RAPS Officer and Volunteer Save Masha!
The street-smart dog couldn't elude them forever!

Sunday, July 12th, was an exciting animal-rescue day for RAPS ACO Shane Burnham and RAPS Volunteer Gwen. After some careful planning they executed the dramatic rescue of a lost dog that had recently been flown to Richmond from Moscow. The six-year-old dog, named Masha, was born on the streets of Moscow and rescued by her current owners. Masha accompanied this elderly couple when they moved to Canada in mid-April. Within a week of their arrival, the dog got loose, and her owners were unable to find her. Officer Burnham tracked the skittish, shy dog all over Richmond for almost 10 weeks, feeding her whenever possible, but was unable to capture or even approach the terrified animal.

Finally Officer Burnham decided to ask for help from the public to obtain a large dog trap. He posted a listing on Craigslist explaining the dog’s situation, and Gwen, a volunteer from Chilliwack, offered to assist with her dog trap. During his day off, Officer Burnham and Gwen began trapping at 2:00 p.m. on that Sunday afternoon. By 9:00 P.M. Masha approached the trap which Gwen had equipped with a fresh barbecued chicken for bait. Masha could not resist, and Gwen and Officer Burnham finally caught sweet Masha at 10:00 p.m. after almost three full months on the streets of Richmond.

Masha is now home with her family in Richmond thanks to Officer Burnham’s diligence and Gwen’s willingness to help. Nicely done Shane! Check out the further media coverage on this event!

Richmond News Story
Vancouver Sun