Westminster Whippet Lost At New York Airport

[whipowill]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

Subject: Westminster Whippet lost at airport in New York

Created by Land on 16 Feb 2006 21:20:23

1 Message #1 of 1: Date Posted: 16 Feb 2006 21:20:23 by Land

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Award of Merit Whippet lost from crate at airport in Jamaica, New

York after Westminster. If anyone is also a member of the whippet

chat lists please post so that New York members can do what they can

to find Vivi, CH La Bohem C'est La Vie. Thanks, Land H.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/...0,7072069.story?

coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines&track=mostemailedlink

Now I have heard that the search is still very much on, only the airport helicopter has been pulled out of the search.

 

[aslan]

Oh dear that is very frightening. Her owners must be absolutely stricken with distress. I hope they find her soon. I know what this feels like.

 

[Seraphina]

I have been following this for couple of days now, it does not look good with the freezing weather in NY. What I cannot understand, how could she get out of her crate and then out of the airport? I thought US are rather careful about their airport security so i would have expected effective fencing on all sides. :luck: :luck: :luck: Vivi

 

[JAX]

The poor dog , and owners too It does make you wonder how such a thing could happen dosnt it

:luck: :luck: :luck: VIVI :luck: :luck: :luck:

 

[whippynit]

Thats terrible. Poor whippet and owners of course.

Please keep us updated on this :luck:

 

[Claire]

Poor Baby. Safe Home Vivi :luck:

 

[Dusilla]

Poor Vivi . Hope they find her soon! :luck: :luck: :luck:

 

[jools]

Is there any news about this poor whippet yet. The owners must be distraught.

I hope she is soon safe and well. :luck: :luck: :luck:

 

[Karen]

This is terrible, its even worse because it has happened before. I do hope they find her safe and well.

 

[Ridgesetter]

How distressing. I certainly pray that she is found.

I guess I won't complain at the precautions our airlines have introduced about crates (no collapsible wire crates - only the plastic vari kennels that are screwed together).

 

[Wayward_Angel]

So far no new news!!!

Permission to forward

to all lists where permitted.

UPDATE ON THE SEARCH FOR VIVI

Following is an update on the search for Vivi, the Whippet who

was lost at JFK Airport on Wednesday morning, Feb. 15. As of Saturday

evening there is still no confirmed sighting, but the search

continues with assistance from the Port Authority, Animal Control and

many concerned helpers.

Since much incorrect and contradictory information has circulated

over the internet and in the media we want to establish the actual

sequence of events. I am sorry this is so long but for my peace of

mind want to get it all on record.

Vivi's owner Jil Walton and her sister checked Vivi in at the

Delta terminal at JFK approx. 9:45 AM on Wednesday morning. She was

travelling in her usual crate in which she has flown many times

before; it has a security bar across the gate (which I find difficult

to open even under normal circumstances). As all who know her are

aware, Vivi is totally unfazed by flying and loves her crate. As far

as is known nothing extraordinary occurred during the check-in. Vivi

was wearing a dark brown/black woollen coat and a broad collar with

Jil's phone number.

When Jil and her sister boarded the plane they saw the crate

being loaded. They then noticed a baggage handler peering into the

crate as if he were looking for something; a few minutes later the

stewardess came up to Jil and told her the crate was empty. Jil and

Jamie immediately disembarked and were told that Vivi had escaped

from her crate at some point between check-in and departure. No one

appeared to know exactly what had happened.

(We do not believe that any airline employee would deliberately

open the crate door, and even if they did Vivi most likely would stay

in her crate. I am personally convinced that the crate must have been

dropped hard enough for the gate to open and for Vivi to be startled

enough to get out. We will most likely never find out what happened.

The crate has been returned and appears undamaged except for the

broken spring lock.)

Vivi was spotted on the runway by Port Authority officials, who

tried to catch her. She was obviously disoriented and took off at top

speed, followed by several Port Authority vehicles. At one point they

managed to corner her, and the officer who approached her (in the

correct manner, kneeling down and talking to her) said she was

obviously panicked and only responded by escaping him. She was last

seen getting through the barbed wire fence which separates the

airport from the marsh and open water. This would have been any time

after check-in but prior to Jil being informed that Vivi was lost.

When Paul and I arrived, after having received a phone call on

our way to the airport approx. 3:00 PM, the airport authorities had

already escorted Jil and Jamie on a search around the entire airport,

with special emphasis on the area where she was last seen. They were

joined on different locations by several other Port Authority

vehicles and helicopters. The airport consists of 4900 acres of

almost completely flat land with only two small areas of dense brush

and trees. Our fear is that Vivi in her panic got too far out into

the water to get back; a Port Authority official searched the marsh

in a wetsuit without finding anything.

Searches of the areas immediately outside the airport during the

afternoon and evening proved fruitless. We had good help from Animal

Control officials, friends and the media, who broadcast the

disappearance and Vivi's photograph more widely than we could ever

have hoped for. The following day Jil, Jamie, Paul and I - in

different groups - were all given permission to search the airport,

accompanied by Port Authority officials. We found no new tracks in

the snow, which by then was already melting: the weather fortunately

has been exceptionally mild for New York in February this week.

Several other vehicles and helicopters were also searching.

A large number of dog lovers and friends, some in groups, helped

by searching the areas around the airport and passing out flyers. By

this time the media coverage had been so extensive that almost

everyone we talked to was aware of the lost Whippet. We gave as many

interviews as possible in the hope that someone might recognize Vivi

if they saw her.

