43
Neighbors seeking owner of dog wandering near Brownlee Woods
By kristine gill
YOUNGSTOWN
Meadowbrook Avenue neighbors are looking for the owner of a lost dog.
The 5-pound male Yorkshire terrier has wandered their neighborhood near Brownlee Woods for about two weeks, taking handouts from various families and following the paper boy.
“It’s too cold out there,” said Tim Scahill, who has taken the dog into his home.
Affectionately nicknamed “Tinker Bell” for his size, the dog seems trained and well-groomed.
“My wife keeps saying, ‘He’s cute, but he’s not staying,’” Scahill said as the dog wiggled around on the living room floor, scratching his back against the carpet.
When someone knocked on Scahill’s door asking if the dog was his, “Tinker Bell” ran right into the house. They’ve been taking care of the dog for five days now and even discovered a common hobby in motorcycles.
“I didn’t notice this at first,” Scahill said, “But there’s a Harley-Davidson insignia on its collar.”
The dog also is wearing a flea collar but no identification tags. Scahill said calls to the dog warden and Angels for Animals have not yielded results.
Kate McDermott, general manager of Angels for Animals in Canfield, said the organization does not actively search for the owners of lost dogs and doesn’t have the space to house them while they wait to be found. They can scan for microchips if the dog has one.
“We’ve definitely seen an increase in the drop-offs,” McDermott said. “The pounds are overwhelmed.”
McDermott said the most common reasons owners surrender their pets is because they’re moving or going through a divorce. She said the economy likely had an impact on the recent increase in drop-offs.
Larry and Debi Beyer also live on Meadowbrook Avenue and first noticed “Tinker Bell” roaming the streets the day after their family cat died. They hope to reunite it with its owner.
“If somebody brought my cat back to me alive, I’d be so happy,” Larry said.