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Have you seen a shy cattle dog?
By SHARON L. BOND, Neighborhood Times Business Editor ST. PETERSBURG -- The two leashes holding back Bonnie, an Australian cattle dog, weren't enough to keep her from zipping off after a cat while on a walk. Dragging one of those leashes behind her and wearing a red bandanna, she hightailed it and disappeared. Her owner, city zoning official John Hixenbaugh, is beside himself trying to find Bonnie, who had been abused before he adopted her late last month. He has organized a search. He has put up posters. But so far he has had no luck. Hixenbaugh adopted Bonnie, age 3 to 4, after she was rescued from a California puppy mill. Some 170 animals, many of them Australian cattle dogs, were taken from the mill last year after being neglected to the point of abuse. They were kept in a dog shelter while they recovered and were socialized. Bonnie was one of the last few sent to homes all over the country. Hixenbaugh got her on Feb. 23. He said Bonnie survived her time in the puppy mill by making herself inconspicuous, and he figures if she can find a good place, she will hide. "If people will just peek under their crawl spaces, under their porches or in open sheds," he said. "She's been missing since 7 p.m. Friday," Hixenbaugh said. "We were out walking, and she got out of her collar." They were near Sixth Avenue N and 46th Street. Hixenbaugh said he had one leash attached to her collar with her identification tags and a second attached to a neck chain. Bonnie spotted a cat and slipped out of her collar to run after it. She dragged the chain collar and its leash with her. Bonnie is black and gray with tan markings. She weighs 29 pounds and has been spayed. She also has a microchip and was wearing a red bandanna. If the dog is found, she must be approached cautiously or she will run. She is current on all of her shots and would not bite, Hixenbaugh said. On Tuesday he mailed 500 postcards to homes in the vicinity of where Bonnie ran off, hoping someone has seen her. A reward is offered. Hixenbaugh can be reached at 328-9007.
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
