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.