Search coordinators Honi Reisman and Bonnie Folz thank the more than 40 volunteers who turned out today in Flushing to search for Vivi. Unfortunately, there were no sightings.
Pet-detection dog trainer Laura Totis and Sam Connley returned to canvas the area with their three search dogs. There were no "hot" tracks. This might be due in part to weather conditions over the last week -- sunny, dry and windy weather is not ideal for keeping scent concentrated.
Bottom line? "There wasn't anything that we're terribly excited about," Laura says. "We came, we looked, and we didn't find."
Laura, Vivi's owner Jil, Honi and others are regrouping to determine what the next phase of the search should be.
Comments (701)
I was there today from 6 a.m.till 3:30. My biggest fear is that bounty hunters have spotted her and scared her away from this territory. I spoke with families in a nearby schoolyard. Everyone knew about her, but no one had seen her. I am so bummed.
Did Laura & her dogs attempt to verify if there was any sign of Vivi's scent at the Queens Botanical Gardens or Bowne Street?
Diane: That would really be important to know...if not, maybe it was not Vivi at all, but the "twin" dog that Emily talked about earlier...especially the Botanical Gardens, that should be fairly easy for the dogs cause it's a contained area and really not THAT big!
Irene Wilson
I wonder a bit about Emily's information... it isn't anything any of the other searchers know about and she wasn't very detailed in her information even though we were trying to ask her questions about it.
I hope Emily comes back because if she has info we've not had till now, could be really important. Emily seemed to understand the entire "scent" situation which is absolutely totally new to me. It is possible there is another whippet lost out there (not the Borzoi mix, so much) and that could really cause much confusion.
EMILY, if you are able to post again, please talk to us...we so much need any help you can give us!
Vivi needs it as well...she's been out there a very long time and we need to find her now!
Irene Wilson
Susan,
I am thinking the same about Emilys info on the Vivi look a like.
Didn't she say "if we want to see it be at such and such at 3:07? That seems a bit strange.
Emily, are you there? Could you clear this up for us?
Thanx
Candles burning here for lost children, the people kind and the pet kind. May they all get home safe and sound.
did you read about Japan's 127 million people in 2005 owned an estimated 13 million dogs as of last year. I wonder what our numbers are? But I think it should read 13 million dogs owned 127 million people.
I don't know if there are nursing homes around there but don't forget them for flyers if there are. I visit my mom on saturdays at the home and she was asking me about the missing show dog she saw on the news and read in the Enquier or one of those papers (she loves animals). Apparently 3 or 4 of them were discussing it this week. My point is many of them sit and stare out the window all day, not all of them know what they're seeing but those like my mother do. There are also many employees there that are big animal lovers. Who knows what window Vivi will walk by. No stone left unturned....
Gail in CT
HAVE YOU RESET THE TRAPS in another different area? Are there more new fliers affixed to front doors and car windows?
My sense is she's hiding...safe, but scared. Maybe inside a garage or shed...weather is warming up in a few days...KEEP THE FAITH. Vivi has open up so many hearts, the divine light is flowing and surrounding her, and all volunteers. I had an image of a ton of blankets at the cemetery, I hope she returns there, SHE WILL BE FOUND, on her timing.
Here is Ashley's story from NY Daily News:
Missing mutt is her whole world
Ashley Perry posts flyers to help find her precious Sniffles.
Ashley Perry named the dog Sniffles when she brought him home from the pound, hoping he might help her through the trauma of being much too close to a grisly murder.
"When you freak out and start crying, a dog'll come and lick your tears," the 25-year-old artist said.
But Sniffles was only a Brooklyn mutt, not some champion purebred flown in for the Westminster dog show.
So when Sniffles bolted away from a friend who was watching him in Bedford-Stuyvesant on Wednesday, there was no police search by ground and air, no media mob, no news photos and film clips like those for the whippet that bolted from a cargo area at Kennedy Airport the same day.
For Sniffles, there was only Ashley Perry. She started searching at Dekalb Ave. and Marcus Garvey Blvd. where the dog had vanished, and she wandered the streets for hour after hour after hour, stopping everyone she encountered. Her fingers began to bleed as she posted and handed out more than 500 leaflets reporting Sniffles is shy and "was last seen wearing a blue collar."
"I started walking around asking every person I saw if they had seen my dog. Every single person said, 'Oh, is that the dog missing from the airport?' " Perry recalled.
