Sunday, February 28, 2010

On Swedish territory and an all-night vigil--February 20-21

NOTE: Since this is a blog, chapters will appear in reverse order. This is part 5.

Now that we knew where Gigi was staying, her foster Mom from Charlottesville returned early on Saturday. While Nancy H managed the flyering campaign from our home, Nancy T, her friend Kay, and Scottie, one of Nancy T's three Shelties, and I went to the Swedish residence. We had alerted Eva Hafstrom, the Ambassador's wife. We rang at the gate, and a man in track-suit came out and opened the door for us and waved our SUV in. We were surprised when he introduced himself as Jonas. It was the Ambassador himself. He was incredibly warm and welcoming.

Based on expert advice, the plan was to see if Nancy T, Scottie and chicken could lure Gigi out of hiding. Jim provided Nancy T with an arctic-rated sleeping bag and chicken. Gigi's foster Mom trudged down the hill from the house, in snow that was still more than two-feet deep. The skies were blue and sun intense, reflecting off the bright-white expanse. Nancy T laid out the sleeping bag near the tennis courts. She sat down, scattered chicken around, and proceeded to love on and sweet talk Scottie, feeding him chicken as well. Nancy kept this up for an hour. It was around eleven AM. Nothing. No sign of Gigi. So we packed up, and met Eva, who had been out. She is an exceptionally nice person, who worked for the national police of Sweden. She introduced us to her dog Nalle (Swedish for Teddy Bear), a Swedish Jack Russell (he looks like a Jack Russell with wiry hair).

Nancy, Kay and I joined the flyering campaign, with the three us of focusing on areas around the embassy. Before we left, Jonas and Eva gave me access codes to their property so I could enter at any time. I couldn't believe how generous and trusting they were.

Later that afternoon, Sam Connelly, of Pure Gold Pet Trackers, arrived with a humane trap, which we placed within the residence grounds just near the gate at 44th and Van Ness. To be clear, a humane trap is like a dog kennel with a door that closes once an animal steps on a trip plate at the back of the trap.

When Gigi first began her great adventure, we were most worried about the cold. We quickly learned in our heads if not our hearts that cold was not a threat. Dogs have an instinct for survival. If they get cold, they get up and move, which raises their body temperature. In addition, the residence grounds include conifers which had branches which reached to the ground. These branches served as a tent--underneath, the temperature is 15 degrees warmer and dry. Needles can be burrowed in. Sam also explained that humans who are lost worry about being lost. Dogs don't. They focus on survival. They seek three things. Food, water, and shelter. The residence grounds has shelter--the trees just described. They also had water--there was a flowing sream, plus snow. To our knowledge, there was no food. So that is what the trap provided. But let me go back to that moving to stay warm thing. Sam let me know (I had no idea), that with temperatures in the twenties, the trap would have to be monitored every hour, since a dog that can't move can quickly die from hypothermia. So I hired Sam, who spent the night watching, with an occasional visit to our house.

When Sam came to our house at 7:00 the next morning--Sunday--she let us know that Gigi made her first appearance at 5 AM. She smelled the chicken and wanted it badly. But Gigi had been abandoned in Virginia and caught in September 2009 in the same type of trap, so she was hesitant. She crouched, approached, then ran off. She repeated this pattern several times, before running off on the residence grounds.

On the plus side, we knew where Gigi was. We had permission to be there. But we needed to know more. What was Gigi up to? What were her "hours"? The answer to that in the next blog...where Dr. Monsein plays the most critical role. A cat, raccoon, and a fox also figure in the next chapter of this tale. And after that, the happy ending, when we reveal the stunning secret ingredient that led to Gigi's capture.

Prep, focus, and access--Friday, February 19




NOTE: Since this is a blog, chapters will appear in reverse order. This is part 5. Arrow on satellite photo points to Swedish residence. You can get a sense of the size of the "backyard." The large building to the right is the Japanese compound. Also included is a photo taken by Eva Hafstrom of Gigi poised to enter the Japanese property.

Nancy had to work Friday, and Jim worked half a day. In the afternoon, he printed Gigi flyers, bought plastic sleeves to put them in, prepared directions for volunteers, and bought stuff (staplers, push pins, duct tape, clear tape) to fasten them to poles, stop signs, and random other public objects. Later that night, we stuffed flyers in plastic sleeves, confirmed volunteers, and Nancy printed a map of the AU Park area, divided into 24 areas, and highlighted those. So when each team arrived on Saturday, they would have a specific assigned area and almost everything they would need. It is critical to assign areas, so folks don't duplicate efforts.

At 10:30 PM, we received a call from Larry Miller, who was walking his Labradoodle Chloe. He was at the corner of Van Ness and 44th--the exact place Gigi was seen two nights earlier. She was headed south on 44th, and ran across Van Ness. She narrowly escaped being hit by a car, and darted through the same fence, into the property of the Swedish Ambassadorial Residence.

