TGIRecovered
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A golden retriever sometimes has reddish hair.
I don't hike - go through the trails maybe, but not like that - So forgive my ignorace =)
But - is having your dog off lead something that is normal to do? Does it depend on the dog etc? Not sure what type of certificate she's holding in the one pic released of her and her dog, but I was thinking she's done some type of training with it (dog).
Has anyone searched petfinder or called the local shelters in that area to see if they've had a "drop off" or a pickup complaint of a dead animal that matches her dog's description?
I know it seems I'm focusing on the dog. BUT if I were going to do something, The dog would be the first thing that would be "dealt" with. That's just based on personal history w/ My dog though. If it came down to it, I know/seen what he'll do/ is capable of.
Or am I "barking up the wrong tree" here?
I used to hike and camp a lot before I developed a foot problem. You never take your dog off their leash. And for the most part, victims of foul play usually don't have a dog with them. Dogs are a deterent to two legged creatures. However, they attract four legged ones because they view dogs as a food source. For that reason it's not a good idea to hike with a dog at all.
The LE friend and the sighting of the other person is just too wierd for words. Finding the batton, water bottles and leash is very strange. In all my years of hiking and walking trails, I've never found a batton or seen one on another person. And I've never seen a leash or collar laying around.
Two things come to mind. They were attacked by an animal and she let her dog off the leash and bacame prey herself as well. Or her dog went into water because she let him off the leash and got into trouble going after the dog.
SuziQ wrote:Two things come to mind. They were attacked by an animal and she let her dog off the leash and bacame prey herself as well. Or her dog went into water because she let him off the leash and got into trouble going after the dog.----------------------------------------------------------------Those sound like good possibilities to me, but it still seems like a strange coincidence about the baton and sunglasses near her car. A baton and sunglasses are two things that could make a person appear to be a cop, and why were they near her car?I need to learn a few things before I go hiking with my dog. I would have probably let her off the leash because she enjoyes running so much. I can see now that it would not be a good idea!
Jinxie, I'm confused as to some of the facts as well. They are different in each article. I could see a leash being taken off, but the collar? One of the reasons I never take my dog off a leash is they could spot a rabbit or something and just take off after it. Even the best trained dogs do this, and there is no prayer in the world of stopping or catching up to them.
When using a leash with my lab mix, I attache it to a harness rather than the collar, so it won't hurt her neck. I have to watch out to be sure I get the harness all of the way past the collar so they won't get tangled. I can see how, if I were holding the leash attached to the harness, and someone tried to hurt me, my dog would jump on them, and they might grab her collar and pull it off in the struggle. Susan
Accidents do happen all the time, but it's the human element here that bothers me. If the items were found near her car at the trailhead, then I doubt she was attacked by an animal. And do we really know if more than one person spotted the baton toting person? Every article is different.
Union County is in the mountains and it has been freezing the past few days - I mean bitter cold and wind.
All the big animals are in hibernation. Snakes and Bears would not be out and about this time of year, which usually makes this a good time to go hiking. Except that most people wouldn't go out when snow is forecast in the mountains and the temperature is dropping.
Someone might have a baton to fight off dogs or wild boars, and then there are foxes and bobcats which are much smaller. Otherwise, there is no real reason to arm yourself in that area.
That wasn't just any trail either, but the Appalachian Trail. That is a very rugged part of the Trail, with ridges that go up and down, and those valleys would get dark early and very cold. It's wild there.
However this article says she was from Colorado, which is probably why she wasn't afraid to hike there. Going there alone was probably not a good idea, though, because it is remote, and the trails are empty this time of year.
This isn't just a walking trail, but wilderness, so I'm not surprised she let the dog off the leash. Perhaps she had one of those harnesses with an attached collar, and that's what they might be talking about. I doubt the actual collar was found, unless that dog is like mine and tries to slip out of the collar if you grab hold of it? (Sorry - I see some of the rest of you already posted that idea!)
Susan, I understand what you are saying and it could still be a possibility but the wsb article above said that "Hikers" saw her talking to this older man. Meaning more than one person. Also, the person who found the baton etc. turned it in to the Visitor Center. As the story gets updated a few more things become apparent than the first story.
SuziQ wrote:Two things come to mind. They were attacked by an animal and she let her dog off the leash and bacame prey herself as well. Or her dog went into water because she let him off the leash and got into trouble going after the dog.----------------------------------------------------------------Those sound like good possibilities to me, but it still seems like a strange coincidence about the baton and sunglasses near her car. A baton and sunglasses are two things that could make a person appear to be a cop, and why were they near her car?I need to learn a few things before I go hiking with my dog. I would have probably let her off the leash because she enjoyes running so much. I can see now that it would not be a good idea!
Im confused - the (ex)cop (sideline why is he an ex? retirement? fired? quit? etc?)
Did he turn in the stuff before she "went missing" and then came back around when it was reported she was? Or was the stuff turned in AFTER she was reported missing?
Sorry if I appear "not with it" but something is really bugging me here, and I can't quite put my finger on it yet. Just that "feeling" anyone else?