The difference in the response to a mutt as compared with a show dog was not exactly new to her. She witnessed the human equivalent in August while working at the hip vegan tea house Teany on the lower East Side. Somebody said a man had collapsed out front, and she stepped outside to find a middle-aged stranger bleeding on the sidewalk.
"I held his hand," Perry recalled. "I told him I loved him for some reason. I told him he was doing good and he was going to be okay."
She met his gaze and watched the awareness fade from his eyes. The paramedics arrived.
"They cut his shirt open and there were stab wounds everywhere and I just lost it," she recalled.
The media reported Teany was owned by techno rock star Moby, but said little of the 40-year-old victim, other than to note he had a history of petty crime and drug abuse, a kind of human stray.
The news also noted that a number of passersby had stepped indifferently past the dying man, but there was no mention of the young woman who remained at his side, trying vainly to keep a stranger alive with words of love and comfort.
Teany refused to give Perry time off to recover, and she never went back. She was an unemployed artist from out of town, far from her family and shaken to her very core by a violent death the rest of the city met with a shrug.
"I said, 'I need a dog,' " she recalled.
Perry went to the city Animal Care and Control shelter on Linden Blvd. intending to get a puppy. She then saw a 6-year-old mutt sitting in the corner, looking gentle and absolutely alone.
This was hardly a prize winner, with a German shepherd's shoulders, a greyhound's waist and a big tail all his own. He was cream colored with touches of brown and black around the eyes that made him look like he was wearing mascara. He had a little scar on his nose.
Perry took him for a test walk in the parking lot.
"He just stayed by me the whole time and looked up at me and seemed like a good companion," she recalled.
She named him Sniffles.
"He was really sad looking and he had a wet nose," she explained.
This mutt Sniffles proved to be exactly what Perry needed after the murder outside the celebrity's tea house.
"Not being able to save somebody's life and then having a dog you can care for and is always there for you and happy to see you and trusts you with their life," Perry said.
On Wednesday, Perry asked a friend to watch Sniffles while she worked her two new jobs in Manhattan as a nanny and a dog walker. Perry was walking a cockapoo in Tribeca when the friend called her cell phone to say Sniffles had bolted away and vanished.
Perry was still out there searching before dawn yesterday and she will back out there until she finds the mutt worth more to her than any show dog. She has put up the security deposit on her apartment as a reward.
"
Linda, I think she meant that she had just seen the dog at 3:07...she posted minutes after that. I just sent her an e-mail to see if she can help us with anything else...sometimes it's a little detail that can make a difference.
We are really in a hard spot here, so just grasping at anything I can...cannot and will not give up!
If she was my dog (and in my heart she really is) I would keep going to a final conclusion...cannot just never know. Dear God, I will be looking for her the rest of my life if we don't find an answer here!
Irene Wilson
evening every one , just got home from being out from 6am EST. my husband and I, were posted at 164th and pigeon meadow. Good Spot the house that we sat by had a 6 foot fence. We saw the home owners and explained why we were there. the girl felt bad and I gave her 2 cards ,
I had mentioned to her, if they see the dog, not to chase the dog . jsut please call the numbers on the card.
She wished us luck. Another young man stopped by the car and asked how old the dog was& said , he hoped we found her. He even put the phone number in his cell phone.
Sorry, I could not answer earlier blogs as my Husband's Lap top died , while we were watching the cemetary.
I had seen Laura in the cemetary , but had no idea that she was going to be there.
Also when most of the cars disbanded My husband and I went into the park, And walk down some steps and there was a whole field of "Marsh" we could here many , many birds. The weeds had to be at least 8 feet high, & we saw a water drain. we walked around a bit -, but left as it started to get darker.
Not a place to be caught in the dark .
What amazes me is that all thes parks connect and would be eay access for this little girl to go from one park to another.
Re: Ashley, sorry, bottom part of article got cut off:
Perry was still out there searching before dawn yesterday and she will back out there until she finds the mutt worth more to her than any show dog. She has put up the security deposit on her apartment as a reward.
"That's all I have," she said. "But that dog is my world."