Since we had known that she was spending time there (and we believed in the adjacent Japanese property), Nancy had called both the Japanese and Swedish Embassies, to see if we could get access to both properties. The Swedish Embassy quickly provided us with Eva Hafstrom's personal cell number. Nancy left a message, and Mrs. Hafstrom (who told us to call her Eva), said to just call whenever we needed access. The Japanese staff were polite to Nancy, but made it clear that we would not be allowed on the property. Although we were not surprised, we thought it a little ironic since we both lived in Japan, Jim has Japanese relatives, and Nancy speaks Japanese. But let us say right away, that Eva soon called Yoriko Fujisaki, the Ambassador's wife, who alerted her staff, so that no one would inadvertently scare Gigi off. The Amabssador and his wife have a dearly loved black labrador named Skipper. Skipper receives prominent mention in the offical biography of the Ambassador and his own story is fascinating. We really knew we were in the nation's capital, and Gigi had discovered one of the largest, safest and most beautiful parcels of land in city.

Everything was now ready for the what turned out to be seven days of knowing where Gigi was, but not being able to get her. We called it the Big Wait.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

The Great AU Park Trek--Thursday, February 18





NOTE: Since this is a blog, chapters will appear in reverse order. This is part 4. Photos are of Salsa and of Salsa and Sam tracking Gigi.

Our first impulse when Gigi ran away was to search frantically ourselves. This was unproductive. Possessed by love and consumed by fear, you feel compelled to get out and save your baby!

What we needed to do was identify where she was (our sightings were a great start), get flyers posted throughout our neighborhood, and get the word out online--this blog, Facebook, Twitter, lost dog sights (Petfinders, Pets 911, Craigslist [under both DC Lost & Found and Pets categories], and community forums. Online resources are quicker to implement these days. That way, you have hundreds perhaps thousands of eyes looking for your pet.

At this point we had two sightings--44th and Garrison and 44th and Van Ness. We needed more information. That is why Jim met Sam Connelly of Pure Gold Pet Trackers at 5:30 PM on Thursday to see if they could sniff Gigi out (for our account of how we connected, see blog Part 3).

Before we describe the great trek, let us describe one other step we took. Nancy was told about Find Toto by Mary Rowse. This service can make robo-calls (automated voice messages to land lines like you get from candidates during campaign season) to an area around any address--in our case, our home's. For $300, we paid for 2,500 calls. Subsequently, our flyering team heard repeatedly (and we heard from neighbors) that they had received and remembered the calls. In the space of days, we encountered folks who had received a call, an e-mail and had seen our flyers. Jim has a background in advertising, and it is well-known that repeated instances of one person receiving the same message multiple times (ad guys call it frequency) make it more effective. This is not an endorsement of Find Toto, but we don't feel we wasted money. We do think flyering is the most critical task--once you know where to poster, which brings us back to the Great AU Park Trek.

Jim met Sam Connelly and her tracking dog Salsa (see the You Tube video of Sam and Salsa in action by clicking here) at 44th and Van Ness. We brought a dog Snuggie that Gigi had been wrapped in as the scent item. Salsa is an eight-year old Golden Retriever, and phenomenally sweet and talented. She immediately picked up the scent in a pile of snow and ice. The she was off, with Sam following, holding Salsa's lead, followed by me and a documentarian who is working on a special TV show on scent dogs for the National Geographic channel. For a map of our track, click here.

Here's what I wrote that night:

I just got back from a 4-plus mile trek, as Sam and her scent dog Salsa (a golden) tracked Gigi's route from the sighting at 1:30 AM this morning. She has established a circuit that is primarily in AU Park, but Gigi crossed Massachusetts into Spring Valley and back, up Mass Ave to the circle, down Nebraska Avenue to Wisconsin, then back into Tenleytown, across River to 44th and Harrison where she was seen Tuesday night, up to Western, west on western to River (again) and across River yet again. We gave up the track one block from our home (what a heartbreaker).

There was much I didn't write, partly because I was exhausted and heartsick. As I saw that Gigi had crossed Massachusetts and River and walked along Mass, Nebraska, River, Western and Wisconsin (all very busy streets--though Gigi was probably doing this after midnight), I couldn't believe she hadn't been or wouldn't be killed by a car. The map doesn't convey the panic she must have felt that was clear from following her track. When she reached Wisconsin Avenue at Tenley Circle, she was clearly confused. She clearly rested awhile in a recess in front of some doors at St. Anne's Church. She repeatedly sought protection under a row of yew shrubs. Then she ran back and forth and in circles by the playground in front of the school on the church property, which may have reminded her of a playground near her foster home in Charlottesville. (It is ironic that Jim works for KaBOOM!, the national non-profit that builds playgrounds for children in need across North America.) She then turned back and went down far less busy streets, only to walk down River and Western. I quite frankly was in despair. Remember, the snow was deep and it was bitter cold.

