Around The Cracker Barrel - Bringing Lost Dogs Home: Red Collar Rescue & Recovery (Aired 08/21/2026)

This week on Around the Cracker Barrel, host Guy Atchley welcomes Mechelle Colby, President, Founder and Trapping Director of Red Collar Rescue and Recovery, a Southern Arizona nonprofit dedicated to helping reunite lost dogs with their families and giving at-risk and abandoned dogs a second chance.Mechelle shares the very personal story that inspired the organization. In late 2023, her own dog, Tucker, escaped from a boarding kennel and was missing for 22 days. The experience showed her just how difficult it can be for a frightened pet owner to know what to do—and how powerful community involvement can be in bringing a lost dog home. After Tucker was safely recovered, Mechelle and many of the volunteers who helped search for him turned that experience into a mission to help other families.Red Collar Rescue and Recovery now provides families with practical, step-by-step assistance when a dog disappears. Lost-dog consultants help owners create effective flyers, establish scent and feeding stations, contact neighbors and businesses, check cameras, and map sightings using Google Maps. When a dog's movements can be narrowed to a specific area, professionally trained volunteers can deploy humane traps monitored by live cameras.Mechelle also explains why the first hours after a pet disappears are so important. Families requesting help receive a detailed Recovery Roadmap with immediate steps they can take while waiting to speak with a consultant. She also warns listeners about scammers who prey on worried pet owners by falsely claiming to have found their missing dog.The organization is powered by volunteers, with opportunities ranging from field rescue and trapping to lost-dog consulting, scouting, flyer creation, fundraising and other roles—including jobs that can be done from home. With 22 volunteers, Red Collar Rescue and Recovery is continuing to look for dog lovers who want to get involved.It’s an inspiring conversation about determination, technology, teamwork and the remarkable resilience of dogs—and an important reminder for anyone who has ever faced the fear of a missing pet: don’t give up hope.To learn more, request recovery assistance, volunteer or support the organization, visit theredcollar.org.