Originally published on February 19, 2006
I BELIEVE VIVI WILL BE FOUND BY SOMEONE WHO READ A FLYER AND NOT BY ANY SEARCH PARTY.IT MAY BE TIME TO ASSUME VIVI HAS MOVED ON AND START POSTING NEW AREAS.THESE AREAS INCLUDE WHITESTONE TO THE NORTH AND CORONA TO THE WEST.ANOTHER AREA TO FOCUS ON IS THE "IRON TRIANGLE" AREA BY SHEA STADIUM.THIS AREA IS FILLED WITH JUNKYARDS THAT OFTEN TAKE IN STRAYS AND IS LOCATED DOWN THE ROAD FROM THE BOTANIC GARDEN.
Michael,
whee I spoke to Darlene durning her cruise around - she went to all the Junk Yards , They had told her they are open 24 hours& if they see her they wourld call.
She was shocked that so many were around.
New Yorkers - How much TV coverage are you getting? I know I keep harping on this, but I really think Vivi might just be in some unaware person's house right now, and if they see her on TV, they'll know what to do. If you're getting good coverage, I think there's a very good chance that by tomorrow morning, someone will have turned her in.
It's not that I think anyone has intentionally stolen her; lots of people who find strays with no tags/collars just assume nobody wants them and that it's ok to keep them for awhile until they hear otherwise, or else they're afraid to take a dog to the pound because of what might happen to the dog if no one claims it.
I am ready to start making flyers but have been too far away for the last 10 days to help. Lois could you report (for the 350th time I know) the specs of the flyers? I know they need to be overnighted but I don't know the address anymore. I think they are 11x17"s on flourescent paper? Hey also we have a large (30"wide) laminator - I can laminate them at school.
I've been so depressed today - in the worst funk - but now I do feel more hopeful - I don't know why either. Maybe tomorrow will bring better news.
RED BLANKET...if Vivi associates RED with Jill's coat, can you put a few RED BLANKETS at places where she's been, she may return. Has a HORSE BLANKET from California been placed inside a trap? I hope we can stimulate Vivi's scent with familar things of both smell and color. I'm surprised only 40 people showed today...are you doing an all night stake out also? I like the idea of a BBQ of good stuff cooking around 6 in the morning, it may draw her out.
I WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY 3 TEENAGED NEIGHBORS BEING HOME FROM SCHOOL TOMORROW. WE WILL 'DO' AS MUCH OF WHITESTONE AS WE CAN... PRIMARILY WILL TRY TO GO HOUSE TO HOUSE AND PUT FLYERS IN MAIL BOXES.
THEY WILL PULL THEM OFF IN THE WHITESTONE AREAS BECAUSE THE CIVIC ASSOC. DON'T LIKE THEM..I KNOW I AM VERY ACTIVE IN ONE OF THEM.
WILL ALSO POST IN INTERSECTIONS...STILL SAY, WE NEED A SHORTER AND EASIER TO REMEMBER CONTACT NUMBER...PEOPLE CANNOT REMEMBER ALL THESE NUMBERS AND WHEN THEY SEE THE DOG, IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER, CALL CAN'T BE MADE.
JUST SUGGESTIONS AND THOUGHTS...
PLEASE SAY A PRAYER CAUSE WE NEED GOD'S HELP BIG TIME HERE!
IRENE WILSON
I'm following Irene's lead and opting for a glass of wine -- but I'm having mine with chocolate! On a serious note, thanks ever so much to all the volunteers who braved the cold and gave their time to look for our Vivi. I hope our collective spirits lift -- Vivi needs us to keep the faith and we need to help each other do this. Let's light some more candles and try to keep our chins up as we await the successful rescue of dear Vivi.
I agree- far more likely that some kind person is just helping the thin girl.
I was looking at Whippets at the agility trial today. I think they could squeeze through a 4" wide opening. There was one guy walking around with 4 of them on leashes at the same time. They looked around warily and moved like a herd of miniature deer. I was thinking hang on tight to those guys...
Karen, that's absolutely true. A normal wrought-iron fence won't hold a whippet in.
Maybe after I type this I CAN GET SOME SLEEP. Bless all the people and animals who were out there today searching, bless all the people praying and sending light, fliers, forwarding emails, getting the word out all over the country...let's not give into discouragement, God knows Vivi hasn't. If we're gonna fantasize about where Vivi is...let's create A POSITIVE IMAGE, of her being safe, warm, fed, protected by whatever means available. Keep the energy focused on her SAFE RETURN TO JILL as soon as possible. Beloved Mother-Father God, we ask in the name of the Christ, to guard and guide Vivi in returning to Jill and envelope any people or other animals Vivi is with in the holy light, with all of our loving hearts and pure souls, we ask this in the name of the Christ, keeping in mind the highest good for all concerned. Blessings of the Mystical Traveler, all the angels and saints who can assist in her safe recovery, and so it is. Shanti, peace be still, ahmen.
