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The fact she hasn't been found oneway or the other must still give some hope to Bo.

Lets just hope she can find food, water & shelter.
 
Ridgesetter said:
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).

Yes, and they seal the doors with several strong plastic ties. My daughter flew recently with her chihuahua, and we made the mistake not letting the airport people cut the ties when we collected her, we were in hurry and so we just picked up the plastic carrier, got into our car, only to realise we cannot undo them. Poor Lily had to wait until we got home when we freed her with help of boltcutters :(
 
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I've highlighted one particular paragraph because ......... well words fail me that people could even think of saying such things to someone who is looking for a missing dog. What is the matter with people that they can be so thoughtless.

>Vivi update Thursday night

>

>We were hoping for success with the traps but they were untouched when

>Paul went out at dawn. Several more were put out in the area where it

>is believed Vivi might be. It is obvious that she must be ranging over

>a very large area, if indeed she is still there.

>

>By early afternoon there was a brief frenzy of calls and activity

>telling us that Vivi had been caught. This turned out to be incorrect.

>Please do not believe or forward such rumours unless you hear directly

>from the Port Authority, Jil, Paul or me that it has

>happened: it is extremely difficult for all of us, especially Jil, to

>get her hopes raised without any foundation in fact.

>

>Please also do not contact any of us with negative thoughts. We are

>painfully aware that Vivi may be dead, freezing, in pain or suffering;

>we do not need to hear it from anyone. I realize that those who tell us

>this want to help, but obviously this doesn't unless you can also tell

>us exactly WHERE she is and you have proof.>

>After nine days of no sightings and tremendous help from the Port

>Authority, they cannot continue to designate an officer to help Paul,

>Jil or Honi search the airport. They will continue their regular

>frequent patrols and lookouts, and we will be able to accompany them,

>hopefully also search on foot in these highly restricted areas. On a

>positive note, Jil's Delta contact has promised to provide a car for us

>to use on the parts of the airport where they have access. I will find

>out more about this tomorrow.

>

>Delta now insists that they are in fact looking for Vivi, probably in

>response to my statement yesterday. We have no further details about

>this, however. They have also promised to contribute $1000 to the

>reward if anyone finds her.

>

>I will leave for NY in the morning but will let Jeffrey Kimmelman know

>what goes on so perhaps he can post an update Friday night.

>

>We are all extremely tired and strung-out, so please excuse any

>incoherencies in the above. The media continues to seek interviews and

>although we realize that the exposure is good it's difficult to say the

>"right" things. I do not see the coverage but hope it's accurate and

>positive.

>

>Thanks for your good thoughts.

>

>Bo
 
BeeJay said:
I've highlighted one particular paragraph because .........  well words fail me that people could even think of saying such things to someone who is looking for a missing dog.  What is the matter with people that they can be so thoughtless.


But they do unfortunately Beejay. I can remember when I lost Aoife and had put posters everywhere I had several crank messages on my ansaphone saying that I was never going to see her again or that she was dead.

It transpired that she was killed in the end but she was not dead at the time of the phone call.

The only lucky thing was that I never actually took one of these calls in person because I was out so much searching for her.

Some people are just plain sick or mad
 
dessie said:
BeeJay said:
I've highlighted one particular paragraph because .........  well words fail me that people could even think of saying such things to someone who is looking for a missing dog.  What is the matter with people that they can be so thoughtless.


But they do unfortunately Beejay. I can remember when I lost Aoife and had put posters everywhere I had several crank messages on my ansaphone saying that I was never going to see her again or that she was dead.

It transpired that she was killed in the end but she was not dead at the time of the phone call.

The only lucky thing was that I never actually took one of these calls in person because I was out so much searching for her.

Some people are just plain sick or mad

That is awful, i cannot understand how can anybody do something like that. These people must have so much pent up hatred in them, it is frightening.

About Vivi; I do not understand why they are concentrating the search in the airport. In my experience spooked out dog just runs and does not stop. They do not hide and stay put. I would not expect her to stop until she was exhausted and by then she'd be miles and miles away. Lets just hope for miracle :luck: :luck: :luck: to Vivi
 
Seraphina said:
About Vivi; I do not understand why they are concentrating the search in the airport.  In my experience spooked out dog just runs and does not stop.  They do not hide and stay put.  I would not expect her to stop until she was exhausted and by then she'd be miles and miles away.  Lets just hope for miracle :luck:   :luck:   :luck: to Vivi
is there still no more news? I suppose very many people in NY have seen Vivi's photo so they'd know her if they saw her away from the airport .. but it must be time to do more publicity (as much as possible)

she's three years old ... has she had any litters?

or at least have any full siblings who are also high quality?

