La Gracia, a Spanish greyhound, escaped from the TM’z veterinary clinic in Lumsden in late August. She spent three weeks hiding in the Qu’Appelle Valley before volunteers finally captured her.

Owner Garson Hunter drove to the valley every day, camped in his car, and left food out morning and night. The effort, plus veterinary treatment, trail‑camera equipment and a volunteer from Quebec, cost him more than $7,000.

Hunter turned to Geneviève Duperron of the Quebec‑based group Ge Cherche Charly. Duperron, who handles about 1,500 cases a year and boasts a 91 % success rate, says the best approach is to keep the dog’s location private, use passive food stations, and avoid large, noisy search parties that can scare the animal.

Following Duperron’s advice, volunteers placed trail cameras and several food stations near a quiet market garden where a local worker had spotted La Gracia. They also installed a specialized mechanism on a large crate that could trap the dog when she entered.

The crate mechanism worked on the first try, allowing the team to capture the hungry, sick greyhound safely. The quick success shows how targeted, low‑stress tactics can be more effective than frantic, large‑scale searches.

The Saskatchewan Veterinary Medical Association’s practice standards state that doors and windows must be secured, yet the SVMA did not respond to interview requests about the incident. Hunter now urges the association and provincial regulators to create clear, provincewide standards for safely capturing escaped animals.

Hunter’s experience highlights two key lessons: first, that a quiet, food‑based strategy guided by experts can dramatically improve rescue odds; second, that consistent provincial rules could prevent costly, stressful escapes for other pet owners.