Irene-
This might be a stupid question, but I haven't seen a posting about this.
Has the 911 Center in NY been notified in case someone calls there?
Karen
I had to stay at a hotel a bit ago while waiting for a house to finish. I had my 8 whippets with me. When I would walk them people couldn't believe how well behaved they were and most people did refer to them as a small herd of deer, lol. What they didn't see was how un-well behaved they were when they saw a stray cat! Talk about hanging on tight!
Irene
And by the way, I think you are pretty awesome. I have so enjoyed reading your postes. They are witty, informative, truthful, and at tmes painfully honest.
The address for the posters
SEND TO
Vivi Search
3392 Bay Front Place
Baldwin, NY 11510
Sorry about the typos. Writing too quickly.
I called the 1800lostdog people and it only costs like twenty dollars for the duration, BUT an owner has to regester it.
Loretta:
911 in NYC is STRICTLY for a life threatening emergency and they certainly will not deal with a lost dog. Would tell the person to call Animal Care & Control or ASPCA and hang up, I'm sure!
911 in a city of about 10 million people is a busy place with true emergencies.
Irene Wilson
Holy cow, Julie, you have 8 whippets? I have one, and I've been considering getting a second one, but am concerned about losing or altering the special one-on-one friendship I have with my little guy if he has to share me with another whippet. Eight - how do you handle it? I would love to know your secret of keeping a special connection with each one.
Irene- Please do not misunderstand. I was not suggesting by any means that 911 be used for sightings.
I was simply asking if the 911 Center phone staffers had been notified about Vivi if by chance someone who did sight Vivi and had no other number to call, did call there.
Unfortunately see no sighting have been made today. Come on Vivi, my U of M Tigers let me down in the NCAA Final Eight, please come out and cheer this sad old woman up tonight!
Kathleen Stephenson
Julie, YOU HAVE 8 WHIPPETS?!?!?! And yes, I did yell that! Terrie
We hope that somebody has Vivi, and that they will eventually see that she is the lost whippet.
Our first whippet got out of the yard when she was a puppy, and we just figured that somebody would take her and that we would never see her again. Fortunately she came back to the yard after a short romp around the neighborhood.
Lillie,
I know and I do think it was a great idea when Kitty came up with it yesterday or day before. It was shot down by Honi or someone in the group that can make that decision.
Have no "say" in the matter, only saying what I think...what I think is that the easier what has to be remembered is, the better! I know that when I see posters up for lost pets, an hour later I could never remember what number I should call if I see the pet. Would have to go back and find the poster if I can remember what street it was on, etc.
At an intersection (which is a good place to put a flyer cause cars stop) there's only a minute for a person to read what's on the flyer....the shorter the better, I think.
I said what I think so just have to wait and see if anyone feels the same..Kitty was the person who had the great idea!
Irene Wilson
Come to Connecticut Vivi, UCONN Huskies are on a roll..We welcome you here. Sorry Kathleen
Gail in CT
I wonder if Ashley has Sniffles set up on the 800lostdog line? I sent her friend a note.
The whole thing is heart wrenching...
Yes it was Kitty's idea, I sent Bo a note about it
and so did kitty.
Whe I see a roaming dog around here that I can't catch (and have brought more than one in the yard and closed the gate) I automatically call the police, epecially if Animal Control is closed.
Unfortunalty some people don't know what to do...so they do nothing...
Gail in CT
Loretta: No, I understand, maybe I don't explain what I mean too clearly sometimes. The 911 call center will not discuss or go further with such a call. They can be abrupt when the call is NOT an emergency. I personally have made no attempt to call 911 and ask or give them info re Vivi...perhaps someone has or will, but I will not.
Irene Wilson
And in some neighborhoods, stray dogs are no big deal, so no one even thinks to do anything. Fortunately, Flushing doesn't appear to be such a neighborhood. Sounds like there are lots of good folks there.
Great...now Fox 5 has a story about all the dogs from Katrina with no homes...I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel somewhere...there has to be.
Gail in CT
Loretta: People could call their local precinct and people do sometimes do that with an animal problem, but that's different than dialing "911".
