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Blue Ridge Wildlife Furry Tails Gala
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September 25 ~ October 23, 2014
It takes a village to catch a hound Closing In On Charter
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Nancy Milburn Kleck
You’re a closer!” exclaimed Piedmont Huntsman Spencer Allen, referring to the closing pitcher in a ball game. After three and a half agonizing months, he was finally holding Live Oak Charter, the handsome hound we’d been chasing, in the back seat of my Honda. Trying to keep back tears while driving to the veterinary clinic,“Yes Spencer, we won the world series, didn’t we!” The misadventure begins The Live Oak Hunt staff had arrived a day early to get settled into the kennels at the Virginia Foxhound Show held at Morven Park. It was a beautiful spring day in late May. After stretching for a bit upon arrival, Huntsman Dale Barnett led the pack of 38 veteran and young hounds to their kennels. While sorting out the accommodations, the cacophony of several hundred barking hounds spooked this handsome black and white Crossbred Foxhound puppy and another puppy named Live Oak Perfect, causing them to bolt into the woods. Every morning before dawn, Dale blew his horn to call them back, to no avail. With heavy hearts the staff went on with the show, but with the two hounds missing, each winning ribbon was a bittersweet achievement. Returning home without Charter and Perfect to their Florida-based kennels had to be the longest trip ever made by their owners, Daphne and Marty Wood, and the Live Oak staff. It was the third year I attended the hound show with the Blue Ridge Hunt. As an equine and sporting artist, I had fallen in love with the foxhound breed. I heard the news of their escape shortly afterwards and called Live Oak’s office to see if they could use fliers or banners to get the word out locally. Within an hour photos and details were emailed and that night fliers were posted on Middleburg’s two group Facebook pages and the Middleburg Humane Foundation’s page. Banners were placed at Morven Park’s main entrance and the Atoka Store, as suggested by Spencer. Within days, hundreds, if not thousands, knew of the missing hounds. Calls started to pour in.
B u si n e s s Di r e c tory : Pa g e 4 6 • Fr i en d s f or L i fe : Pa g e 4 2
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Page 4Canopy Tour Zip On! Exhilarating at Salamander Resort & Spa Page10
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Perfect Returns During our happy drive to the clinic, Spencer described how he believes the pair made their way to Purcellville, but then split up. Perfect, a smaller bitch, made her way back to Morven Park and was caught successfully two to three weeks later thanks to the help of retired Fairfax huntsman Kevin Palmer who left food out and kept an eye on it. Charter continued his journey south to eventually settle around Zulla Road and Hwy 50 for what would be the entire summer. What I consider the ember that started the wildfire of my search, was when Joanne Swift called to tell me “Charter’s living on Skyland Farm.” “Living? What do you mean?” I asked. As I listened, I thought, “This hound has set up shop there!” Immediately I called Daphne Wood. Not wanting to interfere with Spencer’s efforts, but knowing so much time had passed and cubbing was around the corner, I asked, “Could I help by feeding him? I think I have a plan.” In a soft voice, Daphne replied, “Anything you can do would be a great help. These hounds are our children.” Thus began the first day of Hound Catching 101. Daphne and I discussed options: the first everyone thinks of is tranquilizing. A dog hit with a projectile syringe and needle will outrun a Maserati if he doesn’t get hit by a car and killed in the process. Forget about the fact it’s a firearm and the related qualifications of use. Sedation? Who could follow him in the woods? All good reasons for him to move on and never return. We decided passive capture without trauma or injury was best – by using the hound’s assets: his nose and his stomach. I Googled “How to find a lost dog.” The very first listing was www.lostdogsinamerica. org and found well organized, well written pages describing all facets of the challenge of finding and trapping feral or semi-feral cats and dogs, or Continued page 12
Request in homes by Thursday 9/25/14
Volume 11 Issue 6
A Tale of Two Seasons
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Middleburg’s Community Newspaper
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