Vivi's breeder, Bo Bengtson, provides this information on how to act around a lost and startled sighthound like Vivi. He encourages searchers to make copies and distribute it anywhere Vivi might have been sighted.
HOW TO GET VIVI BACK...
Guidelines for How to Act around a Runaway Dog
The following applies to most dogs that have gone “wild” and do not want to be caught.
The bottom line is: you cannot “catch” a spooked Whippet. Attempts to chase, catch, surround or contain Vivi will have the opposite effect, scaring her further away.
If you see Vivi:
1. Do not get out of the car close to her, don’t slam the car door and don’t call her. You will only frighten her further.
2. If possible sit down on the ground, eat something (noisily!), share with her if she gets close, drop some food on the ground. Talk to her gently and casually, as if you see her every day and don’t care that much about her. Don’t even look at her. If she lets you, pet her gently but do not try to grab her. She is much faster than you are and cannot be caught until she wants to.
3. You should not have a big or noisy dog with you. If you have a calm whippet or small dog on a leash and Vivi is nearby, make a big show of feeding your dog. Nothing makes her hungrier than seeing another dog eat.
4. Do not walk directly toward her; avoid eye contact; act casual but friendly. Not until you can quietly put a strong leash with a choke collar around her neck should you try to do so, and don’t even do that if you are not experienced enough to deal with a dog that might easily panic.
5. In a best case scenario, quietly close a door or gate (a tall one, she can probably jump 6 feet if necessary) behind her. If not, just making non-threatening contact is a huge step forward, and establish a place where she can be fed.
6. The most important thing right now is that Vivi should not feel chased or "hunted" so she doesn't feel like you're moving into her comfort area
7. If you catch Vivi, put her in a car or safe room ASAP. Make sure nobody accidentally opens a door. Be calm and quiet, don’t scare her and CALL 1-877-JFK-VIVI (1-877-535-8484), or 917-626-1374, or 516-776-0923 - IMMEDIATELY!
Losing Vivi after “nearly” catching her will make it even more difficult to instill confidence in her again. She has most likely been chased by more people than we know who grabbed for her in misguided attempts to catch her. Much better to encourage her confidence by feeding her, leaving her alone and petting her if she lets you – until you are SURE you can catch her and put her inside a car or a safely confined area.
Comments (6)
I suggest calling out the names of ViVi's family members. I agree with the suggestion to sit eating noisily. I was caring for a dog years ago that escaped. A stranger told me where it was last seen. I went there and sat (it seemed forever). I kept calling the names of family members of that dog and a few words I knew she knew. She suddenly appearred. I sat still with a dog snack I knew she liked in my right hand. I sat still. I did not look. She put her nose in my right hand. Her collar touched my left hand and I grasped it quickly after my left hand was not in her line of site.
That is precious. Vivi doesn't have a collar, but I pray something similar happens for her. I know Jesus is watching out for Vivi. He's helping her get food, water and shelter till she is caught. He is protecting her from harm. She'll be rescued soon.
I sent How to Catch Vivi to the shelters I contacted yesterday.
Prayer for All Fools Day!
Give me a sense of humor,
Give me the grace to see a joke,
To get some pleasure out of life
And pass it on to other folk.
- Anonymous
Hey guys! Can we all move up to the first posting. It's getting a little confusing jumping from posting to posting reading the lastest.
Good morning everyone. The volunteers did a wonderful job of putting out posters this weekend. So, guess what? They will need more posters! Please keep them coming -- the key to getting sightings is to make sure people know to call. Even though we don't have the toll-free number yet, please don't stop posters -- you can send them to Darlene, at this address:
RADIANCE ELECTRONICS
250 FULTON AVE #608
HEMPSTEAD, NY 11550
Or to Diane, at this address:
Diane Tamm
111 East Shore Road
Manhasset, New York 11030
Please keep the posters coming -- let's make sure they always have a supply. Thank you --
I'm sure everyone has seen this about the dog rescued in NH after 2 years.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1818641&page=1