that would be a small consolation ... I'm sure many of us have lost a dog at some time or another and it is agonising not knowing what has happened to the dog
 
Alba said:
Seraphina said:
About Vivi; I do not understand why they are concentrating the search in the airport.  In my experience spooked out dog just runs and does not stop.  They do not hide and stay put.  I would not expect her to stop until she was exhausted and by then she'd be miles and miles away.  Lets just hope for miracle :luck:   :luck:   :luck: to Vivi
is there still no more news? I suppose very many people in NY have seen Vivi's photo so they'd know her if they saw her away from the airport .. but it must be time to do more publicity (as much as possible)

she's three years old ... has she had any litters?

or at least have any full siblings who are also high quality?

that would be a small consolation ... I'm sure many of us have lost a dog at some time or another and it is agonising not knowing what has happened to the dog


Sorry , but I think thats a very odd comment to make , Im sure even if she had had dozens of top quality pups, their loss would be no less :(
 
Vivi update Sunday 26 February 2006

>

> We are still hoping that Vivi is OK and will eventually be found:

> she has now been gone for twelve days with only one sighting the first

> day. If, as suspected, she is still inside the airport, chances are

> that she is safe, warm enough and can find sufficient food:

> this is good but also means that it may take much longer than expected

> before she is willing to let herself be seen or caught. The thousands

> of acres the airport covers, the thousands of places Vivi can hide in

> the cargo areas and abandoned offices (all heated), plus the strict

> security which governs JFK since 9/11 make further private search

> impossible. The Port Authorities have been helpful far beyond what one

> could normally expect, but they can no longer spare the officer

> required to accompany us on our search on a daily basis.

>

> Please do not criticize the PA for this:

> they have escorted Paul out there every single day for twelve days in

> a row (accompanied by either Honi, Jil or me) and there is no question

> that these officers to a man or woman care about dogs and genuinely

> want to find Vivi. They will continue the daily search as part of

> their ongoing surveillance of the airport, 24 hours a day/7 days a

> week, and as soon as Vivi is spotted I am confident that we will once

> again be allowed to go in.

> Fortunately, Honi Reisman lives only a half hour from the airport, and

> Jil can get on a plane at LAX on very short notice.

>

> Please be aware that the PA will not allow unauthorized dogs and

> people inside the restricted areas where Vivi is thought to be.

> We appreciate the many offers of dogs and people who might be able to

> find Vivi but please understand that this is one of the most highly

> restricted areas in the country and that access is very difficult to

> get.

>

> We were escorted out to check the traps again Sunday morning,

> added fresh food and more of her bedding. So far two cats and one

> raccoon have been caught in the trap but no dog. The Port Authority

> will keep the traps out as long as we want and will check and load

> them as required. (Delta also offered to check the traps, but the PA

> has assured us that they don’t mind doing this on their own.) We will

> be checking with the PA on a daily basis. Paul know most of the

> officers by name now and is confident that he will be able to get

> detailed reports.

>

> If Vivi is outside the airport there is almost no chance that she

> is roaming around the neighborhood, since the huge amount of publicity

> and the $50000 reward offered for her return would have assured at

> least some sightings. There is a small chance that someone who is

> unaware of who she is has picked her up, and we are grateful for

> volunteers continuing to put up posters: the more people who are aware

> of Vivi the better.

>

> The media is still interested in Vivi’s disappearance, in spite of

> any lack of real developments. The large photo of her in this week’s

> People magazine, a phone call today from the NY Times for an item in

> tomorrow’s newspaper, and above all Denise Flaim’s consistent coverage

> for Newsday all gurantee that the public will not forget about Vivi.

>

> Paul, Jil and I are now back in California and working on the

> following plans:

>

> • Producing new color “Missing Dog” posters (I will ship to Bonnie

> Folz ASAP and appreciate any possible help in getting them as widely

> circulated as possible).

>

> • The possibility of employing a pet detective. He or she needs to

> have full access to JFK’s restricted areas, which could be an

> obstacle; cost is another possible problem.

>

> • Assuring that Jil (and possibly Paul and

> I) will be able to get back to JFK immediately at first sighting of

> Vivi; I will discuss this with our Delta contact tomorrow.

>

> • The possibility for me to move to NY at least temporarily so as

> to be close to JFK; this depends both on my work and on the PA

> allowing me clearance to go in on a daily basis.

>

> • How to cover the mounting costs for the search. In addition to

> the many volunteers who have offered their time (and the generosity of

> Westminster KC in paying for the Search & Rescue team) there are

> expenses which need to be paid. It has been suggested that a Vivi

> Search Fund should be set up; more information about this shortly. We

> are hoping that Delta will assist with the costs, and if so any

> surplus donations could be donated to rescue operations.