When I began the track with Sam and Salsa, I naively assumed we might actually find Gigi. I had visions in my head of coming upon her and grabbing her up in my arms. This rarely happens--unless the dog is dead or injured. The purpose is to define the territory the dog is wandering in. When we stopped, Sam advised me would find out nothing more that night. And we are armed with the critical information we needed for the next step in operation "Gigi's hope"--flyering. Getting ready for that would consume our next day--Friday.

Meanwhile, back at Gigi HQ--our home

NOTE: Since this is blog, chapters will appear in reverse order. This is part 3.

On Wednesday, February 17, twelve hours before Kelly spotted Gigi at 1:30 AM the next morning, Nancy launched the first version of this blog. We did so as the result of great advice from Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue, Danny Finkelstein of Lucky Dog Animal Rescue, and Mary Rowse.

They let us know what a critical role such blog sites can play in finding a lost pet. Danny quickly became our Gigi IT department. Nancy set it up using blogspot (which is easy), having had no prior experience. The online team at national non-profit KaBOOM! report to Jim, but he had no hands-on experience. His staff also assisted our efforts. The blog design was improved by Nancy Despeaux a few days later.

While Nancy Hunn was getting the word out on list serves, launching our blog, calling several embassies in the vicinities (more on that in the next post), and recruiting the help of a dog tracker, Jim printed flyers (designed and e-mailed by Gigi's foster mom, Nancy Tisdale in Charlottesville) and began posting in the two areas where she was sighted. So, a word to the wise -- be sure to have photos of your dog on hand; we didn't have them since Gigi had only been with us three days. I did this fliering on my own, and realized that it is a job that demands more help. Once person just cannot cover enough territory. More about how to organize a campaign to post flyers in another chapter.

As time was of the essence and Nancy had chatted with Mary Rowse, who had been involved with Baxter's rescue the week before, Mary advised that we call Sam Connelly of Pure Gold Pet Trackers to get Gigi's circuit in Northwest DC. Luckily Sam and Nancy H. were able to speak about the incident, and Sam agreed that she would bring Salsa, her scent dog, to Washington, to track Gigi's circuit.

The first critical sighting--1:30 AM February 18

NOTE: Since this is blog, chapters will appear in reverse order. This is part 2.

At 2:04:39 AM on February 18, we received this email from Kelly Spring. Kelly is a trainer at Your Dog's Best Friends, a daycare, cage-less boarding, grooming and training facility in Alexandria. They specialize in providing guided socialization to anxious and insecure dogs.

Now, I've been working in the local rescue community for three years and have a soft spot for shy dogs who need some extra time and understanding to come out of their shells.

What she thought was the yard of a house on Van Ness, was in fact the very back of the Swedish Ambassadorial Residence, which faces Nebraska Avenue near American University. Please be sure to read the last paragraph of Kelly's email! Kelly never drives down this road. And rarely is she about at such a late (or early) hour. This sighting was critical. Because once a dog is lost, you need sightings to know where to flyer and, in this case, where to begin a scent track.

I saw Gigi at Van Ness St. and 44th tonight (this morning at 1:30)! She was running down Van Ness St toward Mass Ave. I pulled over, but before I was out of the car she slipped under the chain link fence to the yard of 4400 Van Ness. I considered climbing over, but it's a huge back yard and I couldn't see her anywhere and I'm not sure that its fully fenced and she was actually confined.

In the moment that I saw her -- she looked fine.

Nancy, you should see if you can make contact with the people who live at 4400 Van Ness to see if they will cooperate -- let us put out a feeding station, call if they see her, NOT CHASE her, POSSIBLY let us place a trap there if there are additional sightings or Sam from Purer Gold finds evidence that she is hanging out there, etc.

This is a quiet neighborhood -- not a lot of traffic. And it may be an enclosed back yard with limited points where she can enter and exit, so this could be very good news.

On a side note, I have NEVER driven home this way. I was on my way home and testing out an alternative route to work for tomorrow to avoid snow constricted Nebraska Ave. It is also incredibly rare that I'm driving home at this hour. It is nothing short of a miracle that I happened upon her. My fingers are crossed that this is just the first inexplicable miracle in the Gigi search!


Note: We did have a sighting of Gigi the night she escaped our house. It was reported the next day. A DC real estate agent saw Gigi at 10 PM the night she slipped out our front door at 44th and Garrison, near Friendship Heights (behind Lord and Taylor) and several blocks behind Rodman's on Wisconsin Avenue. She knew to call us because we reported Gigi's absence on various neighborhood list serves--which is a critical and relatively easy first step. This turned out to be at the northern edge of the territory Gigi roamed. She was seen again there the next night. That is why additional sightings were needed.

