Blue Christmas

Some age old Christmas songs take on new meanings this year . .

BLUE CHRISTMAS

I'll have a Blue Christmas without you

I'll be so blue thinking about you

Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree

Won't be the same dear, if you're not here with me

And when those blue snowflakes start fallin'

That's when those blue memories start callin'

You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white

But I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Christmas

I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

I'm dreamin' tonight of a place I love

Even more then I usually do

And although I know it's a long road back

I promise you

I'll be home for Christmas

You can count on me

Please have snow and mistletoe

And presents under the tree

Christmas Eve will find me

Where the love light beams

I'll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams

I'll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams

If only in my dreams

Love, Izzie

PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Bells will be ringing this sad sad New Years

Oh what a Christmas to have the blues

My baby's gone, I have no friends

To wish me greetings once again

Choirs will be singing Silent Night

Christmas carols by candlelight

Please come home for Christmas

Please come home for Christmas

If not for Christmas, by New Years night

Friends and relations send salutations

Sure as the stars shine above

But this is Christmas, yes, Christmas my dear

The time of year to be with the ones you love

So won't you tell me you'll never more roam

Christmas and New Years will find you home

There'll be no more sorrow, no grief or pain

And I'll be happy, happy once again

Oh there'll be no more sorrow, no grief or pain

And I'll be happy, Christmas once again

Love, Mom & Dad & Opus

Worried About Izzie

With this snow, we just don't know what to think or say.

If it turns out that Izzie was taken in by someone, somewhere along the way, then she's as safe and warm as are all dogs living in homes with peope -- just not our home.

If she's out on her own, the possibilities are still endless for her survival, especially with the skills she's acquired over all these months. Food will be harder to obtain in snow like we have, but we've heard too many stories of dogs, even small ones like her, surviving hunger long enough to make it until they can get food. There are non-domestic animals of all kinds that make snowy areas their home, including those smaller than she is, that don't expire due to "snow".

We're going with the belief that she has found a way to keep herself safe if not warm, and that when the rest of us are all back out and about, Izzie will be too.

Keep Circulating the Word

I know, sometimes it's hard to believe we're still at it, with it having been so long since Izzie was sighted, but we want our girl back! Even when there are no leads to investigate, there's always spreading the word, searching for the people that have seen Izzie about as much as we're searching for Izzie. We've done a lot with fliering and with passing out business cards, and a lot with direct mail (snail mail and email), and a lot with advertising with media of all kinds and web-only options. Here's some of what we've done with media in the last week:

We've expanded our outreach to the News Messenger, a Christiansburg publication we haven't used before. Who's to say that Izzie isn't in Christiansburg?

Then we've now got a display ad in the New River Magazine, which we'd never have guessed we'd need, given that it's a bi-monthly publication.

We've put a classified ad with a picture of Izzie in the Pets section of the Virginia Leader.

We've been advertising in the Roanoke Times, but we were recently alerted that the ad isn't displaying correctly right now. Thanks to the person that has found a dog, and took the time to let us know this, while in the process of trying to find that dog's owner. Sadly, the dog that was found is not our Izzie.

If you've got ideas for how we can spread the word that you thind we might not have tried, please leave a comment! We're up for most anything to try to circulate the word that Izzie is lost and needs help finding her way home.

Small Black Female Mutt (Not Izzie) Found in Blacksburg

It's now well past the point at which we get excited when there is a sighting of some kind. We can still remember in the beginning when a sighting call was an exciting call. Back then, before it seemed possible that more than four months later, we wouldn't know where Izzie is or has been, any call to say that Izzie was sighted basically was accepted as true. We had to learn quickly that a sighting should be considered as merely a possible sighting, not a valid sighting, unless or until enough information could be gathered and checked out.

