Unexpected and Unsettling Find

cactusman

Full Member
Nov 15, 2015
233
541
Western USA
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Gold, AT Max, AT Pro, Ace 350, GTI-2500, Infinium LS, Scorpion Gold Stinger, Pro-Pointer AT, Fisher F75 LTD2, Gold Bug 2, F-Pulse, Whites 24K, TM-808, Schonstedt Maggie, Falcon MD 20
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Instead of doing any metal detecting today I did my other hobby and went for a motorcycle ride, off road instead of on.

As I was riding down a random dirt road, about a mile from anything I found a dog, shivering and so weak it could barely stand. Right off it was clear that it had been badly abused and just dumped in the desert.

I called my wife and she put out a post on a local Facebook group, and I rode to the fire department, and they couldn't help, and said that animal control wouldn't be open until Monday.

I knew the dog couldn't last that long, but thankfully three ladies read the post and with the help of some basic directions they were able to find the dog and myself, as I rode back out to check on it, and all four of us got it fed, watered, standing on its own. I found part of a tie-down and ran a loop back through the metal hook to make a leash, and one of the ladies got the dog into her side-by-side and took it home.

It may not be a metal detecting find, but at least that dog now has a very good chance for survival and hopefully, a loving home.


BTW: My tomcat is a rescue; he was dumped after the housing market collapsed and I took him in, and he along with one other cat lead happy (spoiled) lives with my wife and me.

AbandonedDog.jpg
 

Kansas_Jayhawk

Full Member
Mar 11, 2017
151
175
Colorado
Detector(s) used
Fisher F75 and Tesoro Silver uMicromax
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
People who treat animals in this way need to be treat the same way the treated the animal. No sense in it. If you cannot care for the animal find it a decent home.
 

Hillbilly Prince

Silver Member
Aug 9, 2018
4,999
12,712
SW Missouri
Detector(s) used
Garrett All Terrain Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I can't write what I would dearly love to do to those scum.
Good he was saved.
 

uglymailman

Bronze Member
Feb 3, 2010
1,266
1,463
Good Juju headed your way for this Cactusman. It takes guts to step up and do the right thing. Good luck.
 

RustyGold

Gold Member
Aug 16, 2013
9,372
10,901
Southern California
Detector(s) used
XP Deus I & II
Xterra Pro
Primary Interest:
Other
Cactus, what you did was the actions of a hero. That type of kindness is epic. Thank you for being that person who didn’t just ride on.
Banner!
 

Holyground

Hero Member
May 17, 2014
579
828
Not in the can
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT GOLD, Garrett ATX
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thank you. I would do the same. Be kind to all living creatures. I used to hunt anything that moved. I don't even do that anymore. Not judging those that hunt but something just changed in me. I don't want to hurt anything. Thank you for helping the doggy. However, my favorite animal is still steak.
 

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Tom_in_CA

Gold Member
Mar 23, 2007
13,837
10,360
Salinas, CA
🥇 Banner finds
2
Detector(s) used
Explorer II, Compass 77b, Tesoro shadow X2
Good story. It didn't have to do with md'ing, but ... good story and thanx for sharing.
 

Back-of-the-boat

Gold Member
Apr 18, 2013
6,891
8,524
California
Detector(s) used
AT GOLD/Garrett /C.Scope cs4PI/Garrett(carrot) pro pointer/ 5x8 double d coil and sniper coil/Lesche digger/Lesche "T" handle shovel.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Poor thing I am glad you were able to help it hopefully he/or she makes it.You were that dogs Angel of mercy.
 

SD51

Silver Member
Aug 24, 2016
4,832
9,957
MI
Detector(s) used
E-TRAC
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
God Bless You, I'm proud of you!
 

ARC

Gold Member
Aug 19, 2014
37,307
131,905
Tarpon Springs
Detector(s) used
JW 8X-ML X2-VP 585
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Well done man.

You took the correct and higher road.