Now the story of Gigi's rescue can be told--the introduction

For reasons that will become clear, we were not in a position to share everything that we knew over the 10 days that Gigi was gone. I believe anyone would agree that her story is remarkable, with incredible elements of providence or serendipity, depending on whether you believe in a higher power or luck.

The people who contributed to Gigi's return include: the Ambassador of Sweden, Jonas Haftsrom and his wife Eva and their little Swedish Jack Russell; a pet tracking grandmother and her amazing scent dog Salsa; the two folks who gave us our first critical sightings of Gigi, one of whom was walking his Labradoodle Chloe, the other happened to be travelling down 44th St. NW in lieu of going down Nebraska; the wife of the Japanese Ambassador (who has been reading this blog); and, most importantly, Dr Lee H Monsein, whose house borders the estate of the Swedish ambassadorial residence. It was Lee (as my Nancy and I have come to know him), assisted by his 4-year old female boxer Rave, who used motion sensor detectors, webcams, night vision scopes and many sleepless nights to catch Gigi. Dr. Monsein did so at 3:30 AM last night, after watching Gigi for seven hours. Between Eva Hafstrom's repeated viewings of Gigi at one end of the residence's vast "backyard" and Lee Monsein at the other, we have known Gigi's comings and goings for a week. The trick was getting her.

But like any good story, before we say how that happened, let's start at the beginning.

Before I do that, my wife and I believe that by telling the story in full, we hope to offer hope to other humans who have lost their beloved animal companions and hope to everyone who doubts the goodness of folks here in the nation's capital. Many others not yet named above volunteered in many ways--from posting flyers, to helping Nancy and me create our first website, to connecting us with critical resources and help.

I also hope to share some pointers to others who have are searching for their dogs and cats, to supplement the resources already available online. These searches work best when combining hi-tech, social media, and old-fashioned shoe leather hitting the streets. Nancy and I knew none of this when Gigi slipped out our front door on Tuesday, February 16.

Gigi is asleep in her bed in kitchen

After getting home at a little after four this morning, with Gigi on leash and in our arms, we walked up the steps to our bedroom, and Gigi jumped into bed, laid down, and promptly fell to sleep. Nancy and I were too excited to do so. She's taken several naps since. She appears to be in good shape and seems to appreciate warmth and her soft bed. But she will for the time being wear a leash at all time, and no door is opened without her being held by the other on a leash or behind a closed door between her and the door outside.

We will start posting soon about what happened.

GIGI IS FOUND AND SAFE IN OUR HOME!!!!!

Details later today. She looks fine. It's so unbelievable that we have her back. A million thanks to all who have helped. And to all who have had positive thoughts and wishes. Now that she's back, there we can share some amazing stories. So please check in again for the next few days.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Gigi's foster mom arrives tomorrow--again!

Nancy Tisdale, Gigi's foster Mom from Charlottesville, Virginia, is travelling up 29 North to DC for the third weekend in a row. She's bringing Scottie, another Sheltie, who was one of Gigi's playmates when she spent five months with Nancy Tisdale. Nancy is going to attempt to entice Gigi out, with the help of Scottie and KFC.

My wife Nancy and I are incredibly grateful to Nancy T. She loves Gigi as much as we do. And Gigi has a real bond with her (she only spent 3 days with us). We believe she is searching for Nancy T, so foster mom is coming to her. She has had as many sleepless nights as we have. Please join me in thanking her. Do so in the comments section, so Nancy T. can read your thoughts. She is a devoted reader of Gigi's Hope, as are many of her friends and colleagues in the Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue. Also, let us now give a shout out to all the help we have received from that tremendous organization.

What food makes the best bait for Gigi? And the winner is?

Nancy and I have heard from many folks. Opinions seem to be heated. There are advocates for roast beef. For cat food. For canned lamb tripe for dogs. For raw ground beef. For roasted chicken. But a plurality clearly favors fried chicken. Some friends of Gigi firmly advocate for Popeye's. But, if by vote, there is a winner, it is Kentucky Friend Chicken. If you have an opinion, please COMMENT on this blog post and share it with everyone. Nancy and I read comments as reliably as we read e-mails. We just wish there was a KFC anywhere near us here in AU Park in upper northwest DC. So we've opted for Popeye's, since they have a location on Wisconsin Avenue. And we tried multiple other options. Thanks for all the input. Keep on caring. It does mean a lot to us.

Trap fixed and fuller report of Gigi's activities last night

The humane trap is now fixed and being checked on a regular schedule. Gigi was in sight from 11PM last night to around 3 AM this morning, laying down (but there's not sleeping) and occasionally running around, no doubt to keep warm. She continues to approach the trap (which looks like a kennel), but did not go in. Maybe soon?
Gigi was also seen in a different area (but still away from roads) at 6AM today, and was also doing fine. So she did OK on a cold and VERY windy night.

