Vivi's breeder, Bo Bengtson, checks in in last night's update:

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UPDATE AS OF THURSDAY NIGHT 23 MARCH 2006

No more sightings of Vivi today, the first day for some time without a single reported sighting as far as I know. The sightings prove that Vivi is still in the area where she’s been now for at least 12 days, but as long as there is no reason to believe she has moved out of her established territory there may be no cause for concern. Jil and Rick are disappointed, however. Their experience probably mirrors Paul’s and mine in previous weeks, and the most important object of their journey was to lay down their scent to keep Vivi comfortable in this area. As the experts keep telling us, lost dogs almost never come back to their owners or the searchers but almost invariably wander into some unsuspecting person’s back yard where nobody makes a fuss, just gives them food and quietly closes a gate at the right moment.

The "stake-out" organized on Saturday by Bonnie Folz may provide an opportunity for Jil to get close to Vivi.  ...  I believe Bonnie has emphasized to the volunteers that nobody should try to grab Vivi unless they are absolutely sure of success. Trying to get ahold of her and losing her would make her even more wary of future capture. The important thing is to get Jil on the scene ASAP whenever Vivi is seen. Hopefully she will recognize Jil, although the experts are not certain that a now-feral Vivi would necessarily even do that, at least not immediately.

I would like to get local school children involved in the search. Vivi is demonstrably less afraid of children than of adults. It isn’t going to be easy for a child to catch Vivi but it’s worth a try. I have a couple of suggestions from people who might be able to help with local school contacts in New York. If you can help, write to me through the Contact Us form on this site and Jeff will forward an email to me.

"LOST GREYHOUND" ADVICE

We were advised to contact Michael McCann, who has had a lot of success in catching lost Greyhounds over many years. He is busy with several other cases but writes that we don’t need his help since it seems we are doing everything right anyway. The following is reprinted with his permission from his "Finding Your Lost Greyhound" from GreyTalk.com. Whippets and Greyhounds aren’t identical but the breeds are closely related, and much of what Michael says would apply to Vivi and other lost Whippets as well.

"Post flyers on every available telephone pole, in every supermarket, drugstore, school, church, police station, vets’ office or any other public building surrounding the area. Ninety percent of lost dogs who are found, are found because someone saw a flyer. The area should be so saturated with flyers that you can’t turn around without seeing one."

"Schools are a great resource for search help. Ask the principal to make announcements about the lost dog and leave flyers to pass out and post on bulletin boards. Kids see everything in the neighborhood — if you give one kid a flyer, five more will have seen it by the end of the day. Don’t ignore the little kids either. They tell their folks everything."

"In our experience, rewards often work against getting sightings. What happens is that you will increase the numbers of people looking for the dog, yes, but the new people tend to be bounty hunters, teenagers, or ‘cowboys’, who just think of the money, not the safety of the animal. Often, when they see the dog, the first thing they do is chase, and sometimes they chase the dog right out of the safety of the territory the dog has felt comfortable in." (The reward for Vivi’s safe return was set by Jil at $5,000 long ago and will be honored. We would not have gotten the media interested without a reward, and this has played a vital role in making local people aware of Vivi. The "bounty hunters" are a concern, however. According to a newspaper article today several such types have moved in to look for Vivi in Flushing. They won’t catch her but they could scare her away.)

"Finding a lost Greyhound is difficult; catching a loose Greyhound who doesn’t want to be caught could be one of the most frustrating challenges one ever faces in Greyhound rescue."

"When you or your volunteers see the hound, do not chase or follow him, make him think you have no interest in him. Turn away, don’t make eye contact, sit down on the ground, and if you have a hound with you, give some treats to him. There is nothing that will make a hungry dog more curious than watching another dog eat. If he approaches you, stay on the ground, avoid eye contact and toss treats in his direction; gain his trust through his food motivation. Lick your lips, and yawn, a lot. These are ‘Calming Signals.’ Have a looped leash handy in case he approaches close enough."

There is much more, mostly information that we have published before. Michael lists a number of Greyhounds which have been lost for several months, even years: Mike for seven months in Marshfield, MA (captured in a live trap); Barney for over a year in Southbridge, MA (captured in a live trap); Scarlett for seven months, from November 2001 to May 2002 in Pawtucket, RI (captured in live trap); Phantom for at least 10 months in Cincinnati, OH; Connor for 18 months in Camptown, KS; Cavan or seven months in Bennington, VT; and Lady Grey for at least 15 months on the campus of Eastern New Mexico University. Note the locations and the temperatures these dogs endured. None of them was loose in a city, however.

THE "MEDIA CIRCUS"

Several people have commented on the "media circus" that has developed around Vivi. Initially we encouraged coverage in an attempt to make the people living where Vivi is aware of her. Things have escalated to an almost unreal level, however. Katie Couric on The Today Show this morning made a comment that she was sure Vivi would be found soon. I believe Bonnie Folz is going on Good Morning America to talk about lost dogs. The Los Angeles Times ran a color photo of Vivi on its front page today and made it the top story of its The Nation section. CBS and Fox News have called for updates today; Karin Goin tells us that BBC called her trying to get our phone numbers.

Following reports that bounty hunters are moving in to chase Vivi, we have decided to cut down on interviews. The only media that really matter to us are those that people in Flushing read or watch, and according to Jil there is sufficient coverage there. Denise Flaim’s Newsday updates at http://newsday.typepad.com/news_local_flaim/ provide by far the most comprehensive information.

We are very grateful that almost nobody has pointed out how unfair all the focus on Vivi’s misfortune is. There are thousands of other dogs out there who deserve every bit as much attention. We don’t know why her story has captured the nation’s (and the world’s) attention to such an unprecedented degree, but in so far as it benefits Vivi, and hopefully other lost dogs also, we cannot be other than grateful.

Thanks for your good wishes.

Bo >>