Animal House

I sure hope this is a good sighting of our Vivi. Not that I want her free - but I sure wish we could bring her home.

OMG I am so excited. I think this could be it. That lineup was the BEST idea. C'mon Vivi let's go home to Jill and Rick.

Sound like a good sighting to me. She's hanging in there.

Ah......I sure want her fat and fed and happy. Let's go find this dog!

Beth,Would you like ketchup or mustard with that foot before you stick it in your mouth? I also have another great suggestion on where you can stick it.

Everyone get the candles burning. We need some big time prayers going now. We need to really pray hard that ViVi is ready to go home.

Right or wrong, I thought too that she was caught, but in any event, if this is a good sighting, then the question now is how to feed her and then catch her or at least help her through winter.

Where did she go in Forest Park - and where has she been that she slipped off our radar for a full three months, for heavens sake - three months.

Thank God for all the news coverage!

LURKING Let's not get nasty. This is the best news we've had in so long. Let's just pray it was Vivi and we can bring her home. Please,let's not fight. From the description the man gave, Vivi must be found. Going to light my candles and pray that was Vivi.

P.S. We need to keep the ads going and maybe the press will do a follow up on this good sighting.

This is wonderful news to know she is alive, but sad news to know she is in this type of condition. Maybe this will help us catch her though. We have to do it before it is too late.

See, she was going after that cat food just like Gibby. Dogs just love that smelly cat food for some reason!

Everyone, this is wonderful news and hope renewed. Let's not ruin it with tacky comments on the blog, please. We are Team Vivi, God has given us a wonderful lead, and we all need to work together now more than ever for our little Vivi - she must go home and get vet's care soon.

Great idea Karin gave for the phote line-up.

But where has she been and where is she now - and what time of day did the sighting come in and it just worries me that he said she was so skinny.

I knew she wasn't dead. At least I got that right. And so did a lot of other good people too - we just wasn't dead.

I agree. Now is not the time to fight. We have been waiting for this good news for a long time.

Need to proof read. We knew she wasn't in heaven - but at times I wondered. We need to get her food, some real good food.

Sedona, all whippets look skinny compared to other dogs. I am not worried about that. She has been seen, and she was running. :)

Does Vivi have a black patch on her side? I thought it was brindle? I must go look at the photos again.

Thank you Martha. I just worry about her and want her safe so very much.

To some people even fat whippets are skinny! I can't imagine that she would be anything else but on the lean, skinny side while running loose.

Keeping my fingers crossed!! Come on home Vivi!!!

-Christine

What we really need is to get a pet tracker out there IMMEDIATELY to confirm that it is Vivi through scent, and to try and see where she is staying, if possible. Vivi is in very weak condition, at this point -- every day could make a huge difference, if this is her.

Iva Kimmelman just posted on Whippet-L the new Vivi sighting. Her post was so positive. VIVA LA VIVI. We're going to find you little one and bring you home to Jill and Rick. Go Bonnie, go Rosa, go searchers.

Does anyone know if Vivi has a black patch on her side. I looked at the photos and it looks brown/brindle to me. Please help?

I think Karin has already confirmed the scent.

To many people, a brindle patch would look like a black patch, particularly in certain lighting.

Isn't there a pet tracker in Maryland, some place close that came out in the beginning.

We need this confirmed and now! And where has she been for three full months with all the trackers and sniffing dogs etc.....? Is she that good at hiding?

Marty, what makes you think Karin has already confirmed the scent? Do you know if she's been back to do so? That would be wonderful if that's the case. I assume, then, that she now believes Vivi is alive, at least at the time of this sighting? Thanks for letting us know about Karin -- I appreciate it.

Fingers crossed here also. Prayers and candles as well. I am so excited. It has been so long. Please God sent her to a volunteer so she can go home.

Karen got a confirmed scent in Forest Park?

At 6AM, dirty, to someone who has never heard the word "brindle", a running dog, that patch might look black.

In very early morning light or in evening light I think her dark patch might look black - but black to me is pretty dark and her photos look brown. I would never describe them as black, maybe dark patches but not black.

It just worries me - we need a tracking dog to help out now. I hope one can come back and soon too!

I agree, Sedona. I think it's time to get a tracking dog out there UNTIL she is found and sighted by the tracker. It's critical now -- based on the condition of the greyhounds I've been involved with, who were missing for much less time than Vivi, she would have to be in very rough condition at this point, even if she has been able to keep herself alive and fed. This coming winter could be more than she can handle in her condition. Last year, she was healthy, well fed and in much better shape to handle the cold.

I think the scenario that she may have had pups and was extremely reclusive is an explantion of why she has been out of sight for so long. It could be why she is so skinny looking too. A lot of even well cared for girls get to looking like that taking care of puppies.

I would think some local dogs trained in tracking could help if the scent is so fresh. What good news and what a survivor.