>

> I hope the above makes sense; lack of sleep makes it difficult to

> write clearly. We have had more than 500 emails about Vivi (those from

> the last three days are as yet unread), at least as many phone calls,

> plus faxes, letters and other messages. I do not know when I will be

> able respond to them all but appreciate the support tremendously. We

> are truly overwhelmed and deeply touched that so many care so much.

>

> Again, thank you.

>

> Bo
 
BeeJay said:
Vivi update Sunday 26 February 2006>

>    We are still hoping that Vivi is OK and will eventually be found:

> ...... We are hoping that Delta will assist with the costs, and if so any

> surplus donations could be donated to rescue operations.

>

>.....    Bo

I should have thought that Delta would pay a large share of the costs! They were responsible for the hound's welfare in transit. And presumably they have some sort of insurance
 
Seems she has been sited still alive. Here's hoping!!!!

UPDATE AS OF THURSDAY NIGHT 2 MARCH 2006

Much excitement today when it was learned that there was an "almost certain" Vivi sighting only about a few days days ago, in the same area as we suspect that she is hiding. We are still trying to find the person who actually saw her. We are talking about hundreds of employees most of whom speak no English, but our second- or third-hand reports seem reliable. If this is true it means that Vivi definitely survived on her own at JFK for the first ten days, which is immensely encouraging.

Several volunteers are keeping the area under non-stop surveillance. Qe are talking to a licensed private investigator who we hope will be able to go in immediately. And, it seems likely that, thanks to Honi Reisman’s influence, the Port Authority will agree to allow access for this. There has also been some snow in the JFK area today which may make tracking possible.

Several more traps have been made available and set out in the most likely areas, and several boxes with used clothing from Vivi’s people and bedding from the horses and dogs that she knows have been FedEx’d out from California to JFK in order to be placed in the traps.

This sighting also emphasizes how important it is to spread the word about Vivi. Obviously some people around or at the airport still don’t know about her or the sightings would be immediately reported. All those 20,000 new color posters will be very useful in this respect. Thanks to all the volunteers who help put them up all around the airport.

Paul and Jil appreciate the generous donations that have already come in to help with the search costs, which are mounting quickly. Those Paul has received here will be individually acknowledged; a list of donors for contributions received as of today is included below. These checks will be deposited into a non-profit fund in New York. Future contributions should be addressed to "Bobbi and the Strays" at 3392 Bay Front Place, Baldwin, NY 11510 with the check designated "For Vivi." "Bobbi and the Strays" is a non-profit shelter for lost dogs at JFK where a separate account has been set up for the Vivi search. Donations are tax deductible.

For more information about Brian Rosenberg’s fundraiser for "Vivi & the Strays," see Denise Flaim’s blog below.

Professional dog photographer Virginia O’Connor has generously offered to donate proceeds from a one-hour private photo session of your dog to be auctioned on eBay to benefit the Vivi Fund. The link to the auction is http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=6040812260.

For any questions, please contact Virginia at vmoc@bestinshowcreations.com. We appreciate Virginia’s generosity.

We are all exhausted but feeling more optimistic than before!

Thanks again for all your support and good thoughts.

Bo
 
A little good news at last, I have everything crossed for Vivi's safe return to her family. :luck: :luck: :luck:
 
Oh! This IS encouraging news! Praying for her safe return soon.
 
Praying for the safe return of a resilient little dog.

:luck: :luck:
 
This is fantastic news, and hopefully we will hear of her being safe very soon :luck:
 
Fantastic news, I do feel that she is going to be found and really look forward to the day we hear the news. :luck:
 
Every thing :luck: crossed :luck: hoping she is found verysoon :luck: :luck: safe and well :luck: :luck: :luck:
 
Latest Update is

>Update as of Sunday night, March 5, 2006.

>

> Volunteers Tina and Rosa spoke with the woman who reported

> seeing Vivi in a residential neighborhood outside JFK on Saturday

> night and do not believe it was Vivi she saw. (There was, among

> other strays, a mostly white Pit Bull Terrier in the neighboorhood,

> and it was dark.) This confirms what we hope is true, that Vivi is

> still inside JFK. It was also Tina and Rosa who spoke to the

> Skychef employee who reported seeing Vivi at the airport about a

> week ago, and they believe this sighting really was of Vivi. Tina

> and Rosa have watched the area of the airport where Vivi has been

> sighted even late at night. I am very grateful to them.

