Gigi, sheltie

Gigi's Story
Washington DC
March 2010

Gigi, a beautiful Shetland sheepdog who had been a wandering stray in the middle of Virginia when rescue by Northern Virginia Sheltie Rescue, had been in her new home only three days when she got out of the gated kitchen while Nancy went to collect the mail. Nancy and Jim immediately launched a huge campaign to find and recover Gigi, and gained a large number of supporters and volunteers over the next several weeks while she was missing.

Sightings being called in showed that she was spending time some blocks away from home, in the area behind the Sweden ambassadorial residence. So Nancy called there to see if they could gain access to their grounds. The Swedish Embassy provided the personal cell number of the ambassador’s wife, Eva Hafstrom, who went on to play a critically important role over the next week while Gigi spent time behind her home.

One of Gigi's sighters is friends with the owner of the home that backs to the rear of the Swedish embassy grounds, a doctor named Lee Monsein. As it turned out, Lee is passionate about dogs – certainly about his own boxer, Rave – and he’s also a hi-tech enthusiast. He agreed to train his “Ravecam” on the humane trap that was now set up on the back of the Swedish embassy property, for the time being, rather than use it to keep an eye on Rave when he wasn’t home.

Over the next several days, Eva at one end of the property and Lee at the other were able to establish Gigi's schedule. So in a real sense, Gigi was no longer "lost". Nancy and Jim knew just where she was. Eva and her own dog Nalle would see Gigi nearer the residence in the morning hours from 5am to 7:30 AM, and Lee reliably saw her from around 10PM to 3AM. Eva also would see Gigi in the evenings, and Jim also saw her in the mornings.

The humane trap borrowed from Sam Connolly of Pure Gold Pet Trackers was catching a fat orange tabby and a fat raccoon, and the mangy fox who lives on the grounds was following Gigi around, as reported by both Lee at one end of the parcel of land, and Eva at the other.

Lee came up with the idea to use his dog run, which had a gate that opened onto the residence grounds, as an enclosure trap. Unlike a small trap, the roofless run might well prove less scary to little Gigi. On his own initiative and with his own money, Lee purchased a motion detector and aimed it at the gate, which was left partially open. 100 lb rope was tied to two points on the gate which was physically close to a window in Lee’s home. Lee then ran the lines through the window from which he had removed the screen, and he closed the window. When the motion sensor detected movement, it rang an alarm in the house, so Lee could come and pull the gate shut.

The bait used included fried chicken, raw ground beef, and a t-shirt donated by Gigi's foster mom, Nancy Tisdale, with her scent on it. At 1 AM the next morning, the alarm rang. Lee observed Gigi enter the run. He then pulled the rope to close the gate. But the food hadn't placed the food far enough from the gate, and Gigi turned quickly and slipped out.

The team worried that she would remember, and possibly avoid the run at all costs. Over the next 48 hours, she did approach both trap and run numerous times, but never entered either one. She was clearly hungry. At 3:30 AM on Friday, as Gigi was approaching the trap, it blew over, despite being chained to a tree. This was observed by Lee, who was by now getting very little sleep.

That day, Gigi's foster mom Nancy remembered how much Gigi loved playing with a kickball, and suggested that the one that Jim had brought home the very evening Gigi escaped be taken to the area around the humane trap. Jim was dubious, but he dropped off the kickball when he took the fresh chicken to the trap on Friday.

Later that day, Lee observed Gigi playing by herself with the kickball – as if she were in a soccer match of one. She would push it forward with her head or bat it with her paws, chasing after it. So at the suggestion of Sam the pet tracker, Lee placed the kickball along with the food in his dog run, with the motion sensor detector aimed at the gate, and the ropes running through the windows. The detector sounded an alarm in Lee's house if anything approached. So Since he had placed a second motion detector aimed at the humane trap, and since Gigi was very active, approaching both the trap and dog run numerous times, Lee got little sleep as the alarm in his house repeatedly woke him up.

Finally, at 3:30 AM, Gigi, entered the dog run - with the kickball in it. Lee slammed the door shut at which time Gigi went ballistic. She started to leap the height of the six-foot fence. Lee was afraid she might bounce over the fence and once again take flight. Quickly entering the run and picking Gigi up, Lee took Gigi into his downstairs den and called Nancy and Jim at 3:47 AM. Ten minutes later, they walked into the basement room where Gigi, cool as a cucumber, was being petted by Lee.

None of the foods that the many Gigi fans suggested (KFC, Popeye's, lamb tripe, roast beef) did the trick. It was a rubber ball and the promise of play!