That is true. If she had puppies, she would look very much out of condition and extremely skinny.

Even though the man yelled "Fifi" I wonder if she remembers her name, or could he have just caught her off gaurd? so many questions, praying this is her. Many people have no idea what brindle is, I didn't know untill I adopted a greyhound and I was told that was his coloring/markings, so yes to anyone not familure, it could have just looked like a dark spot. "VIVA LA VIVI"!!!!!!!!

Yes Libby. What a survivor. This is news we have been waiting on for a long time.

Now is the time for even to raise more funds if needed to get a tracker out immediately and to confirm this scent and to help locate her. Maybe she will allow herself to be caught now.

But first we need this confirmed.

Hey this is good news... always keeping the faith ... :)

Looking at the pictures of her, to me the brindle looks dark and like a mixture of black and brown. So I think the brindle might look black from a distance. Also to me the patch on her right side has more black in it. I don't think most people that see her on the streets are familiar with the term brindle.

This is the most hopeful news for a long time. I hate to think of her out there with winter coming... but if this really is her, It's such a relief, because we needed so much to know where to focus our efforts... and where there's life there is hope!!!!

And we need a direction. I just remember the fisherman sighting Vivi and then she just vanished so much so that we were at one time thinking the worst, and then revised it, and now here she is again.

What are we to do or rather what can we reasonably do to now capture Vivi and bring her home safe and sound?

Her right side is much more brindled than her left side. Early in the search, we didn't use the pictures of her right side so that we could use that to confirm sightings. The fact that this person says she had a dark patch on that side further supports the possibility that this might be her.

Who is the tracker in Maryland - it was Maryland wasn't it?

I am just pleased that she is back in our radar again, but now is there anything I can do, or we all can do, to help locate her and feed her etc.?

I just read this and I'm so hopeful. I knew she was out there, but now we have to get her. Reading she is so skinny is hard. Should other blogs be cross posted in case there are local people who could help? Going to light candles now. Will be back.

I thought her left side looked blackish but then again, the lighting in the photo might add to that. But in any event, now we just need to help her stay alive and survive until she is captured.

The tracker from Maryland is Laura (and Sam), I think. I feel like we have a real opportunity here, and I hope there isn't the kind of delay that we have had every other time that we've been presented with this opportunity. This might be our last real chance - we need to really move on this one.

Will Bonnie contact them or what plans are in place now?

I just can't get over the three months that she's been missing. And now Forest Park just like old times. How can she hide away and not be seen for three full months? This seems like a miracle doesn't it?

I thought about puppies too, as the reason she's been out of sight so long and so skinny.

Can anyone clarify whether Karin has verified this sighting through scent? That would make a huge difference, if that's actually been done.

Puppies sure explains it. Oh, where are her puppies and we need to find her and how does one do that when she is such an effective hide and seek doggie?

Yes Sedona, it is a miracle. All our candles and prayers helped. Now Vivi has to be coaxed in. I wonder if she has puppies somewhere in that area and that's why she was laying low. Also the leaves are off the trees. I hope the cameras are up and the trackers can come in to help.

The sighting came in this morning didn't it?

yes, the sighting was around 6am.

I don't know for sure, but maybe Marty means that Karins, Laura's, and Sam's dogs got Vivi's scent in that area when they were here a few weeks ago.

I think Marty was referring to the scent found when Karin was there. The scents were strong in certain areas, and there was scent in Forest Park. She put a date on it and not everyone agreed with the age of the scent. But no trackers are there today. I don't think they have ever been able to produce them that fast. It's more like the sighting confirms the scent evidence.

I just lit some candles and Vivi's site needs more. It's around 50 now.

Hey, maybe the scent was fresher than anyone could admit or wanted to admit so they just aged it longer. But in any event, this is such good news, and even though I had her caught and fed, at least we know for sure she is not in heaven and still needs our effort and all our support.

Thanks for clarifying. It would be nice to get a pet tracker to that very spot, where the man saw her, to really confirm it.

Is someone making a call now? Who is in charge? Is Bonnie handling this?

Puppies are just a guess but if she has been out there all this time, never in someone's care, I don't know what else could explain it unless she has been really sick or injured.

It could be puppies have been found, are still in a nest area, or did not survive any further than this point. It is a pretty harsh environment for puppies if she did have any.

Where is the "weenie" crew?

What can we do to help? Are there local people there who might have tracking dogs or sighthound people who can assist our foot soldiers?

I wonder if the scent that the tracking dogs found wasn't as strong an indication because her scent has changed /modified due to what she is eating or not eating now? Scent does change.

Sure hope this is her!! And that if she has had pups you can find them too!!

Keeping the faith!!

This message came in hours ago and they may be there. I don't know.

Waiting for guidance from Bonnie on how to help.

I wish I lived closer and could bring in Moses.