Local precincts try and can be very helpful with all kinds of things.
Irene Wilson
Terrie Are you in Wisc? If so where abouts. I am in northern IL
Alane
You and the others are correct Irene. There truly needs to be a universal recognizable phone number for people to call if they see Vivi.
I had the head groundkeeper from the National Tennis Center on the phone the other day and had to search for the numbers.
When I told him about Vivi, he responded, "Oh if we see her should we call 911 or the police?"
I told him no and gave him the numbers.
Calling the local precincts is a good idea, also do you all have 311 for none emergency stuff?
Just Paul...many areas of Flushing where stray animals are no big deal!! Lots and lots of them, unfortunately! Flushing is a very large area made up of small enclaves really different from each other. Go a mile and see another world! Hard to picture, you'd have to see it!
Trust me, Vivi could wander past hundreds of people and never be noticed...just part of the background!
Irene Wilson
Another story coming up on Fox 5 news, that's three so far tonight but none of them is about Vivi..what's up with that? Might be time to bombard them again with emails about it.
Gail in CT
I think today was one of the hardest days to be out there with no sighting of vivi in days, I was also in the park today at 5:30 and walked almost the whole park thing it was dinner time and went where Linda was and cliimbed thru the marshes and found places to hide but saw nothing, I met a couple who i overheard talking about vivi and told them if they see her not to chase her. I think vivi has left the area and as usual I don't think we posted far enough ahead like Laura told us to, because if we had I'm sure she would have been see by now, I am afraid for her safety being far away from her safe place, We searched everywhere we could think of and looked in every lot we could find and went down every side street and then I went out by myself at 5 and recovered and walked everywhere she might go thinking it's dinnertime and she may come out now, but nothing. I know they posted alot today lets pray someone calls with something. Honi said it would not be unusual for her to have a big meal and hunker down for a few days. I hope she's right.
Irene, thats always been the beauty of NY, the stars can walk around and no one notices them. If she wanted a place where she can be incognito she sure picked the right city.
Gail in CT
Hello Guys, Well I'm drinking wine also. Today really devestating me. I was just reading everyone's comments and I saw that Linda said that Laura went to the cemetary. I saw earlier that their was no heavy scent picked up at all today so that tells me that ViVi has not been to the cemetary lately.Cynthia, if your on have you talked to your friend. Is she seeing anything?
Thanks for the address. I'll work on those posters based on the "numbers" post.
Julie-I love those agility trials where there are so many different breeds each acting like themselves, makes it kind of a circus. But I was particularly aware of those four coiled spring little whippets walking carefully all together in a group through the chaos.
Thanks for the description, Irene. I've been to Manhattan, but never anywhere else in NYC. From what I've been hearing, I had started imagining that Queens is more homogeneous than that. Apparently not so. And of course it's very hard to tell anything about the character of a neighborhood from Google Maps, although it's a terrific tool for seeing where everything is in relation to everything else (the cemetery, the park, the residential areas, the big steets and "freeways" or whatever you call them there.)
Geez, by the time we find Vivi I will be 160 lbs. and a wino with insomnia!! Something to look forward to!
I think Michael who posted a few minutes ago has a good point. As I said earlier, tomorrow I will devote 3 teenagers and myself to going back thru as much of Whitestone as we can...going to try and do mailboxes cause I am tired to going back a day later and things are gone...really frustrating!
Pray, people!
Irene Wilson
Oops, I meant "streets," not "steets."
Praying for our lost doggies and hoping they are seen soon. Hang in there guys we are still looking!!!
I'm with you Irene. Are you the one that lives in Flushing
It's hard to imagine the perspective of someone who could be right there and be oblivious to the dog we wake up in the middle of the night worrying about but it's true I bet 50 yards from the last poster. What is that kind of glue people use for posters that makes them so hard to remove. they use for show advertisements.
Marty...Yep, that's me. Sleepless in NYC, again!
Maybe if I go to bed, I can pretend I'm sleeping. This is an exhausting almost 6 weeks.
VIVI, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU...HALF OF NYC IS LOOKING FOR YOU LITTLE GIRL!
Irene Wilson
I really need some one to pick me up because I am really sad right now. I just wish viVi would come out of hiding
I really hope Vivi is found soon. She sounds like a smart dog and is obviously a survivor. There's a good chance she's finding food on her own and hopefully the weather will warm up soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of the searchers out there.