What makes this so extraordinary is that Jim works for the national profit which advocates for the importance of play in children's lives -- KaBOOM! In fact, it was a KaBOOM! kickball that lured her in. We know that play makes children healthier, physically and emotionally. And in Gigi's case, play literally helped to save her life.

More information: http://gigishope.blogspot.com

Duke, black lab

Moon police work quickly to reunite stolen dog, SUV with owner
By Jill King Greenwood, Tribune-Review
Thursday, July 3, 2008

Timothy Lansberry walked out of a Sheetz convenience store Tuesday to find his Cadillac Escalade was stolen.

But Lansberry of Chippewa wasn't worried about the luxury SUV, or the wallet and cell phone he had left inside.

He cared only about his constant companion, Duke, a 12-year-old black Labrador retriever who accompanies him on his job as a contractor and was waiting in the vehicle, with the windows partially rolled down, while Lansberry and his co-workers grabbed a quick, late lunch.

"I couldn't believe Duke let anyone he didn't know inside the truck, and I was doing some serious praying," said Lansberry, 37.

"I didn't care about the truck and the other stuff. But my dog is my buddy. I was pretty upset."

He turned to Moon police officers who happened to be at the Sheetz. The police department and Sprint Communications worked to track Lansberry's cell phone signal, and located the Escalade at Beaver Valley Mall.

Officers arrested Michael Anthony Hudak, 23, of Clinton in the theft, said Moon police Chief Leo McCarthy.

But Duke was nowhere to be found.

Police said Hudak at first told them some men at the mall gave him the truck and that no dog was inside. But Moon police watched surveillance footage from the Sheetz store, which captured images of Hudak getting into the truck. He then admitted he dumped the dog, police said.

When officers checked with the Beaver County Humane Society, they learned a woman in Independence Township found the dog wandering on a rural road, took him inside and called Humane Society officials.

"He goes everywhere with me and never leaves my side, so I don't even have a collar or tag on him," said Lansberry, who was relieved when an officer called a police dispatcher to report, "We got him."

"When I heard he wasn't in the car ... I thought the worst," Lansberry said.

He and Duke and the Escalade were reunited about three hours after the ordeal began.

"It's like they had an Amber Alert out for my dog," Lansberry said. "The police took action immediately. I am so grateful."

Police said Hudak used Lansberry's debit card at three gas stations and a shoe store, and police found a crack pipe and drug paraphernalia in the SUV. Hudak was charged with theft, receiving stolen property, possessing drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

"So many things came together, and people worked hard and this is a great ending to the story," said McCarthy. "Too often, it doesn't always happen that way."

Source: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_575782.html
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Knight, sheltie

Knight's Story
Penny Sanderbeck
January 2001

As she approaches the garage she looks up and sees the filthy, matted black dog. He senses the intruder’s presence and slumps to the ground as he scurries to hide under the bumper of the closest car. She quickly stoops and gently calls his name, “Knight.” His whole body freezes at that moment. He stops in mid motion. What was it that he heard? There. There it is again. “Knight.” His head slowly turns to look at these two intruders. Could it be? He looks from one to the other. He recognizes no one. Yet, they seem so familiar.

He turns and makes eye contact with them, looking from one to the other. There’s something there. He feels a strong sense of familiarity, gentleness and security. She gently reaches out to pet him, softly cooing to him. She takes the right ear in her hand and checks it. But, really there was no need. She already knew. She knew the moment she had seen him. She sensed it. It was Knight. There was no doubt. After four long, torturous months, the hunt was finally over. Knight was right there in front of her…

The date was August 26, 2000. Veronica Dowling (HiDow’s Shelties) of Brown City, MI, with the belief that Knight would be happier decided to place Knight with a couple from Columbus, OH. In the earlier hours of August 27, they arrived back home with their new four legged family member. Throwing caution to the wind and ignoring all instructions, the leash was removed and Knight darted away. Suddenly, less than eight hours after arriving, Knight found himself on his own and in unfamiliar territory.

Sheltie enthusiasts from all over the world monitored the events of the following days through the posts that the adopters made to the sheltie list on the internet. Sharon Brown, a local sheltie rescue volunteer, quickly came to the aid of the adopters. Signs were put up, flyers handed out, and a humane trap set near the last sighting.