At 3: 30 this morning, Gigi seen at trap

But the trap blew over in the wind! Will go set straight soon.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

I hope her hiding place is out of the wind

It's so windy out. It's got to be frightening for our little girl. Hang tight and stay warm Gigi. We are thinking of you and praying for you. Thank goodness that the big snow is missing us here in DC this time.

Gigi seen in same area at 5:30 PM

Gigi was seen twice around this time. The first folks thought she might have a slight limp, but a little bit later the sighter saw no evidence of this. This is second time this difference has been reported. In both instances, walking on snow/ice vs. grass may explain the difference. Or it could be a slight limp that she walks off. Given the fact that she probably crossed Nebraska Avenue at rush hour yesterday, we are not too worried about this. We know she has fed.

Gigi being observed right now at 6:45 AM

She is checking out the trap, and laying down and occasionally walking near some trees against a fence.

E-mail from a Gigi fan

These current posts remain heart wrenching!! GiGi looks very good. Wow that lil' monkey Houdini! Her street savvy is saving her now; she knows how to negotiate a busy avenue. I thank the Gods for that.

Better news--Gigi seen at 9 &11 P last night in safer location

Gigi was seen at 9 and eleven PM last night where she was photographed yesterday morning. This is in an area that is safe from traffic!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Disturbing new sighting--can anyone confirm?

At 4:30 PM this afternoon, Jim received a call that reported seeing a dog that looked like Gigi behind the McDonald's on Wisconsin at Van Ness, walking down Van Ness towards Nebraska. The call was from a young girl. Jim immediately drove there and canvassed the area and could get no confirmation. Both Van Ness and Nebraska were choked with traffic, and this would be the first daytime sighting of Gigi. All others have been clustered from 10PM-1Am and from 5AM-8AM--none in the afternoon. I pray and hope this was a mistaken ID because the traffic is so bad in this area. On the other hand, it is not that far down the street where she has been reliably reported--just across a very Nebraska which she hasn't crossed before.

IF ANYONE WAS ON VAN NESS BETWEEN WISCONSIN AND NEBRASKA AROUND 4:30 THIS AFTERNOON--OR HAS FRIENDS OR KNOWS AU STUDENTS WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN THE AREA, PLEASE REPORT ANY SIGHTINGS!

Gigi photographed 7AM February 24


It is a blurry photo, but that's our girl. She's reported moving fine. You are probably wondering why we can't get her? Remember, she's smart and fast, and in survival mode. She avoids all humans. The great news is she's staying put in a relatively small area that is free of cars. We are advised by all the experts to be patient. It's driving us to distraction, but we are taking their advice. They have been through this many times. Jim tried sitting on the ground near here 15 minutes after this photo was taken. with my back to where she was this morning, I spoke happily to Gigi and sang badly (I can't carry a tune to save my life). It didn't work (I don't think the off-key warbling was the reason why), but I took some comfort in the fact that Gigi was there and heard every word. I left her some nice fried chicken--her favorite! She needs some nourishment with the snow storm predicted for tonight (luckily, not a deep one--fingers crossed).

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

So close, so close and yet so far

Gigi is closeby and what frustrates Jim and I is the fact that while we attempt to sleep, she is roaming around cold and alone. We know where she is living. We rest assured in the fact that AU Park neighbors and friends are respecting Gigi's need to roam , while we strategize with folks in the "dog rescue" business about the best method to reel her in. We are beginning to think this may take some time.

Another letter and more prayers

These letters do help. After a cold and rainy night, tossing sleeplessly thinking of Gigi alone out there, reading letters like this helps to lift our spirits and give encouragement.

Dear Nancy and Jim,
I live in Chesapeake, Virginia. You and Gigi have been in my thoughts and prayers for days.
Something similar happened to our "new," unsocialized sheltie who spent her first five years at a mill - she was not a NVSR dog. We were able to "bring her back home" because of the help of some wonderful people and the power of positive thoughts and prayer.
I was distributing flyers to individuals going to church on a cold February, Sunday morning. After church one of the ladies decided she would spend some time looking for our girl. She spotted her and was able to enlist the help of some work men (who also had been given flyers that morning). They followed her until we arrived - I was able to entice her with food while sitting on the ground.
The members of the church had posted our flyers on the front doors of that beautiful church - I will never forget that image. The woman from the church would not accept the reward, so we donated it to the church in her name. The pastor called me and he told me that he read our letter of appreciation to the congregation. The workmen also received the reward.
Our girl is now a very, very stable and happy member of our family. Obedience and agility classes really helped tremendously in the bonding process. She is a radically different dog today and nothing like that could ever happen again.
I know that Gigi will be home with you very shortly. Until then, please know that you are all in my prayers.

