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Post by jettcricket on Mar 16, 2006 10:20:35 GMT -5
If you took in every loose dogs from the steets of NY you'd need a million dollars to feed them all. But I agree, a whippet should strike you as a dog someone has lost, not a stray. I don't care if it was a mutt, I still would not have let it go. I would have taken it to the shelter at least. Why jeopardize it's life by letting him run loose again? |
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Post by brockgusdad on Mar 16, 2006 19:33:03 GMT -5
Latest from Denise Flaim-
March 16, 2006
Managing expectations
Pet detective Laura Totis of Baltimore confirms that she will in New York tomorrow morning with her two lost-pet detection dogs -- Xena, an 11-year-old Rottweiler and retired search-and-rescue dog, and Chewey, a 2 ½-year-old German shepherd. She expects to work on the Vivi search through Sunday.
Laura will be accompanied by Sam Connley (who she trained) and her golden retriever Brando.
But Laura stresses that those who hope her dogs will lead searchers to the wandering whippet need be realistic: Detection dogs detect – they very rarely find.
"Tracking dogs by definition are following behind – they will never catch up," she says. "Missing dogs, and particularly sighthounds, are not likely to be there waiting for you."
Instead, she says, once the search dogs have confirmed that Vivi is in a particular direction or area, the focus next needs to be on containing her until she can be caught.
Using an "incident command system," or ICS, which is the formula most human searches are based on, volunteer searchers can be assigned functions and job descriptions. "When you look at the grid, search and rescue teams are down in the bottom lefthand corner," Laura says. "We’re one resource, but we’re not the most significant one."
Laura’s goal is to confirm some of the recent Vivi sightings with her detection dogs, and then help set up a long-term plan for Vivi’s capture. This includes continuing pubic awareness about her presence in the community, and possibly investing in useful equipment, such as humane traps and motion-detector cameras that are used by hunters.
"From what I hear, it sounds very encouraging," she says of the Vivi search so far. "There are consistent sightings within a couple of miles, and there is an environment to keep her there."
But, Laura stresses, pet detectives – herself included -- don’t come riding in on white horses or brandishing magic wands. At best, she can confirm Vivi’s presence in the area, help set up a plan to keep her there, and then leave it to enthusiastic volunteers, both local and long-distance, to complete the lengthy and sometimes daunting job of finally bringing Vivi home.
Like the song says, the waiting is the hardest part.
March 16, 2006 in Vivi Watch
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Post by tilliesmom on Mar 16, 2006 20:36:55 GMT -5
Thanks for the update, Ed. Still keeping Vivi in my prayers.
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Post by CampWhippet on Mar 21, 2006 13:35:14 GMT -5
March 20, 2006 newsday.typepad.com/news_local_flaim/vivi_watch/index.htmlVivi was sighted again today at 12:30 wandering on the street in the vicinity of Utopia Parkway and 47th Avenue. The caller said she allowed him to get close, but when he reached out to grab her she bolted toward Flushing Cemetery and ran along the cemetery fence line toward 162nd Street. Another woman called to say she saw Vivi in the cemetery last night, but did not think to call searchers. Presumably locked in the cemetery overnight, Vivi must have escaped this morning when the gates reopened. |
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Post by jettcricket on Mar 21, 2006 13:40:29 GMT -5
Whaaattt???? People your killing me.... |
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Post by jettcricket on Mar 21, 2006 13:41:34 GMT -5
Whaaattt???? People your killing me.... I notice whenever I try to bold information it's not working. Has anyone else tried to use this function? |
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Post by CampWhippet on Mar 22, 2006 22:32:06 GMT -5
SUMMARY & UPDATE AS OF TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY MORNING, MARCH 21/22, 2006
I appreciate Jeff Kimmelman letting me use this space to print updates about the search for Vivi. Tomorrow, on Wednesday, it will be five weeks since she was lost at JFK. Having walked the streets and parks of the area where she has been sighted, it is almost unbelievable to me that she is obviously still alive. Having had whippets, Vivi’s ancestors, for more than 40 years I know how tough and resourceful whippets can be, but never having lost one before I would not have expected them to survive for so long in the harsh climate and heavy traffic of New York in February and March. Yet judging from all the recent sightings it seems certain that she has done so. I’m not sure if all whippets could do that, but Vivi was always exceptionally strong and resourceful. Perhaps it would have been easier to catch her if she weren’t.