The next four months became a flurry of activity. In early September, I had some free time so I drove the area (45 minutes from my home) hoping to see him. Once I reported on the internet my disappointment in not finding any signs and only one flyer, I found myself in the mix of things. I got more involved than I had ever intended. But, never having done this before, I had no idea what to do or where to start.

This is when Darla Duffey from Jacksonville (FL) Sheltie Rescue came to our aid. Not only did she actually come to Columbus on three different occasions to physically help with the search, but she stayed in constant contact with us via our cell phones when she couldn’t be here. She was a wealth of knowledge and encouragement.

With the adopters bowing out of the search, we needed help. That help arrived twice from West Virginia Sheltie Rescue (JoAnn Jones) and Precious Secrets Sheltie Rescue (Pam Linder) out of Cincinnati, OH. Because we kept the sheltie list constantly update on our progress, we were able to also get help from listers in Troy, OH and Chicago, IL. Veronica and her two sons came to town in early October during one of Darla’s visits to lend a hand as well. We also gained valuable help from other breed rescues (Irish Setter, Collie, Greyhound and German Shepherd Dog) and Columbus Dog Connection in Columbus.

We used my cell number and I fielded the calls. Sharon ran the calls between her pet-sitting business obligations. Lenette Carter made all the pertinent calls to the Police, Dog Wardens, etc. on a weekly basis. My husband volunteered to check the shelter for us every other day. With Darla giving us direction, and all of us hanging signs and handing out flyers, our basic system was in place.

The followers from the sheltie list on the internet were instrumental in providing us with ideas to try in our search as well as encouragement. We rejected no reasonable suggestion. I think we tried everything from walking a bitch in heat (Knight was not neutered) to consulting with animal communicators. But you know it never ceased to amaze us that when we would be feeling our worst and our hopes would be waning, someone from that list would send a nice email filled with encouraging words. They always seemed to know just when we needed it the most.

It wasn’t long before we were living the Knight search. It easily took over our lives. We felt the effects of our all out effort in our personal lives which caused even more pressure and stress. Husbands got angry, friends and children were ignored, pets were neglected, and employment was jeopardized. But, we kept going. Something, we were never quite sure what exactly, kept us searching. Knight needed us. We were his only hope. Our hearts told us that much? After considerable thought and discussion, we raised the reward to $1000.00. Peace of mind would be well worth that much!

There is no way possible that we could possibly explain all the calls and the emotions that we went through. A friend told me later that we could compare what we had been through and the aftermath to a soldier returning from war. She was right. It truly was a war against time, mother nature, man and machines.

The emotional roller coaster that we had put ourselves on isn’t something we’d wish on anybody. With each and every call that came in, our spirits and hopes would soar only to be quickly dashed when it didn’t turn out to be Knight. The tears and frustration were plenty and wearing on us. But, something kept driving us to continue. We just couldn’t give up…

With each new sighting came a whole new area that we needed to get the word out to. That meant more and more posters were hung, flyers passed out, and traps moved and reset. There was a lot of work involved. But, we did it without question. We just had to get the word out. Luckily, we had people from that sheltie list making flyers and mailing them to us. Darla made us some more signs and mailed them from Florida. What a help this was! We were armed and ready for the next sighting.

Some local “lost and found” volunteers were able to get our story in the newspaper as well as on television and radio. Thanks to a local benefactor (who quickly became our friend), we were able to access as many traps as we needed as well. Thanks to her, we had six of them set by the end of October.

Because of our high reward and the media coverage we quickly became the talk of the town. This increased interest meant the phone rang more often with each and every dog sighting that even remotely looked like Knight. Don’t worry, we didn’t abandoned those poor creatures. By the end of December, we would have helped 29 other dogs of all breeds (eight shelties). Some went to rescue, some were reunited with their owners, and some were placed in new, loving homes.

Before we knew it, we were in the midst of winter and Christmas was just around the corner. The phone rang much less often now. Mother nature wasn’t being kind. As the temperatures dropped, so did our hopes. But, our concern increased.

Then on Christmas Eve, the phone actually rang again. It was the “one” call that we had been waiting on. I sat in disbelief as this lady told me about a black sheltie that had been hanging around her fiancee’s home for several weeks. She didn’t think it was our boy, but she invited me to come out after Christmas to look for myself. Boy was that a long two day wait!

I invited Sharon to go with me. We arrived earlier than planned, but we just couldn’t wait any longer! And, what we found brought such a rush of emotions and relief that it’s indescribable. There, tied to an old Jaguar was our boy! What a sight! We knew instantly that it was Knight. Of course, we called Darla immediately who then called Veronica. This was truly a Christmas to remember!!!

