A couple of weeks ago in Sonoma County, California, animal control officers received a phone call about a stray dog that had been seen in a rural area for at least one week and appeared to be living in the trunk of a very large tree. The place was known to officers as a common dumping ground for unwanted pets. Animal control officer Shirley Zindler, who has authored a book entitled The Secret Life of Dog Catchers, went out to the area with her partner and saw the little dog flee into her tree trunk. It took them a few hours and lots of treats to coax the pup out of her hiding place and safely capture her.
Photo Credit: Shirley Zindler
When they finally got a good look at her, they found the pup to be underweight around 7 pounds, be of the Chihuahua variety, less than one year old, and one last thing – pregnant. She was named Boo after the literary character Boo Radley. Unfortunately, due to the stress and starvation she had undergone, none of the puppies survived when she went into sudden labor and required emergency surgery. Even after her rescue, Boo was very wary of the officers at first and while her progress continues to be slow, she is gradually learning to trust humans again. Zindler took her home as a foster and asks that anyone considering giving her a home be very patient and willing to work with her. Boo has a home with Zindler and her other four dogs until the right match comes along.
If you want to follow Boo’s progress, you can do so on Zindler’s Facebook Page: The Secret Life of Dog Catchers. View a slideshow of this beautiful girl below, with all photos courtesy of Shirley Zindler.

- Patty, who has taken Boo under her wing
- Look at that smile!
- Nice and clean after a soothing bath!
- The tree where Boo took up residence
References:
1. Huffington Post
2. The Dodo
3. Daily Mail UK