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!