In the future these updates will be brief, pending major developments, but there are a few things I want to address. Some of these may perhaps be useful for anyone who in the future has the misfortune to lose a dog.
FINDING AN ENVIRONMENT
It seems certain that Vivi has found an environment where she can cope pretty well. How she got so far from JFK, across so many heavily trafficed roads, we will probably never know. She may have been caught at JFK and transported by someone who then lost her; she may have made it on her own. In any case, over the past ten days Vivi has been sighted at least a dozen times in an area of perhaps a few hundred acres, consisting of a greenbelt of parks and residential areas in Flushing and Bayside in New York. Most of the sightings are very reliable and have been further confirmed by three teams of five tracking dogs: Karin Goin, Laura Totis and her tracking partner Sam Connley. In one single day (Sunday) Vivi was sighted three times by different people at a cemetery; yet she has not responded to calls from Paul, Jil or me. (Paul spent the first 12 days in NY searching JFK and later went back
for a few more days’ search in Flushing; Jil and I went home to California after a few days at JFK but have both been back twice – Jil and her fiancé, Rick, are in NY now and plan on staying for the rest of the week.)
“GOING FERAL” AND SURVIVING
We have learned a lot about how dogs react when they are lost. Much of this may be surprising even to experienced dog people who have a close bond with their dogs. It is difficult to accept, but most dogs become feral fairly soon, go into a survival mode and almost never come back on their own to their owners or
> people they know, especially when they were
> lost in the obviously traumatic manner that
> Vivi was (somehow knocked out of her crate at
> JFK and chased along the runway by several Port
> Authority vehicles). The pet detectives told us
> the same story: the person who finally catches
> a lost dog is almost never the owner, nor the
> searchers, but rather some unsuspecting person
> in whose backyard the dog comes in looking for
> food. That person must not try to grab the dog
> but needs to be calm, give it a treat, speak
> softly and encouragingly, and quietly close a
> door or gate that precludes further escape. In
> other words, we are looking for a miracle.
>
> The other alternative is traps, which Vivi
> has so far avoided, either because she is wary
> of crates (possibly after a traumatic
> experience at JFK) or because she can find
> sufficient food elsewhere. I found a surprising
> number of sources of food for hungry dogs and
> cats in NY: kind-hearted people regularly put
> out large bowls of food in the parks, outside
> buildings, etc. Three traps have been set up in
> areas which Vivi is known to have visited, are
> baited with appealing, smelly food and checked regularly.
>
> According to some experts, Whippets are
> among the hardest dogs to catch. Of those I’ve
> heard mentioned, only Salukis and Italian
> Greyhounds are more difficult, the former
> because they remain feral longer than others,
> the latter because of their size and speed.
> Mary Hudson, President of the Italian Greyhound
> Rescue Foundation, sent some interesting
> information: “We have had dozens of IG’s in the
> same situation as Vivi right now. It is
> important to remember that these dogs when
> scared will run, run, run until they are too
> tired and hungry. It sometimes takes them a
> LONG time to tire and become hungry enough that
> they will be daring enough to get close to
> someone, let themselves be seen, or allow
> themselves to be caught, but THEY WILL. Sounds
> like that may be where Vivi is at the moment.
