Help find...

I lost my dog in Kenly last August on my way home from vacation at a North Carolina Beach. We stopped in Kenly, NC, at a food place (on Church St./Rt.301 just off I-95). I let my dogs out one at a time, and my little one, a Sheltie named Apollo, slipped out of his collar and leash and ran away from us NEVER to be seen again since that moment. He's never run away from me or my property like this in life. To this day we do not know what startled him to get so scared, jerk out of his collar and run like hell (instantly losing sight of him).

I have EXHAUSTED my efforts in NC and I am expanding my search efforts that I started in surrounding states when this all began. I ask you that keep his picture (attached) for your rescue & adoption files.

We remained in Kenly to look for him for several days with the assistance of the local town's people and businesses as well as the Kenly Police. However, I had to return home to Maryland to a new job (at that time) & my companion had to fly out on a business trip. My other dog has had major health problems and depression since losing Apollo which we continue to deal with daily. Personally, this has been the worst experience of my life. I've never seen more unwanted, unkept, and feral animals in my life. Some people just don't understand that this dog is my child and I cannot love him more if I had given birth to him myself.

I have done EXTENSIVE advertising (and I still advertise in local papers in NC). I have returned several times to the Kenly area to search for him and I have exhausted the resources of the breed's local rescue organization (Triangle Sheltie Rescue AKA TSR out of Raleigh) as well as the time and resources of many others people and companies that have assisted me.
He is on numerous web sites - the most informative of which is www.triangleshelties.com
His age is not accurate on this sight - he's now 7 but they haven't had a chance to update it yet.

I had posted signs all over the town, contacted all the vets, feed & tack shops, pet stores, grocery stores, groomers, etc. in a tri-county area through numerous mailings. I've gone door to door in town. The rest of the area is TOO RURAL to attempt door-to-door. I've dealt and visited with local animal shelters, truckers, chambers of commerce's, local businesses, truck stops, visitor's welcome areas, cooperative extension services (as he may be on a farm since his herding skills are Strong), the local, county & state police as well as the Sheriff's department since they are in charge of Animal control in Johnston County in NC. I've dealt with knowledgeable Sheltie and animal rescue people all over the country as well as animal communicators all over the country. I've tried the local radio and TV stations there but they were not able to help.

All the supposed sightings were within 10-15 miles of Kenly (all were outside the town's city limits) were never able to be verified by myself nor the rescue people (TSR). The last one was in November. Those who have helped me truly believe he was feral for quite some time. Now we feel someone has taken him and that I have not been able to reach them through all my efforts or that they have fallen in love with him as I did and do not want to return him to his rightful home (and there is a SUBSTANTIAL REWARD). It's a heavily traveled through area being near I-95. Maybe they moved to another state.

I ask for your assistance in suggestions and to please inform the members of your organization about Apollo and keep his picture on file for your records. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or suggestions. The only other thing I can think of is going on Dateline - to beg for his return (no ?'s asked), to preach about proper care, spaying & neutering, dogs stolen for drug money & research and such.

Regards and thank you in advance for your time and the wonderful work that you all do for our Shelties.
Kathy Cashmark
7675 Kindler Road
Laurel, MD 20723
301-725-6432 (not my voice on the machine but it's my #)