Animal House

The daily update on the Vivi search from her breeder, Bo Bengtson, posted to www.awc2006.com:

SUMMARY & UPDATE AS OF TUESDAY NIGHT/WEDNESDAY MORNING, MARCH 21/22, 2006

Tomorrow, on Wednesday, it will be five weeks since [Vivi] was lost at JFK. Having walked the streets and parks of the area where she has been sighted, it is almost unbelievable to me that she is obviously still alive. Having had whippets, Vivi’s ancestors, for more than 40 years I know how tough and resourceful whippets can be, but never having lost one before I would not have expected them to survive for so long in the harsh climate and heavy traffic of New York in February and March. Yet judging from all the recent sightings it seems certain that she has done so. I’m not sure if all whippets could do that, but Vivi was always exceptionally strong and resourceful. Perhaps it would have been easier to catch her if she weren’t.

In the future these updates will be brief, pending major developments, but there are a few things I want to address. Some of these may perhaps be useful for anyone who in the future has the misfortune to lose a dog.

FINDING AN ENVIRONMENT

It seems certain that Vivi has found an environment where she can cope pretty well. How she got so far from JFK, across so many heavily trafficked roads, we will probably never know. She may have been caught at JFK and transported by someone who then lost her; she may have made it on her own. In any case, over the past ten days Vivi has been sighted at least a dozen times in an area of perhaps a few hundred acres, consisting of a greenbelt of parks and residential areas in Flushing and Bayside in New York. Most of the sightings are very reliable and have been further confirmed by three teams of five tracking dogs: Karin Goin, Laura Totis and her tracking partner Sam Connley. In one single day (Sunday) Vivi was sighted three times by different people at a cemetery; yet she has not responded to calls from Paul, Jil or me. (Paul spent the first 12 days in NY searching JFK and later went back for a few more days’ search in Flushing; Jil and I went home to California after a few days at JFK but have both been back twice – Jil and her fiancé, Rick, are in NY now and plan on staying for the rest of the week.)

“GOING FERAL” AND SURVIVING

We have learned a lot about how dogs react when they are lost. Much of this may be surprising even to experienced dog people who have a close bond with their dogs. It is difficult to accept, but most dogs become feral fairly soon, go into a survival mode and almost never come back on their own to their owners or people they know, especially when they were lost in the obviously traumatic manner that Vivi was (somehow knocked out of her crate at JFK and chased along the runway by several Port Authority vehicles). The pet detectives told us the same story: the person who finally catches a lost dog is almost never the owner, nor the searchers, but rather some unsuspecting person in whose backyard the dog comes in looking for food. That person must not try to grab the dog but needs to be calm, give it a treat, speak softly and encouragingly, and quietly close a door or gate that precludes further escape. In other words, we are looking for a miracle.

The other alternative is traps, which Vivi has so far avoided, either because she is wary of crates (possibly after a traumatic experience at JFK) or because she can find sufficient food elsewhere. I found a surprising number of sources of food for hungry dogs and cats in NY: kind-hearted people regularly put out large bowls of food in the parks, outside buildings, etc. Three traps have been set up in areas which Vivi is known to have visited, are baited with appealing, smelly food and checked regularly.

According to some experts, Whippets are among the hardest dogs to catch. Of those I’ve heard mentioned, only Salukis and Italian Greyhounds are more difficult, the former because they remain feral longer than others, the latter because of their size and speed. Mary Hudson, President of the Italian Greyhound Rescue Foundation, sent some interesting information: “We have had dozens of IG’s in the same situation as Vivi right now. It is important to remember that these dogs when scared will run, run, run until they are too tired and hungry. It sometimes takes them a LONG time to tire and become hungry enough that they will be daring enough to get close to someone, let themselves be seen, or allow themselves to be caught, but THEY WILL. Sounds like that may be where Vivi is at the moment. We have had IG’s that have been lost 6-8 weeks, sometimes for months in warmer climates with no one able to catch them. There are always plenty of sightings, but these dogs (and Whippets as well) when lost and scared become terrified of EVERYONE very quickly. They DO NOT EVEN RECOGNIZE their owners/breeders when they call them as they search, because they are so traumatized. Their brains are on survival. Even after they are caught, it often takes a while for them to remember their owners, etc. and what their life was like before. If someone comes up on them if they are near the crate, they tend to run into the crate for safety instinctively and one can just close the door behind them. Again, they need to be tired and hungry enough. My heart breaks for this little whippet and I pray she is found soon. These sighthounds are amazingly resilient when lost and scared, though.”

Although Jil, Rick, Paul and I have gone back to NY hoping that Vivi would come up to us, this is not likely to happen. (Jil and Rick have the best chances, since Vivi has lived with Jil for more than three years. Although she was bred by me she only spent her first few months here and has visited about once every couple of months since then.) The most important reason for us to go, following the pet detectives’ recommendation, was to imprint the trails and places where Vivi is with our scent, encouraging her to stay in this neighborhood. I would not have thought a sighthound could be able to scent us in such a large area, but those with experience in tracking lost dogs are confident that she can. It is vital that Vivi should stay in this area if she is going to be comfortable enough to let herself be caught.

THE MEDIA, THE PUBLIC AND THE VOLUNTEERS

It is amazing to me that so many people still care so deeply about Vivi’s disappearance. I don’t know why she has become the poster child for lost dogs, but apparently the media keeps running updates because of strong pressure from viewers and readers. (We expected the media interest to die off after a few days, but today she has been on Channel 7 and 12 on TV, in the NY Times, Daily News and Newsday; tomorrow on an NBC affiliate, etc.) Obviously Vivi’s family will never stop looking for her, but if all the attention that her experience has received will benefit how dogs are handled by the airlines, then at least some good will come out of this. I know that the generous donations to “Bobbie and the Strays,” the shelter at JFK, will benefit a lot of lost dogs who are not as lucky as Vivi in having people looking for them. Without that knowledge it would be difficult to accept all the attention that Vivi is getting.