> We have had IG’s that have been lost 6-8 weeks,
> sometimes for months in warmer climates with no
> one able to catch them. There are always plenty
> of sightings, but these dogs (and Whippets as
> well) when lost and scared become terrified of
> EVERYONE very quickly. They DO NOT EVEN
> RECOGNIZE their owners/breeders when they call
> them as they search, because they are so
> traumatized. Their brains are on survival. Even
> after they are caught, it often takes a while
> for them to remember their owners, etc. and
> what their life was like before. If someone
> comes up on them if they are near the crate,
> they tend to run into the crate for safety
> instinctively and one can just close the door
> behind them. Again, they need to be tired and
> hungry enough. My heart breaks for this little
> whippet and I pray she is found soon. These
> sighthounds are amazingly resilient when lost and scared, though.”
>
> Although Jil, Rick, Paul and I have gone
> back to NY hoping that Vivi would come up to
> us, this is not likely to happen. (Jil and Rick
> have the best chances, since Vivi has lived
> with Jil for more than three years. Although
> she was bred by me she only spent her first few
> months here and has visited about once every
> couple of months since then.) The most
> important reason for us to go, following the
> pet detectives’ recommendation, was to imprint
> the trails and places where Vivi is with our
> scent, encouraging her to stay in this
> neighborhood. I would not have thought a
> sighthound could be able to scent us in such a
> large area, but those with experience in
> tracking lost dogs are confident that she can.
> It is vital that Vivi should stay in this area
> if she is going to be comfortable enough to let herself be caught.
>
>THE MEDIA, THE PUBLIC AND THE VOLUNTEERS
>
> It is amazing to me that so many people
> still care so deeply about Vivi’s
> disappearance. I don’t know why she has become
> the poster child for lost dogs, but apparently
> the media keeps running updates because of
> strong pressure from viewers and readers. (We
> expected the media interest to die off after a
> few days, but today she has been on Channel 7
> and 12 on TV, in the NY Times, Daily News and
> Newsday; tomorrow on an NBC affiliate, etc.)
> Obviously Vivi’s family will never stop looking
> for her, but if all the attention that her
> experience has received will benefit how dogs
> are handled by the airlines, then at least some
> good will come out of this. I know that the
> generous donations to “Bobbie and the Strays,”
> the shelter at JFK, will benefit a lot of lost
> dogs who are not as lucky as Vivi in having
> people looking for them. Without that knowledge
> it would be difficult to accept all the attention that Vivi is getting.
>
> Thanks to the media, practically everyone I
> talked to while walking the streets and parks
> in Flushing had heard of “the dog that was lost
> at JFK,” but nobody knew she is now in their
> neighborhood. This points to the importance of
> putting up flyers, or preferably posters large
> enough to be visible from passing cars that
> slow down or stop at major intersections.
> Apparently local media is starting to cover the
> search more extensively, and we are hoping that
> all coverage will emphasize the fact that Vivi
> has stayed in this area for more than a week.
> Obviously that, plus a mention of the $5000
> reward for returning her to us, increases the
> chances that whoever finds her in their back
> yard will be able to act quickly and helpfully.
>
> Another resource I hope can be utilized
> would be the local school children. Vivi is not
> afraid of children, has reportedly played with
> a 12-year old girl and didn’t run away until an
> older person disturbed them. If it were
> possible to educate children how to act around
> a stray dog it would help: never chase it, give
> it some of your lunch if it seems friendly or
> hungry, and try to get it into a yard or room
> where the door can be closed. Obviously the
> child’s safety is paramount; a dog like Vivi
> would not pose a risk to any child, but I can
> see that security may be a problem in other cases.
>
> It is impossible to thank all the
> volunteers who have spent hours, days and now
> weeks helping in the search for Vivi. Without
> them there would not have been any substantial
> search. It is important to confirm all reported
> sightings to be sure that she is still in the
> neighborhood. However, the most important help
> that can be provided now is producing and
> putting up more posters in the areas where Vivi
> has been sighted. It may seem more mundance
> than driving, walking or searching for Vivi but
> (again) according to those experienced in
> finding lost dogs, putting up as many posters
> as possible in the areas where the dog has been
> seen is the most important key in eventually
> getting the dog back. In fact, too many people
> actively searching for Vivi may be
> counterproductive, as the last thing we want is
> her getting scared enough to leave he area.