A letter from one of Gigi's readers

I want to tell you I am following Gigi's progress each day. I hold tight my sheltie's, Hidalgo and Bella and send my positive thoughts to her; wishing her safe return home.
I had an idea. I suggest Bella is a great deal like Gigi and if she were in Gigi's position, I'd record my voice and that of Hidalgo's and place near that Havaheart along with the scented clothing, her blanket. She would be apprehensive of the small confines of the trap too. (less it were crate size.) but i'm certain she will go in just to feel home.
Know I am praying many times over the course of our day.
Jan Edwards

Gigi just seen at 7AM Tuesday

We just received a call. Gigi was reported looking healthy and active. It's now been almost a week. We have feeding station and humane trap in the area. The good news is she seems to have stopped her wide wanderings and is staying in a relatively safe area. Now, we need her hunger to overcome her fear of being caught. Whatever your inclination--prayer, intentions, positive thinking, please send good thoughts her way.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Thanks to all the volunteers this weekend!

We had more than a dozen folks come and post flyers in Gigi's roaming area over the weekend. Drive the area from 46th east to River on the north, Wisconsin on the east, Nebraska on the south and Massachusetts on the west and you'll see LOST SHELTIE flyers. We couldn't have done it without each and everyone of you!

Gigi seen this morning

She was doing OK at 6:30 AM this morning. She was seen on private property. The owner is cooperating with our efforts, but asked us not to disclose the location. I'm sure everyone who cares will respect that. It is a safe place, and we have established a feeding station, which will encourage her to stay, and give the humane trap a chance to work. We don't want anyone near her, because it could cause her to run and hit the streets again, which would be a grave danger. Since it is an open area, no one will be able to catch her. It is a waiting game, and all the experts advise patience, which is hard to do, but essential to her safety.

So keep your eyes open for Gigi on the streets or sidewalks. If you see her on the street, call either number on the top right of the web page immediately.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Do's and Don'ts if you see Gigi

We have been advised everything a person might be tempted to do instinctively if you see Gigi is probably wrong! Gigi is now in survival mode and perceives everyone/everything as a threat. We are providing tips straight from our pet tracker on what to do if she is seen by you.

Here are the DON'TS if you see Gigi (they are counterintuitive to us):
1. Do not look directly in her eyes.
2. Do not approach her at all... not even a step.
3. DO NOT CHASE.
3. Do not convey alarm or concern in your voice.

Here's what to do:
1. Turn away and pretend to run away from her for 10 steps or so.
2. While running, use a positive and conversational tone of voice, and say her name, as if you were in the house playing.
3. Then, ideally, get on the ground (even though it is a mess outside) and squat, with your back to her, continuing to say things like "Sweet Gigi", "good girl" etc. in a happy tone. By doing this, you are in effect putting yourself in a submissive position to her.
4. Keep doing this. Gigi may appear to run away, but could well be hiding and observing you from a bush. Sam Connelly, the Pet Tracker, says you should keep this up. If you are walking another dog, crouch down and praise that dog.
5. If she does not come, which may be likely, please report your sighting--call 202-537-3660 or our cell--202-528-7724.

Many thanks for your help and consideration.

Gigi spotted 3 more times last night

We have proven sightings in her territory. We are working with Sam Connelly, of Pure Gold Pet Trackers, and narrowing in where Gigi is sleeping. This is real progress.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Robo call has yielded great results

This week we reached out to all 0f our neighbors in our zip code--2500 folks, through a robo call on Find Toto. You may have heard that Nancy (that's me) is missing a dog, Gigi, via phone. Jim and I want to say that we appreciate all of our neighbors in AU who are looking for Gigi, and we hope she will come home soon. I hope the call was not too much of a nuisance.

Guys, she is skitterish. The concern for me is that her bond is with her foster mom in Charlottesville is great. She is looking for her in Washington. Jim and I only had her 3 days. But you know what, even though her time here was short, Jim and I fell in love with her.

So if you can spot her, and you can cajole her into a safe, warm place, with 3 sides (she likes walls), that would be good. This advice is from her foster mom, whom I must say knows her like no other.

Two humane traps being set up

Based on sightings and the Gigi track that was defined when Salsa, the scent-dog, followed where Gigi is travelling, we are new setting up two humane traps. We have our fingers crossed. Though we are worried about how hungry she must be, we need her to get hungry enough that her desire for food overcomes her extreme fear of people. Gigi was caught by the humane animal officer in Charlottesville five months ago. We believe she had been abandoned. We don't know what her first year and a half was like, but it was probably not good. It is ironic that so many people are trying to help this sweet baby, but that she is so fearful of the humans that are so willing to do so much to save her.

The Hunn's reach out to each and every person today who came out to post the flyers on her behalf. Thank you so much.

Posting on telephone poles, posting online--every post helps

Teams of volunteers for Gigi covered the eastern half of her territory. Tomorrow, the western! We need the eyes on the ground of the folks who live there. All of our confirmed sightings have been from local residents who saw flyers or read about Gigi online. So if you can't post flyers on poles, please write about Gigi online, including local list serves, your Facebook pages, etc.

