Lily, min pin

Lily's story shared from her Mom & Dad's perspective
Posted to the Lost Dog Advocates FB Page
June 21, 2014

"I want to start off by saying I truly thank all of you for your help in getting Lily home, whether it be by prayer, sharing, looking or watching, and calling in when you spotted or thought you spotted you. You all are a big part of us getting Lily home.

This was a very long 33 days of heartache, worry, tears, high emotions, and low emotions: long and hard miles of searching, and tracking her scent.

After the first of searching we realized we could not possibly do it on our own. There was just too much wooded area to cover. Lily was scared and in hiding.

In our search we came in contact with a very special lady (Liz) who told us of a lost dog tracking service out of Geneva. We contacted Lost Dog Advocates right away and hired them for their help.

Amy came with her scent dog, Debbie, and we started at Jessica and Tim's house where Lily went missing. Debbie picked up Lily's scent in the back yard where she had of course been, but the next place she went after getting scent from the scent article was right where our grandson Timmy had told me Lily went after leaving the garage. I never told anyone that Timmy had showed me that area so I knew that Debbie had in fact had Lily's scent.

We immediately put out a lost dog amber alert in the area she was last spotted about a mile away from Jessica's. We set up equipment to track if Lily came into that area and a Catch and Release Trap.

Amy (Lost Dog Advocates) had been through this entire process on a personal level because of searching for and locating her own dog. She was always there guiding us and checking and tracking every day.

With the help of everyone calling us when they spotted or thought they spotted Lily we were able to see the path Lily had taken and try to guess where she may be headed so we could get ahead of her.

She is a very smart dog and the same thing that kept her alive in the woods is the same thing that made it very hard to locate her. She is a survivor and learned real quick what she had to survive on her own.

After Lily was spotted on Rte. 193 in Kingsville, Ohio Amy did a Track with Debbie. We had already gotten a positive scent so the next step was to track. This led Amy and Debbie down the tracks and into the woods again.

They then picked up scent in a Wheat field in the 3000 block of Creek Rd in Kingsville where we did what is called a push. When I learned Rich thought he seen Lily in the Wheat Field chasing a Turkey I believed we would catch her.

Again, thank you all who answered my plea for help and came out to that location.

We spent a few hours in that location with Debbie and Amy tracking. Lily must have slipped by all of us and went into the woods again. Our hopes of bringing Lily home were crushed yet again. We came home that night without her.

Amy had received a text from a girl on South Ridge Rd in Kingsville, Ohio that Lily was playing in the yard with her dog. Even though it was pouring down rain and looking like a tornado might hit, Amy collected the Safe Trap and moved it to the new location.

We could not get positive scent because of the severe storm and Debbie being exhausted from the push. We could do nothing but pray and wait again.

Rich and I put another Lost Dog ad in the paper, bought more posters to put up and also bought 2 more safe traps to help catch her.

We went to the location where the girl had seen Lily and talked to her sister as she was at work. It gave Rich and me joy to know that Lily was playing with her dog.

We then had to come home to tend to our 13 year old Black Lab who is blind and has diabetes. Amy called and wanted to meet us at the location of the last sighting so we headed back there when we were done tending to Jenny.

On the trip back to that location Amy called and asked that we meet her at Liz's house, it was very important. We didn't know if she had gotten Lily on camera, seen Lily in person, found her alive or dead. We were on pins and needles.

When we arrived at Liz's house Amy was not there yet. Liz acted like she did not even know Amy wanted to meet there. Liz called Amy and then asked us to have a seat. That made our hearts sink.

Liz said Amy was on her way and needed a phone number from Liz. She should get the actress of the year award by the way.

When Amy got there she came in the house with little expression on her face and said that she had told us she would never quit looking for Lily until she found her alive or dead. Then she said she quit. That hit us like a brick. We asked excitedly "Did you find her?" and " is she alive?". Amy responded with a YES!

I took off out the door for Amy's vehicle like a lightening bolt. Lily was in the safe trap in Amy's car. I did not want to open the trap until we had her safely enclosed in the garage. Lily recognized our voices and was just as excited to see us. We all hugged Lily and Thanked God for bring Lily home. I will ad pics later today. Thank you all!!!!! "