Thanks to the media, practically everyone I talked to while walking the streets and parks in Flushing had heard of “the dog that was lost at JFK,” but nobody knew she is now in their neighborhood. This points to the importance of putting up flyers, or preferably posters large enough to be visible from passing cars that slow down or stop at major intersections. Apparently local media is starting to cover the search more extensively, and we are hoping that all coverage will emphasize the fact that Vivi has stayed in this area for more than a week. Obviously that, plus a mention of the $5,000 reward for returning her to us, increases the chances that whoever finds her in their back yard will be able to act quickly and helpfully.

Another resource I hope can be utilized would be the local school children. Vivi is not afraid of children, has reportedly played with a 12-year old girl and didn’t run away until an older person disturbed them. If it were possible to educate children how to act around a stray dog it would help: never chase it, give it some of your lunch if it seems friendly or hungry, and try to get it into a yard or room where the door can be closed. Obviously the child’s safety is paramount; a dog like Vivi would not pose a risk to any child, but I can see that security may be a problem in other cases.

It is impossible to thank all the volunteers who have spent hours, days and now weeks helping in the search for Vivi. Without them there would not have been any substantial search. It is important to confirm all reported sightings to be sure that she is still in the neighborhood. However, the most important help that can be provided now is producing and putting up more posters in the areas where Vivi has been sighted. It may seem more mundance than driving, walking or searching for Vivi but (again) according to those experienced in finding lost dogs, putting up as many posters as possible in the areas where the dog has been seen is the most important key in eventually getting the dog back. In fact, too many people actively searching for Vivi may be counterproductive, as the last thing we want is her getting scared enough to leave he area.

THE AIRLINES

As mentioned earlier, Jil’s lawyer Joyce Randazzo has received an inquiry from Delta Airlines concerning suggestions we may have for improving the procedure of shipping dogs. We take their offer to make some changes very seriously and want them to apply not only to Delta but to all airlines. Many have strong feelings about what should be required, but nobody has all the answers, so we would like the airlines to form an educated opinion after talking to a sufficient number of experienced pet shippers before making any decisions. It is almost impossible to find crates that stay closed even in an accident, yet are easy to open quickly in an emergency; that are warm enough in cold weather and cool enough in hot temperatures; light enough to be useful, etc.

We are very pleased that Delta has asked for our input in this matter. We are, however, also still awaiting information that was promised several weeks ago about the internal investigation that reportedly took place concerning what happened to Vivi’s crate.

I am indebted to Rudolph H. Auslander, of the Japan Airlines Management Corporation, a 37-year veteran of the airline industry, a dog lover and a volunteer with an English Springer Spaniel Rescue group, for the following information. He writes: “Since 9/11 and the implementation of the Transportation Security Regulations that we now operate under, unaccompanied baggage is carefully screened by TSA behind the scenes after you give it to the airline for check in. In the case of live animals, TSA does a visual screening of the crates in your presence. Is it possible that TSA agents opened the cage again to check the contents and failed to properly secure the lock after looking inside?”

Here is what Delta says about shipping pets on their web site: “At Delta, we take the time and care to ensure every animal travels safely and comfortably with our Delta Pet First™ service.” … “Rest assured that your pet will be treated with the same comfort and care you have come to expect from us.”

The following are Government Regulations: “Your pet must remain inside the kennel (with door secured) while in a Delta boarding area (during boarding and deplaning), a Delta airport lounge, and while onboard the aircraft.”

Here is what the Department of Transporation says about Transporting Live Animals:

“Over two million pets and other live animals are transported by air every year in the United States. Federal and state governments impose restrictions on transporting live animals. In addition, each airline establishes its own company policy for the proper handling of the animals they transport.”

THE WEEKEND

I was not able to send an update about the search in NY this past weekend because I was there and did not have access to a computer. The details in any case matter little; all I can say that is that it was incredibly frustrating to be so close to where Vivi was sighted without being able to find her. There were several sightings while I was there during Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, on at least one occasion just minutes before I got to that location. It is also quite possible that Vivi heard my voice but was still too feral to respond the way she normally would. In addition to the girl who may have played with Vivi, at least one man fed Vivi bits of bread through the cemetery fence. He is sure that she no longer was wearing her collar but had a rope around her neck, which means that she in fact must have been captured once and then let go.

Jil and Rick are walking essentially the same routes as I did, and Paul before us. I am hoping that they have more success than we did.

THANK YOU

It is impossible to properly thank all the people who have offered help and services in so many ways. There would be no organized search without Honi Reisman, who leads the activities in New York and should be consulted before any actions are taken concerning the search for Vivi. Bonnie Folz has organized the volunteers and keeps track of sightings. (It’s impossible not to mention two volunteers, Tina and Rosa, who have been out EVERY DAY assisting in the search, but the whole group is incredibly dedicated!) Brian Rosenberg has extended tremendous hospitality in placing the grand Garden City Hotel at our disposal for both the fundraiser and as temporary headquarters during Paul’s and my visits. Joyce Randazzo has offered to deal with Delta on Jil’s behalf, and Denise Flaim has assisted immeasurably in keeping the story alive through her Newsday updates, both in the newspaper and on the internet.

I am sure I have left out many names and apologize for this; I doubt whether any lost dog ever has had as many generous, helpful people devoted to finding her as Vivi has. We are immensely grateful to this and trust that all this will help other dogs from suffering the same misfortune. We are also, finally, still hoping for a happy ending to this very difficult experience.

My apologies for the length of the above. I hope it’s comprehensible; it’s now past 2 AM.

Bo