Marty..think of this...a possible early morning shower tomorrow, which might help with the scent and the weather being in the 60's this week so our little girl won't be freezing. I felt like you do last night and did not post just read the blogs..but I feel better today even though it's been more than 48 hours since the last sighting..she's not a ghost, if she's still on the loose she's bound to be seen eventually.
Gail in CT
It seems like most of the sightings were in relatively warm weather.
It's funny because I never even heard of a whippet until viVi. I told my husband that I want to get one. I can't now because I'm at my limit with dogs in our county. I'm just curious though how much would you pay for a whippet. I've never seen them in our paper for sale.
We are also having something of a drought in the DC area- everything in the country out here is dusty. Often DC's weather mirrors NYC's- just usually maybe 5 degrees warmer. Even just a little rain would help.
Gail, I just hope that she hasn't gone past where the fliers have been posted. There has been so much news media though someone would have to see her. Doe's anyone know when Jil is going home. I feel for her so much. I can't imagine what she is feeling
I don't own a whippet but the prices for springers can run around $800 and up depending on what state you live in. I would never buy from a paper. If your interested, the best thing to do is go to some dog shows and talk to the owners and breeders to see if it's the breed for you. WHEN Vivi is found and possible has another litter, I don't know if any us would be able to afford one, lol.
Gail in CT
Marty, anywhere from $500.00 to a few thousand dollars, depending on pedigree. Find a good whippet breeder on the internet. Don't every buy a purebred dog out of the newspaper; those are usually from puppy mills.
Greyhounds and Whippets both have rescue organizations. You might put yourself on their lists. I forget, what kind of dogs did you say you have now?
Oops, sorry Alane, I was off for a little bit, and now trying to catch up. I'm in the SE part of WI between Madison and Milwaukee - Oconomowoc, ever hear of it? Terrie
Are whippets high or low maintence dogs. Tell me something about the breed
God,the Guardian of all creation,let Vivi, and Sniffie, and Biggie,and Your animals who are lost, sleep safely, well, and in your care. Bless those who've worked so hard to be the living presense of your compassion.
'Night everyone.The title of this post says it all.
We'll keep those prayers coming fast and furious.
Sleep the sleep you deserve after a long hard day.
Melanie,
With all due respect, most bounty hunters go after much bigger rewards. e.g. wanted criminals, bail jumpers, etc.
LOL I doubt even a novice wannabee bounty hunter would want to start his career going after a dog, it's not exactly a very macho thing and even if there was one out there looking for Vivi, do ya think she'd really know it, if she saw him?
Darn, "Wag the Dog" is on and I have to get up so early for tomorrow's dog show. ;)
Marty, to keep ahead of her your looking at 5 to 10 miles ahead. The problem is in what direction? She can turn on a dime. That's a vast area to cover not to mention the congestion and our searchers are just about burnt out. It's like keeping ahead of a moving train...
Gail in CT
Karen, I have two Jack Russel's and one chihuahua that I found and the owner's did not want her
Whippets are low maintenance, at least mine is. Sleep alot. Need a few runs around a fenced yard a day. Or a nice walk. No grooming. Quiet as a church mouse. I was just on the whippet rescue page a few days ago - they are all sweeties and they all need homes. Terrie
Do all whippets need to be on a leash at all times.
Mine doesn't. But I've had him since he was a puppy. Worked with him, played "sneak away" and hind and seek, and "run to mom", etc. I never let him off leash near any kind of traffic, but if we're in back by the ponds, or at an unfenced dog park - it is not a problem. If I were to adopt a rescue - I would probably never let it off leash. Terrie
Also, he's 8 now and maybe I couldn't do this years ago, but I can call him off rabbits and squirrels. He's so used to me saying, "don't do it" or "stay close". He'll just look the other way. Terrie
The reason that there are rescue organizations for practically every breed is that each one has unique positives and negatives and people choose them for the wrong reasons- they like the way they look or they remember one from childhood or worse yet they saw one on TV. As a Border Collie adopter following Babe...
That doesn't mean the dogs turned over to the groups have anything wrong with them, it's just that they bought a whippet for their efficiency apartment and then found out they say, like to get alot of exercise. There was that fad a few years ago when people were buying "Miniature" Vietnamese Pot Bellied Pigs. Very cute and small as babies, 250 lbs as adults. So now there is a big rescue farm in West Virginia with dozens of former apartment dwelling pigs.