If you travel Reidel Road on a daily basis, you may have noticed two dogs on the property adjacent to the “sledding hill.” Many thought the dogs belonged to someone on the property, but as it turns out, these dogs were abandoned there. The large property has a lovely, abandoned home of the past Duckett family that is now being developed into new homes.

Michelle Cohn, owner of Tails on Trails and an avid dog lover, discovered the dogs on Dec. 25  as she was driving by, and appropriately named them “Reidel” and “Duckett” and began feeding them. After trust was established, the dogs would anticipate her to arrive daily with their food. Dogs left in the wild need special attention when trying to be around humans. Cohn would sit under a blanket in the cold months with hot dogs hoping to lure them in to eat and gain their trust.

Cohn spent many hours canvassing surrounding homes to try and find any information she could about the dogs. Apparently, people had seen there were five dogs running on the property, but now only two are accounted for.

An abandoned work shed on the property became a makeshift home for the animals. Cohn and some friends cleaned up the area of dangerous debris, placed down hay, and provided shelter for them.

While their breed mix hasn’t been confirmed, it is thought they may have some shepherd, chow and or spitz in them.

After some effort, Cohn set up an open kennel for them to come to where the food was waiting. Ultimately, after they became comfortable, they were able to be rescued in the kennel.

Other local people joined in her efforts by leaving food and water for them, but it took months for them to gain the trust of humans.

“Michelle has spent a long time trying to figure out how to best capture these dogs and rehabilitate them.  She pursued rescue organizations and advice from Animal Control,” said Kelly Buck who was also involved in feeding the dogs.

“This venture has cost her a lot of personal funds above and beyond buying the food for the dogs,” shared Ms. Buck.

With unsuccessful attempts from Anne Arundel County Animal Control and various rescue organizations, the dogs were not able to be captured for months. The dogs had been seen chasing cars on Reidel Road, lending belief that Duckett (the white dog)  may have been hit by a car since it has a limp.

Finally, in late April, another rescue group came in to work with Cohn to capture the dogs. The agreement was for the rescue group to have them carefully looked at by a veterinarian and perform and administer any medical treatment that was necessary. From there, it was the intent to get them fostered to a home or adopted.

Cohn has gone the extra mile to ensure the safety of the dogs, but more importantly, she has tried to keep the dogs together instead of being adopted apart. Since they have only had each other all of their lives, she stressed how important it was that the dogs be kept together.

At the time of this article, there is dispute between Cohn and the rescue group about keeping the dogs together. Cohn has agreed to take them herself and keep them, but because of disputes with the rescue group, communication has been difficult. The dogs are being kenneled in Reisterstown and awaiting adoption.

If you wish to help Cohn on her mission to keep these dogs healthy and together or just offer support, you may contact her at michelle@tailsontrails.net or visit her website at www.tailsontrails.net.