It's funny, but once you start helping an animal rescue, you immediately become the person that your neighbors turn to if there is an animal "problem." Sometimes you feel incredibly frustrated because you can't help, but there are other times when you can.

That's the way it was when our first litter of driveway kittens (4) arrived at our house. A neighbor had them in their yard and so, even though we hadn't trapped any before, off we went, carrier in hand, leather gloves and long sleeves at the ready. Thank goodness for those leather gloves.

I happened upon the next kitten while driving through the driveway, scooped little Jasmine up, and then found myself unable to park the car with one hand. Fortunately my sister-in-law and niece arrived at the same time and I passed Jasmine off to my niece. Now I have a collapsible carrier in the car, just in case.

As for Boomer, we let it be known that we were trying to capture this little guy and one day the doorbell rang and I was off. Boomer proved to be a little fighter, every bit as defiant as his grown-up feral siblings, but he was charmed by Erica and after a couple of sleepless nights for everyone, he quickly turned into a sweetheart.

We're getting used to the doorbell ringing for kittens, but this morning the phone rang at 7:15.

It was a call about a small dog that had been wandering around since the day before and was now resting on a neighbor's lawn. I gathered up some biscuits, fashioned a leash into a "noose" to put around the dog's neck, put on the leather gloves just in case, walked across the street and stopped in surprise.

The "small" dog was heading my way and wasn't my idea of small at all, but was a big Rottweiler mix. The dog was not threatening, but did not act as if she wanted to be rescued, refused the biscuits and headed back to the lawn where she had been resting. The individual who had called me lived next door and went inside for water and some leftover chicken, both of which the dog happily devoured. Feeling a little better, the leash was slipped over her neck and off she went to the Vetport to be held for 72 hours in the hope that her owner could be found, and if not, to begin her journey to finding a new home.

Today was one of those good days.

TODAY WAS AN EVEN BETTER DAY...CASSIE WAS REUNITED WITH HER OWNER!

I had posted Cassie's information on the Animal Care and Control website and received a phone call from this morning saying that they may have gotten a call from the dog's owner and gave me her information. The dog had traveled all the way from Brooklyn to Queens, crossing major boulevards and traveling many miles in the process. Who knows how many thousands of cars zoomed past her as she made her journey.

NEVER BELIEVE ANYONE THAT A DOG WILL REMAIN IN A 10 BLOCK RADIUS.

A lost dog will just keep on walking because they don't know which way to go to find their family and will just keep on walking and walking, trying to do so, even if it's taking them in the opposite direction. Expand your search, contacting vet offices many miles away from your home.

Thank goodness we were able to catch Cassie and bring her to the Bobbi and the Strays Vetport location. The dog was missing since Sunday, caught on Monday and here it is Friday. An animal in the city's system would have been given 72 hours, until Wednesday, for the owner to turn up at which point it would either have been euthanized or put up for adoption. As it was, Cassie received shots today and was set to go to an adoption event tomorrow.

Time is of the essence in locating a lost dog or cat.

Thank you for any prayers said for Cassie's safe return to her family.