One brief hope on Friday morning was a report that Vivi had been

sighted at 2:00 AM close to a construction site outside the airport.

Since no later sightings have confirmed the first one we believe it

must either be discounted (dozens of other "reported sightings"

turned out to be the wrong dog; Animal Control gets around 700 calls

per day), or that Vivi is hiding in the residential area nearby,

perhaps in a garage or a shed. I spoke to the woman who reported the

sighting and she gave a good description of Vivi, but by this time

her photo had appeared in most of the NY newspapers and on TV.

Paul and Honi Reisman once again gained access to the airport,

with special attention to the areas where Vivi might be hiding, all

of which are highly restricted and normally off limits to anyone

except police and specific airport employees. Traps have been set up

in different areas, inside the airport by the Port Authority and

outside by Animal Control. I accompanied a local journalist for

several hours cruising the streets where Vivi may have been sighted

and asked road crews, gas station attendants and people with dogs if

they had seen her. Everyone knew about Vivi but none had seen her.

With Paul staying behind, I left late Friday and got back to

California at 2:00 AM to take care of my dogs and try to deal with

some work, as well as several hundred emails, faxes and phone

messages from concerned dog lovers. Paul, together with Honi Reisman,

who is providing invaluable support, have been given permission to

search the cargo hangars which are the most likely areas Vivi might

be hiding. Several psychics who have offered their assistance agree

that she is hiding behind what seems to be cargo, that she is safe

but very afraid. There are approx. 150 of these cargo hangars, many

of them abandoned, but all of them heated, and most with openings

which would make it easy for Vivi to get in and out. She can hide

there for a long time. There is no shortage of water but we hope she

will soon get hungry enough to let herself be spotted and eventually

caught.

One very promising fact is that the airport radar spotted a solid

body moving across the runways towards the cargo hangars during the

night. A Port Authority vehice was investigating within minutes but

did not find anything. This appears to support our hope that Vivi may

be hiding in the cargo hangars, however.

We want everyone to know that the search in spite of reports to

the contrary continues unabated, both via helicopter and patrolled

cars. (The perimeter of the airport, included 21 miles of waterfront,

is circumnavigated non-stop every few minutes 24 hours every day of

the year.) The Port Authorities have been exceptionally helpful,

granting unique access for us to search the airport: this is not

easily given, and never to more than two persons at one time. Since

9/11 airport security has tightened a lot, and although we wish that

admittance could be given for Search and Rescue teams, other whippets

or even horses (since Vivi spends most days in a horse barn), we have

to realize that this will not be granted for security reasons. The

Search and Rescue dogs were also called off since the lack of tracks

in the water which covers most of the airport would make their job

impossible.

I am hoping to get back to New York early next week, depending on

the developments. This is a hellish situation which I don't want

anyone to ever have to experience. My only comforts have been my dogs

and the wonderful support we have been given by everyone, both

friends and unknow dog lovers.

On behalf of Vivi's owners, Jil and Paul, I want to thank all of

you for your help and kindness in these trying days. Vivi is lucky

to have so many people who care for her. I hope somehow that she can

feel it, wheverever she is. We are still hoping that there will be a

happy ending and will keep you informed as far as possible. I will

try to get back to everyone who has written personally when I can,

but that will take some time.

I hope the above makes sense. My mind is not functioning really

well right now.

Again, thank you.

Bo Bengtson

 

[Macha]

could a whippet survive the cold NYC nights?

(I do hope she has found good shelter, rather than getting lost in swampground)

NYTimes headline said everything was tried except bloodhounds; it seems to me that tracker dogs (of whatever breed - springer spaniel?) would be an ideal way to search for a missing dog

 

[Zephyr]

Oh, this story has had me in tears - poor Vivi, I do so hope she is safe and well somewhere and will be found very soon. :luck: :luck: :luck:

:huggles: :huggles: :luck: Very best of luck in the search to her owners and all who are trying their very best to find her.

:luck:

 

[*Mark*]

A number of years ago we had a very simlar experience with a whippet exported to the U.S getting lost at an airport.

Mark & Roy of Dunaruna wish you the very best of luck if your search for Viva.

We fully understand the worry this is causing you.

 

[JAX]

A number of years ago we had a very simlar experience with a whippet exported to the U.S getting lost at an airport.
Mark & Roy of Dunaruna wish you the very best of luck if your search for Viva.

We fully understand the worry this is causing you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

But lets hope it dosnt have the same tragic ending Mark

 

[*Mark*]

Anyone got any News?

:luck:

 

[Farina]

Hello everyone,

have just read on one of the American Whippet lists that Vivi (Am. Ch. Bohem C'est la Vie) has been found in a remote building of JFK airport in New York.

I do not know which state she is in but, obviously, she is back where she belongs!

Great news!

 

[Zephyr]

I really hope the rumour is true, and that Vivi has been found safe and well. :luck: :thumbsup: :luck: :thumbsup: :luck:

 

[Farina]

"Vivi"

... may still be out there on JFK airport.

This is what other people have just posted on the Whippet list I have quoted in my earlier mail.

Sorry to maybe have been a little too quick with my good news. If she hasn't been found yet, let's all hope for a happy outcome!

 

[bardmand]

Seems this might be a hoax:

http://newsday.typepad.com/news_local_flaim/