truckee animal shelter. She was checked for a microchip when she arrived at the shelter.
Estrella’s name was discovered by Animal Control, who was able to track down owner details. The registered owner was unresponsive despite the Animal Services team’s best efforts to contact them. It was obvious that she had been abandoned because they were either unable or unwilling to take her back.
She had been living alone for at least five weeks, and the shelter personnel knew from her previous evaluation that she needed immediate significant medical care. Her care was arranged by HSTT in conjunction with Pet Network, a different neighborhood animal sanctuary.
Estrella received the treatment she sorely needed thanks to the superb veterinary team at Pet Network. The HSTT crew was ecstatic to learn that Estrella’s dislocated hind leg could be surgically fixed, preventing the need for an amputation.
Now that Estrella’s medical needs had been met and she was back in the security of the Truckee refuge, the true treatment of her intense phobia of people, sounds, and strange places could start. The HSTT crew was aware that it would take time for Estrella to recover and get over her fear.
With the assistance of numerous employees from HSTT and Animal Services, as well as a number of devoted volunteers, Estrella gradually started to trust humans more and more. Estrella still has a long way to go before she can fully trust people and unfamiliar surroundings, but HSTT is certain that she is now prepared to successfully navigate a brand-new loving home.
Please contact HSTT at 530-587-5948 if you’re interested in meeting Estrella for adoption, or stop by the shelter Monday through Friday from 1-6 p.m.