Six teams working. Need four more!

Thanks to everyone who is out posting flyers. Our goal is to cover half of Gigi's territory today. We need four more teams if we are going to get it done. Today. Or tomorrow.

Gigi's foster mom arrives from Charlottesville to help--can you?

Gigi's foster mom, Nancy Tisdale, Scottie--one of her three Shelties--and Nancy's friend Kay are arriving in a few minutes to help with our search and posting of Gigi Flyers. We're ready to hand out flyers to those who want to post them at 10 AM.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Confirmed sighting at 10:10 PM 2/19 at Van Ness and 44th

A nice man called us--he saw Gigi who was once again at 44th and Van Ness. He said she looked fit and running fast. She narrowly missed getting hit as she ran across Van Ness before running into a fenced area. This is the second specific spot we know she's returned to. The other is 44th and Harrison, many blocks north.

How to docs for volunteers

Here are critical documents you can download.

Please read the tip sheet first!

We will have flyers in plastic sleeves, push pins, duct tape, and maps ready by 10AM tomorrow, Saturday, February 19 for pick up at our home in AU Park (it is Metro accessible) (directions in Tips doc). You can print and post the flyer yourself within the track Gigi has been making. But please follow tips if you do (i.e., flyers need to plastic sleeves or will quickly dissolve).
Broadly speaking, Gigi is moving in the area between Mass Ave on the west, Nebraska on the south, Wisconsin on the east and Western on the north, plus a push into Spring Valley just south of the Crate & Barrel. In terms of neighborhoods, it is AU Park, Tenleytown, Friendship Heights and Spring Valley.

Posting widely outside this area is not advised by the experts. A few blocks outside the perimeter is good, since her route may expand gradually, if she doesn't find what she is seeking--shelter, food, and water.
If you do post on your own, please let us know via commenting on this post
Here is downloadable map of Gigi's route.


Area where Gigi can be found

Sam from Pure Gold Pet Trackers and I established this area where Gigi is moving at night. As a herder, she travels in circuits. Now we need help posting flyers in this area.

E-mail me at jhunn@kaboom.org to volunteer. Time is of the essence!


YOU CAN CLICK ON MAP TO SEE IT LARGER

Sending good thoughts to Gigi on Sat 2/20 Noon

From Gigi's Ttouch practitioner in Charlottesville:

The power of Intention is that a group of people holding the same thought carries more power than a single person holding that thought. This is often thought of as a prayer. Even if you are not nearby DC to volunteer to look for Gigi directly, this is something else we can all do to help.Please join me in holding the prayer/intention; May Gigi be completely safe. May she be easily and gently found, caught and safely reunited with her people. Please hold these thoughts through out the day and night whenever you think of it. Then, on Saturday, February 20, at 12 noon EST, please hold this prayer or silent meditation for 10 minutes together. We will increase the power of this prayer if we join together at the same time. Please use your social media outlets to post this prayer & info. The power of this prayer will increase with each person who joins in. May Gigi be completely safe. May she be easily and safely found, caught and reunited with her people.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Dog tracker and Gigi, so we now know her route--now we need volunteers to post Gigi posters this weekend

I just got back from a 4 plus mile trek, as Sam and her scent dog Salsa (a golden) tracked Gigi's route from the sighting at 1:30 AM this morning. She has established a circuit that is primarily in AU Park, but she crossed Massachusetts in to Spring Valley and back, up Mass Ave to the circle, down Nebraska Avenue to Wisconsin, then back into Tenleytown, across River to 44th and Harrison where she was seen Tuesday night, up to Western, west on western to River (again) and across River yet again. We gave up the track one block from our home (what a heartbreaker). I'll try to get up a map soon, which will define where we need to put up Gigi posters. My wife and I DESPERATELY NEED VOLUNTEERS. If you are available this weekend, please e-mail me a jhunn@kaboom.org. I will print posters, but you can also e-mail me the e-file. I'll post more tomorrow. I'm exhausted now.

PS. Gigi is sticking to sidewalks on busy streets, and in the street where it is less busy. I guess she has some street savvy. Of course, the walls of snow on either side of the sidewalks act like a luge track, directing her use of sidewalks.

PSS. I nearly had a heart attack at some of the places she went last night (Tenley Circle). The greatest risk to her right now is being hit by a car, not cold and starvation, though those are also factors. AS ALWAYS, please re-tweet this blog and let your friends know on Facebook. She'll be save (if she makes it) by someone who knows who she is. We can reach far more with social media than any other way. Please, please help.

Pettracker's dog has Gigi's scent

The pettracker's dog that we are using now has caught Gigi's scent. Let's all pray for a miracle!

From Gigi's therapist in Charlottesville

Gigi was just getting used to people food, but she did like the carob Sammy Snacks I left with you. I think what's likely to make her really salivate is something with more aroma, like the chicken, catfood or a cheap cheeseburger.