You have opened my eyes to your character... and I commend you for this good deed.
 

creskol

Gold Member
Jan 14, 2007
13,623
22,670
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
5
Primary Interest:
Other
A sad story with a happy ending .. Thank you for saving that poor pup! He/she will make somebody a very loyal pet.
 

sprailroad

Silver Member
Jan 19, 2017
2,647
4,132
Grants Pass, Oregon
Detector(s) used
Garrett A3B United States Gold Hunter, GTA 1000, AT Pro, Discovery Treasure Baron "Gold Trax", Minelab X-Terra 70, Safari, & EQ 800, & Nokta Marko Legend. EQ 900.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
You can check the box after your name cactusman for "One of the good guys".
 

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,724
40,808
Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
10
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Good for you. I have rescued hawks and a great horned owl and some small birds before. Four of my cats are rescues.
 

pulltabfelix

Bronze Member
Jan 29, 2018
1,011
1,631
North Atlanta
Detector(s) used
Currently have CTX3030 and Vanquish 440.
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Good Job their Cactusman! Don't think the poor critter would have lasted much longer.

My best dog was a Brittany. Somenone unknown but well meaning, chained him up to the fence at a no-kill dog shelter at night. The workers found him the next morning. He was underweight and very fearful. Found out he was strong heartworm positive. The shelter paid for that cure that was expensive. He was not doing good, was afraid of all men and very high strung. Not your normal characteristics for a Brittany. I was considered his last option because they would not put him in homes with kids or a home where there was no one there during the day. Since I worked from home and had no kids in the home, they made me an immediate foster so I could take him ASAP and adopt him later. Turned out through other xrays we found he had a broken hind leg that was not properly set and had been shot because the birdshot showed up on the xray they took for his limp. So the vet thinks he was a working hunting dog who got shot and ran off and got hit by a car. He knew the verbal hunting commands so that pretty much added weight to our guesses. In short Booth (his name) was the best dog I have ever had in my life and I have had dogs in my life since I was born. He was a birthday present from my late wife of 30 years. She agreed that I could have a dog of my own. A month after getting Booth my wife was diagnosed with cancer and passed 7 months later. Booth was a great help to me to get through this very tough period of my life. He rescued me. RIP Booth, I will never forget you.
 

No gold in NY

Bronze Member
Mar 22, 2015
1,688
2,921
Detector(s) used
Whites Coin Master,
Whites Gold Master GMT, Whites MXSport
High banker/dredge,
DIY hand trommel,
DIY Miller table,
DIY fluidbed gold trap sluice,
Keene A-52 A-52s
2186 Wheaties
Primary Interest:
Other
Well done cactusman. There is a place in Heaven for you. I hear of too much of this cruelty just in my area.
 

BigWaveDave

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2013
9,323
16,998
Mountain Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
2
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
4
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, AT Max, Minelab
Equinox 800
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Good story. It didn't have to do with md'ing, but ... good story and thanx for sharing.

Tom in CA..... Master of the obvious.
This was posted in General Discussion.... not metal detecting legal issues. Sometimes you gotta stay in your lane and not go off with inane comments.


And as for Cactusman.... you sir, I, and we here at Tnet, hold you in the highest regard..... Nomination for Honorable Mention to be submitted.
 

Oct 5, 2014
31,886
35,425
Massachusetts
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Garrett: AT Pro, AT Gold & Infinium; Minelab: Explorer SE, II; Simplex; Tesoro: Tejon & Outlaw; White's: V3i
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Well done and thank you for sharing! :occasion14:
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,598
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
Great deed done. Congrats
 

smokeythecat

Gold Member
Nov 22, 2012
20,724
40,808
Maryland
🥇 Banner finds
10
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus II
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
One of my best cats, now long gone, was a pickup from a farm I was detecting back in about 1990. This medium size orange cat kept following me around, and was limping badly. The farmer told me somebody had dumped him off just before Christmas. It was now March. I left without it, but the next time I came back it was still there. It was eating fish heads and cornbread the farmer had given it, and had been feeding it and a couple others. Well, it kept following me around, so I had the farmer catch it and put it in a cardboard box and took it immediately to the vet because it is indeed a strange critter to me. Satan came out of the box. The vet said it would never be human friendly and wanted to put it to sleep immediately. I said no, I spent $322.45 in 1990 dollars to get him fixed up. He was trying to be friends with one of the cows and the cow had dislocated his hip, They fixed it. I had him 17 years. He slept next to my face every night. He DID try to kill people who visited us from time to time. He was a great friend.
 

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