First of all this sighting needs immediate confirmation.

I know my visions are questionable, but I did have a sighting coming it - but I still had Vivi with this couple. So I worry that we need something more here with this sighting. Otherwise, is our little girl going to disappear for another three months. We can't go on like this - we just can't.

The Weenie crew / team Vivi are probably being the foot soliders that they've always been and are likely out now doing what they can...

Someone on the blog said that the search dogs, and I can't remember which ones, maybe it was Sam etc., but the dogs about jerked her arm off getting this scent and she thought it was fresher.

I can't remember where this happened, as the blog doesn't get the full scoop on everything - just tidbits it seems.

Just heard from Diane K-M- she's already out the door- just got the news.

It sure shows how important the media coverage is or we wouldn't of ever got this sighting. The man said he recognized her from all the newspaper coverage.

I sure hope we can get someone in by this weekend to confirm this scent - also is the street Vivi was spotted on a heavily traveled street at 6:00 am? Is it just a park road - or is it a main street for commuters?

We need to get one of our own searcher's dogs trained to identify Vivi's scent. I can't imagine it would take more than a month at the most or maybe two to teach it to at least ID a scent. But I'm going from Moses and I must admit I have been working with him for some time. But I do believe, a trainer could do this in a short time - maybe not the correct tracking through the woods, but a scent ID would not be that difficult.

and I can give tips and help via e-mail too. Starting with a scent hound might be helpful -

We can't wait till the weekend, I hope there are arrangements being made as we speak, Vivi needs to be home for Christmas! VIVA LA VIVI!!

It would be valuable to have a trained tracking dog in NYC. Just think -- if we'd started on that last February, we'd have a dog that would know Vivi so well by this point.

Never to late to start. And if she disappears for another three months, like she did this last time, that would be enough time.

Now, who can do this with their dog? It is easy to beging. Really easy. And I can help the person start.

Does anyone of our searchers have a three year old (plus) German Shepherd? Or a hunting dog would do too?

Any dog that is a scent hound - or that chases prey - a dog interested in playing games. It is just a game to teach the dog. ID the scent and get a treat!

Even a small terrier type dog.

I believe several of the local volunteers have dogs -- I wonder if they would be willing to start training? Of course, it would be better in the short term if we could get Laura or Sam to come up immediately.

Sam and Laura need to be here tomorrow! Are the New York people calling them now?

And then a dog needs to begin training to find Vivi so we don't have to keep going through this over and over again. First with just the scent ID. Bring the dog to the location and let it sniff. And then the hardest part is the tracking/trailing. Now that takes years, but I think just the scent ID would work of us.

Look at this link to photographs of Forest Park. There are roads closed to vehicle traffic and look how woodsy parts of it look. I don't know how anyone out looking could find this dog if she does not want to be seen in such an area.

You can probably find more on Google too

http://www.nycgovparks.org/related_information/related_information.php?pIDs=Q015&MD=PHOTO

Forest Park has the largest grove of old Oak Trees on the East Coast, I believe. But for so long Vivi was seen and then she just vanished and even the trackers didn't have her that strong in Forest Park area.

Remember when Rick was out and Sam, I believe, but can't remember the person, picked up a faint older scent by the golf course and nothing at the pond or even around the horse stable.

We did have a heavy rain too.

I think Gail T. mentioned that she was interested in training her little dog. I wonder if she would still do it? Can someone post her e-mail link.

I remember at one time I thought she was hiding in the ravines - and then I thought she was caught. I heard that the ravines are so steep and so many of them, that it was nearly impossible to search them.

And when the trackers were out they went on the horse trails etc., where Vivi would travel, and got no scent.

Sedona,
Yes, it is extremely large too I think over 500 acres. It has a Forever Wild area too where they are restoring wetlands I believe. Or maybe that is one of the other parks nearby.

But look at the snowy pictures--beautiful but not to a whippet I imagine!

Has anyone cross posted to the other dog blogs? I feel so helpless here.

Alive, running, and not limping is miraculous and the thought that she may be hanging around a feral cat feeding station is great too as this would indicate that maybe... she has settled into a routine. Big thing now is not to spook her too much.GREAT NEWS

Oh Happy Day

It is just mind boggling that Vivi could go three months without a sighting and then appear just before cold cold weather sets in.

She has to be coming out in the early early hours and then hiding away from people. It just breaks my heart and the task of locating her is just so difficult and even harder to capture.

But she is alive and that is such good news. As the worst was always nagging at me.

I hope they can get the cameras up and have enough people to help them.

If she's hanging around a cat feeding station, I think it would be a very good thing if whoever set up the station would be willing to help setup the camera and perhaps be the first to interact w ViVi if this woman's scent is something that ViVi has become accustomed to. Does that sound logical?

I do believe they are asking her if they can set up cameras.