>
>THE AIRLINES
>
> As mentioned earlier, Jil’s lawyer Joyce
> Randazzo has received an inquiry from Delta
> Airlines concerning suggestions we may have for
> improving the procedure of shipping dogs. We
> take their offer to make some changes very
> seriously and want them to apply not only to
> Delta but to all airlines. Many have strong
> feelings about what should be required, but
> nobody has all the answers, so we would like
> the airlines to form an educated opinion after
> talking to a sufficient number of experienced
> pet shippers before making any decisions. It is
> almost impossible to find crates that stay
> closed even in an accident, yet are easy to
> open quickly in an emergency; that are warm
> enough in cold weather and cool enough in hot
> temperatures; light enough to be useful, etc.
>
> We are very pleased that Delta has asked
> for our input in this matter. We are, however,
> also still awaiting information that was
> promised several weeks ago about the internal
> investigation that reportedly took place
> concerning what happened to Vivi’s crate.
>
> I am indebted to Rudolph H. Auslander, of
> the Japan Airlines Management Corporation, a
> 37-year veteran of the airline industry, a dog
> lover and a volunteer with an English Springer
> Spaniel Rescue group, for the following
> information. He writes: “Since 9/11 and the
> implementation of the Transportation Security
> Regulations that we now operate under,
> unaccompanied baggage is carefully screened by
> TSA behind the scenes after you give it to the
> airline for check in. In the case of live
> animals, TSA does a visual screening of the
> crates in your presence. Is it possible that
> TSA agents opened the cage again to check the
> contents and failed to properly secure the lock after looking inside?”
>
> Here is what Delta says about shipping pets
> on their web site: “At Delta, we take the time
> and care to ensure every animal travels safely
> and comfortably with our Delta Pet First™
> service.” … “Rest assured that your pet will be
> treated with the same comfort and care you have come to expect from us.”
>
> The following are Government Regulations:
> “Your pet must remain inside the kennel (with
> door secured) while in a Delta boarding area
> (during boarding and deplaning), a Delta
> airport lounge, and while onboard the aircraft.”
>
> Here is what the Department of
> Transporation says about Transporting Live Animals:
>“Over two million pets and other live animals
>are transported by air every year in the United
>States. Federal and state governments impose
>restrictions on transporting live animals. In
>addition, each airline establishes its own
>company policy for the proper handling of the animals they transport.”
>
>THE WEEKEND
>
> I was not able to send an update about the
> search in NY this past weekend because I was
> there and did not have access to a computer.
> The details in any case matter little; all I
> can say that is that it was incredibly
> frustrating to be so close to where Vivi was
> sighted without being able to find her. There
> were several sightings while I was there during
> Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, on at
> least one occasion just minutes before I got to
> that location. It is also quite possible that
> Vivi heard my voice but was still too feral to
> respond the way she normally would. In addition
> to the girl who may have played with Vivi, at
> least one man fed Vivi bits of bread through
> the cemetery fence. He is sure that she no
> longer was wearing her collar but had a rope
> around her neck, which means that she in fact
> must have been captured once and then let go.
>
> Jil and Rick are walking essentially the
> same routes as I did, and Paul before us. I am
> hoping that they have more success than we did.
>
>THANK YOU
>
> It is impossible to properly thank all the
> people who have offered help and services in so
> many ways. There would be no organized search
> without Honi Reisman, who leads the activities
> in New York and should be consulted before any
> actions are taken concerning the search for
> Vivi. Bonnie Folz has organized the volunteers
> and keeps track of sightings. (It’s impossible
> not to mention two volunteers, Tina and Rosa,
> who have been out EVERY DAY assisting in the
> search, but the whole group is incredibly
> dedicated!) Brian Rosenberg has extended
> tremendous hospitality in placing the grand
> Garden City Hotel at our disposal for both the
> fundraiser and as temporary headquarters during
> Paul’s and my visits. Joyce Randazzo has
> offered to deal with Delta on Jil’s behalf, and
> Denise Flaim has assisted immeasurably in
> keeping the story alive through her Newsday
> updates, both in the newspaper and on the internet.
