Community Rallies Together to Find Dog Lost in Arizona Desert for 9 Months

A dog named Ghost has been rescued after spending nine months alone in the Arizona desert. People tried to rescue him previously, but Ghost always ran off despite the Tucson community leaving food and water off for him.

One person finally coerced Ghost into their car and he is now safe and sound and being cared for by an amazing rescue!

Kgun9 reports, "Desirae Trubee, co-founder of the Lost and Stray Response Squad, played a pivotal role in Ghost's rescue, but she says she couldn’t have done it without the help of the entire community.Eastside neighbors left out food and water for Ghost. But without shelter, neighbors would sometimes spot Ghost being cornered by coyotes. So they made an effort to rescue him."

On January 30, a neighbor called Trubee saying she was able to get Ghost safely in her car.

“It was so beautiful to see his smiling face sitting in her car. He just surrendered. He knew he was safe, and I think he was very happy about it,” said Trubee.

Related: Arizona Rescue Makes Plea to Help Senior Dog Who Desperately Needs Foster

Here's another update on Ghost who seems to be doing fantastic since he was rescued.

Not only was Ghost vaccinated and microchipped, the shelter writes he is doing wonderful decompressing and is very accepting of love and affection! They also shared, "We are working on walking on leash and he did great today. " Awww, good boy Ghost! It seems like he is acclimating well.

How To Catch A Stray Dog

There are various tactics you can use to catch a stray dog. Make sure you have an extra slip leash handy and lots of treats.

Your local Humane Society may have traps you can borrow to catch a stray. These don't harm the animal in any way and you simply put food or treats in them to lure the dog.

You can try opening your car door and asking, 'Wanna go for a ride?" That sometimes works with dogs that love car rides!

You can try throwing a ball or frisbee. Some dogs will approach if they'd like to engage in playtime.

Use another dog to help! Sometimes dogs enjoy the company of other dogs and may approach you if you have a dog with you.

If the dog seems dangerous or makes you uncomfortable, call animal control or the sheriff’s department, to report the stray and have them catch it.

Catching a stray dog is so important because not only could they get hit by a car, they could bite other animals (or people!), freeze in cold weather, get overheated in hot weather, and starve without food. We are so happy this The Lost and Stray Response Squad was able to save this sweet Ghost and we hope they find their forever home soon!

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