How Gigi Was Caught the First Time

From Gigi's foster mom in Charlottesville:

I spoke with officer Larry Crickenberger this morning, the Albemarle county dog warden that caught Gigi in September. He remembers her well, and even remembers telling me that if she got away she'd be hard to catch. He eventually caught her with a Hav-A-Heart (humane) trap and cat food. He says she's got to get to the point that her hunger overrides her fear.

RESCUE INFO FROM GIGI'S FOSTER MOM

It would be wonderful if someone had a fenced yard where she could be trapped. If you ever get to that point, still approach her with caution. She'd never bite, but she's constantly going to be searching for a way out, even if that means upward. She can really jump and I'm sure she could climb a fence.

I'm hoping that the trust in humans that I tried to instill in her will eventually override the incredible fear she must feel.

New sighting at Van Ness and 44th in AU Park

This is as directly reported:

I saw Gigi at 4400 Van Ness St tonight (this morning at 1:30)! She was running down Van Ness St toward Mass Ave. I pulled over, but before I was out of the car she slipped under the chain link fence to the yard of 4400 Van Ness. I considered climbing over, but it's a huge back yard and I couldn't see her anywhere and I'm not sure that its fully fenced and she was actually confined.

In the moment that I saw her -- she looked fine.

I'll stop at that yard and slip a can of cat food under the fence to establish a feeding station tomorrow morning.

Nancy, you should see if you can make contact with the people who live at 4400 Van Ness to see if they will cooperate -- let us put out a feeding station, call if they see her, NOT CHASE her, POSSIBLY let us place a trap there if there are additional sightings or Sam from PureGold finds evidence that she is hanging out there, etc.

There were several Gigi flyers on my stairs when I got home tonight (great work!) so I'll drop one at their front door as well.

This is a quiet neighborhood -- not a lot of traffic. And it may be an enclosed back yard with limited points where she can enter and exit, so this could be very good news.

On a side note, I have NEVER driven home this way. I was on my way home and testing out an alternative route to work for tomorrow to avoid snow constricted Nebraska Ave. It is also incredibly rare that I'm driving home at this hour. It is nothing short of a miracle that I happened upon her. My fingers are crossed that this is just the first inexplicable miracle in the Gigi search!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Potential sighting 2/17

Gigi was spotted at the Armenian Church tonight at Jamestown and Flint across Western in Bethesda. This was at 10 pm; she was headed in the direction of Mass Ave.

Thanks to our new volunteers

We and Gigi appreciated everyone who has emailed for the Lost Gigi poster and have agreed to post it near Friendship Heights and Chevy Chase. We are praying for a new sighting. You can call 202.528.7724 or post a message to this site and we can send out additional electronic posters.

Gigi may move at night

Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue says that Gigi may move at night. Please be alert if that is the case. If you see her, please call 202.537.3660 up until 10 pm.

Gigi spotted last night at 44th and Garrison

Gigi was spotted last night at 44th and garrison (2/16) at 8 pm headed toward Chevy Chase Pavilion down from Rodmans. Sandy McKnight kindly tried to corral her and she came back several times, but to no avail. If you see her please let me know.

Best,

Nancy

Pls help with the search for Gigi


Folks,

My husband and I have tried our best to canvass with flyers for Gigi. Can you please help hand out flyers? If so please call Jim, my husband, at 202.528.7724.

Best,

Nancy

Thanks to all of our neighbors in AU Park


Thanks to all of our neighbors in AU Park who are helping to search for her. Though we have no sightings, we are praying that Gigi will be seen by someone in the neighborhood. Though I do not know many of you and am acquainted with others through our passion for dogs, please believe it when I say, I am trying touched by the kindness that you have shown in the search for Gigi.

Regards,

Nancy

Gigi got out last night



My beautiful Sheltie (AKA miniature collie) newly placed in my home by the No. Va. Sheltie Rescue got loose last night. I had her for three days in which she made my husband and me very happy. We are devastated by her loss. Her name is Gigi, she is shy, hard to catch, needs medicines and is microchipped. She can be lured with chicken, by crouching down and praising another dog. PLEASE DO NOT CHASE HER. She is skitterish and fearful. She got out of my gated kitchen last night at 7 pm when I went to collect the mail in American University Park. She was last spotted racing down 45st NW towards Friendship Heights and River Road. As I am recovering from a serious illness, my husband and I need help tracking her. We have put posters around AU PARK and Tenleytown. We have pinged the community list servs, Chevy Chase, Bethesda, Tenley, Glover Park, Cleveland Park and have put posters in public places around Tenley. We need help placing flyers. If you can help, please call my husband Jim at 202.528.7724. Thank you in advance for your help and your interest.

Regards,
Nancy Hunn

202.537.3660 (H)
202.512.6279 (W)
202.528.7724 (Jim's phone)