>
> I am sure I have left out many names and
> apologize for this; I doubt whether any lost
> dog ever has had as many generous, helpful
> people devoted to finding her as Vivi has. We
> are immensely grateful to this and trust that
> all this will help other dogs from suffering
> the same misfortune. We are also, finally,
> still hoping for a happy ending to this very difficult experience.
>
> My apologies for the length of the above. I
> hope it’s comprehensible; it’s now past 2:00 AM.
>
> Bo
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Post by brockgusdad on Mar 22, 2006 22:47:37 GMT -5
And, from Denise Flaim- March 22, 2006 Pet Detective reports Laura Totis, the pet detective from Baltimore whose searches confirmed that Vivi was in the Flushing area, sends this report to breeder Bo Bengtson and Vivi's owners: <<After discussion with you and the family I felt our goal was defined as having two priorities: Check areas of recent sightings to determine if they might be Vivi or not. To use the dogs to help narrow down the specific area she may be in We checked the sightings and found that in two of the areas the dogs were able to pick up a trail were the others we were not able to locate any tracks. We checked tracks previously found and determined they were most likely raccoon not canine. If you think of sightings, dog prints, physical evidence of animal activity, hair, dog alerts, photographs, as clues then, each clue from a different resource adds credibility to an area allowing the search management to prioritize areas of higher or lower probability. Although you can never say with 100% certainty she is here or she is not here until you have the subject (Vivi) home safely. My suggestion was that you try to locate the area Vivi may be in then work with resources that specialize in capturing dogs to try to trap her. We narrowed the area we felt was the most promising based on substanting clues including sightings, the scent specific trained dogs were able to pick up scent in the area and surrounding areas, and dog prints consistent with a whippet sized dog. We suggested areas for two traps Since Mr. Bengtson was concerned she may be "trap savvy" we bated the unset traps with food the first night. The dogs are a resource to help you locate Vivi, however the dilemma still remains of what to do with that information, you still need to capture her. Animal control may be of some greater assistance. The people in the houses with sightings that we worked with were extremely cooperative, leaving gates open to the yard and willing to set and check traps in their yard, use baby monitors to listen for activity so they could either close the gate behind her or call for assistance capturing her. It was all very encouraging when we left the city. I left the following suggestions for the folks managing the search on the ground. Hire a search coordinator to work closely with the family and folks running the search in the area. This might help take some pressure off the people who have been dedicating an awful lot of time and resources to the effort. They can track what is being done and when Where to focus the flier placements Track where fliers have been posted Coordinate a local response to sightings Prioritize placement of fliers so that they can be most effective. Start with Major intersections in a several mile radius using large posters on corners and at bus stops. Next hit the intersections where neighborhood roads come out to main roads Volunteers can go through areas with high probability sightings almost door to door passing out fliers and checking for collaborating evidence. It almost seems like the search is moving into a maintaince stage. I don’t think it necessarily gains a lot for the family to be on the scene. They can maintain a presence for Vivi through the use of scented items they can mail regularly. If they are on the scene their time can be spent walking areas of highest probability the goal being to keep her into an area until she can be trapped. It is unlikely she will come to being called even by family. Consider using wildlife motion detector cameras to check potential sightings. If she seems to be returning to a yard use baby monitors to determine if/when she is in the yard. Work with someone specializing in trapping live animals to help recover her. Good luck I am always happy to help if you lose the area she is in again. Remember trailing dogs by definition are behind the subject you really want to determine how to get her into a safe area where she can be trapped and recovered. We are always concerned that an enthusiastic pursuit can sometimes push the subject out of an area. That is where your shotgun approach to posters will prove helpful. All of your volunteers on the ground are doing an amazing job! If anyone can catch this dog they will. Good luck!! Laura Totis |
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