The date was December 26, 2000, exactly four months since Knight first came to Columbus. Even though we had never seen him before, we were able to positively identify him because the tip of his right ear was missing. Besides, our hearts verified what our eyes were seeing. We paid the reward and without hesitation loaded him into my car and headed for the groomer, then to the vet’s office.

After about three days, his system was finally able to adjust back to regular food and feeding schedules. He quickly made himself at home with my furkids. He was found to be heartworm positive and is currently being treated for that condition.

On January 14, 2001, Knight was reunited with Veronica. He is now happily residing with her and her family in Michigan. He has become quite comfortable sleeping with her son William and lounging on the couch. I do have to admit that was a very long drive home that day. Even with Darla on the phone, I cried all the way.

The Knight Recovery Team consisted of not only those of us that were directly involved but all those people that followed our plight on the sheltie list. We couldn’t have accomplished our goal without their suggestions, encouragement and monetary donations. There was no way this feat could have ever been accomplished by any one person. It was truly a “team” effort like no other.

To fully understand what made this search so special, one has to understand that all these people (local and long distance) had never even met each other before. Yet, something made us all come together for the good of this one dog. And, no matter how hard I try, I could never, ever find the proper words to describe the significance of this story or what it meant to so many. We are still marveling on how and why this “saga” touched the lives of so many. I don’t think we will ever fully comprehend it.

None of us will ever be the same. This search brought out something in all of us that we never knew existed. The pure determination and perseverance that the recovery team demonstrated for a dog that wasn’t even their’s gave new meaning to “Never Give Up”. We hadn’t realized it, but those three words had become our motto and driving force.

The wealth of knowledge, understanding, cooperation and personal growth gained from this experience is immeasurable. And, the friendships that we walked away from it with are truly priceless.

Knight was our 30th recovery in four months. His legacy will live through our continued rescue and recovery efforts (and your’s) to help other lost and abandoned dogs. As part of that legacy, a “Knight’s Sheltie Searchers” has been set up and can be accessed on the internet at http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/adaptec/1848/index_m.htm.

Although we hope you never, ever need it, this list ensures that if you should ever find yourself in a similar situation that you, too, will have the opportunity to have a “team” beside you. Thank you Karen Fitchett for setting it up.

It is true that I will never, ever be able to find to words to adequately thank all of you for your support both financially and emotionally during this time. It's hard to find such good people.

Not any one of us could have done this single handedly...that much we agreed on. Darla was the knowledge and the conductor for us. We would have had to give up early in the search if it hadn't been for her and her knowledge. She was so willing to do whatever it took and there was no way you could even think of giving any less than your very best.

Those of us that were truly on the front lines of this search could not have done it without those "behind the scenes" people. From the followers on the sheltie list that sent suggestions, encouragement and financial support, to the friends, husbands, children and employers who all gave their support in many other ways, it truly was a "team" effort.

It may have gotten rough or testy at times, but I know of one very special dog that is quite thankful that we were able to pull it all together and make it work.

Source: http://www.centralohiosheltierescue.org/index_files/Page2243.htm

Fritz, standard poodle

Stolen Dog Reunited With Grateful Owner City
News.ca Staff
2007/04/10

A broken heart was mended on Tuesday after a Toronto woman was reunited with her beloved poodle "Fitz" who became a seemingly unintentional victim of a recent car theft.

Denny Pollock was having her vehicle cleaned at a car wash at Dufferin & Orfus Rd., when a man jumped into her freshly foamed ride and drove off.

Fitz was caged in the backseat.

"I ran out and I said do one of the attendants, 'Where is my car going?' And he said: Oh, my God. Is that your car?"

The theft took place at around 9:30am on Tuesday and Pollock made a desperate plea to the thief to return the animal, even offering a $500 reward.

"I hope he's found," Pollock said. "The car was just a car, but the dog is very much a part of my life and my clients' lives actually."

Pollock is personal injury lawyer, and Fritz was being used as a therapy dog to help her clients, making the loss that much more disheartening.

The story took a dramatic turn, however, when Fritz was spotted on Dufferin street.

"One of the tenants was just leaving the building, saw the dog out on Dufferin street, came out of the building and asked if we knew who owned the dog," explained Jack Cox. "We said no. I decided to keep the dog and contact the authorities."

"He was found on the front lawn and we walked around the property. We found the cage at the back of the building," he adds.

Source: http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/local/article/15065--stolen-dog-reunited-with-grateful-owner
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