>

> The most immediate course of action now is to enlist Delta's

> assistance in getting pet detective Karin Goin into the airport

> with her tracking dogs. We hope they can let us know if Vivi keeps

> returning to the area where she has been seen, where food has been

> consumed, etc. Once that has been established with some degree of

> certainty, traps need to be placed in the most likely spots and

> baited with food that is appealing enough to lure Vivi in. (This

> obviously isn't the case with the current traps, which are only

> baited with dry kibble.)

>

> As mentioned yesterday, a lawyer has offered her services in

> dealing with Delta. She has already made preliminary contact with

> them. Many have asked about calling Delta and trying to pressure

> them into action. However, according to our lawyer that could be

> counterproductive at this time. Please note that any contact with

> Delta should be initiated only by our attorney to insure the

> continued cooperation of Delta in search efforts. A formal

> statement by our attorney will be forthcoming.

>

> Lt. Alan B. Borgal, a Massachusetts State Humane Officer, has

> offered the use of a remote controlled drop-net (30'x30') that when

> activated drops in 1/3 of a second. The net is designed to be used

> on dogs. You can activate the net from a 1/4 mile away. They are in

> the process of purchasing a $1200 dollar infrared camera, so a

> person can check the net at night. If we have a sighting of Vivi

> they can come and set up the net, provided that it is possible for

> someone to monitor the net. Lt. Borgal is a Special State Police

> Officer and has thirty years experience of Animal Rescue. They also

> have several other humane trap designs that may be helpful besides

> cage dog traps. We appreciate the offer and will take advantage of

> it if possible.

>

> Here is Bonnie Folz's report from Saturday's organized search

> activities: "We had, in my opinion, a good day yesterday as approx.

> 45 volunteers came out for the search & flyer blitz. One gal drove

> down Friday night from Massachusetts. Another came in from

> Connecticut. Yet another flew in from Boston to La Guardia; she's a

> flight attendant and came over to JFK to help distribute flyers to

> other 'crew' members at the various airlines throughout the

> airport. Another couple of ladies pulled up about an hour before I

> was closing up shop to say they were sorry they were late; they

> drove over 200 miles to help! Two gentlemen from the North Shore

> Animal League were there bright and early to post flyers. Others

> came later in the day as they figured to search for her at the dusk

> hours. I'd say the volunteers distributed close to 9,000 flyers."

>

> We are immensely grateful to all the volunteers who helped.

> Even though we hope Vivi is still inside JFK it is very important

> to post flyers, since we need both the public and the JFK employees

> (all 45,000 of them) to be aware of Vivi.

>

> For information about Saturday's fundraiser for "Vivi and the

> Strays" at the Garden City Hotel in NY, please contact Brian

> Rosenberg at brosenberg@gchotel.com. It promises to be a very special evening!

>

> It is frustrating to have missed a weekend's acccess to the

> airport, but it is necessary to wait and see what our lawyer can

> accomplish. Thank you all for your help and positive thoughts.

>

> Bo

Cathie

Bluestreak
 
UPDATE AS OF WEDNESDAY NIGHT 15 MARCH 2006

There was another sighting of Vivi around noon today in the park close to the apartment building where she was seen on Saturday night. A woman saw Vivi trotting along and followed her at a distance (didn’t chase her) for some time, meanwhile calling Bonnie Folz on her cell phone. Bonnie as well as Rosa, Tina and a few other volunteers came to the location very quickly, but the woman had lost sight of Vivi at that point.

This sighting explains why nobody in the apartment building called, as we were hoping yesterday. If that was indeed Vivi in the building, the person she was with at that time may only have given her some food, not realized who she was and let her go.

Several volunteers have begun to search the park, which adjoins a huge greenbelt, with no success. A group of fanciers, led by Beth Thompson in Seattle, have offered to hire and finance yet another pet detective with search dogs who could come to NY by Friday. We are overwhelmed by their generosity. They are trying to organize the practical details of this search right now. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain, so we can only thank them.

We now know that Vivi is loose again, but it seems to me that if she is no longer afraid or panicking she might recognize some of the familiar voices. Jil, her fiancé Rick (whom Vivi loves), Paul and I are all ready to go back to NY again and continue searching this weekend. One of the pet detectives we are talking to tells us that both we and the volunteers have to back off for a while, however, so we are holding off flying back until further notice.

It is very encouraging that there have been three separate sightings of Vivi in Bayside or Flushing within the last few days, and that these have been independently confirmed by the tracking dogs. This indicates that Vivi is sticking around in the same general area and not roaming as far as she did earlier, and it also seems she is willing to let herself be seen more often. We hope this means that she will be caught soon and that this ordeal will finally be over.

I apologize for not being able to respond to email. There are over 1000 emails in my Vivi "In" box now and it will be some time before I have time to deal with them. My apologies for this and thanks for all your good wishes.

Bo
 

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