Over time, with there having been a lot of spreading of the word about Izzie, and so many great people in the area that want to help us find Izzie, there have been plenty of calls and sightings that didn't turn out to be Izzie.  We have no regrets about any of the calls or emails we've gotten that weren't Izzie; we are still grateful for them, and we still want to be called any time there is sighting that may turn out not to be Izzie. We know that there are so many ways that an unlikely sighting can turn out to be the right dog, and we want to check out every sighting that we can.

So, sightings rarely cause us to jump any more. We know that alot of people whose dogs have been lost for so long become skeptical when they get a call after so long. We don't think of ourselves as skeptical; that seems to imply that we don't think it can happen -- that Izzie is going to surface somewhere. We do think she will!  We know of so many, many situations in which dogs -- even little dogs -- have survived on their own for a surprisingly long time. And while it certainly seems like we've found ways to spread the word to everyone in the area, we know that's not true. There are still so many, many possibilities for Izzie to have been taken in by someone that the word has not spread to. So, skeptical we aren't, and we think any day could be the day she pops up somewhere and is reunited with us.

Finally, one came along earlier this week that sure did get the heart pumping! There are several websites or organizations that allow you to sign up to get alerts when a dog in your area is lost, or in the case of fidofinder.com, found. So the following came through on Sunday that SO could have been Izzie!

It was thoroughly checked out, and definitely not Izzie, sadly. But at this point, it was nice to just find out that we aren't permanently numb, you know? And oh, what a round of day dreams it set off about when and where and how it will all go down one day, that Izzie is found. We may not have control over where she is right now, but we can control our day dreams about that reunion. In our day dreams, we can make it really fun and exciting how she's found, and of course, she's kept up her health and strength. And even though we suspect that her thoughts each day are really about survival, in our day dreams, her thoughts are about us!

Izzie's Parental Units

Check 'em out! Duke (short for Marmaduke???) on the left is her sire, and Squirt on the right is her Dam.

Izzie's ears sometimes stand up like her dad, more often "droop" like her mom. It does change her look at little. When you think you see Izzie, remember not to get stuck on how her ears should or should not look.

The Collegiate Times ad ran again this week, on December 1st. Thanks to Izzie's big hearted benefactor for ordering and financing this ad!

Among numerous other efforts this week, Craigslist ads were all re-posted. We don't ever want to neglect to be up to date with Craigslist ads. We are encouraged by this story, from earlier this year, which is about a woman that posted her log regularly for 17 months until finally, her dog was found and returned to her thanks to Craigslist. The story is HERE.

4 Months and Counting

If time flies when you're having fun, that should explain why the last four months have dragged on interminably. This search for Izzie has not been fun. But there's never been any question that the end will justify the means, when Izzie has been found.

Calls do still come in, from all the past efforts to spread the word, daily since August 1st. Not all of them get a mention here. But here's one to tell about.

Got a call today from some who thought he found Izzie. Unfortunately the dog is a male about 25-30 pounds, wearing a green collar with no tags. The dog has been hanging around the caller's farm for the last 3 days. This is in the Newport area, which is where the last sightings of Izzie were, at the very end of October.

It makes us very uneasy to think about the possibility that this dog -- who the caller has taken in as he's trying to find its owner -- may have accounted for the October sightings of Izzie in Newport. What if Izzie was never in Newport at all? And if she wasn't, then that means that the most recent sightings are even older than those Newport sightings . . .  which are themselves pretty old. This is pretty scary.

So if Izzie hasn't been seen out & about since October 30th or longer, it brings back up the age old question -- does someone have her in their home? If so, where is their home that our efforts haven't reached them yet? What are we missing that we need to be doing to make sure everyone out there knows what number to call if they've seen her? We want her back, no questions asked.

Then again, it also brings up the other age old question -- can she have survived on her own, for four long months, even though she'd been living in a home and being provided with everything she needed, from birth?

There are too many stories floating around of dogs that have survived ten times as long as that on their own, so we know there's no point in deciding that she turned to fairy dust and blew away. Coyotes? Forget about it, we're not going there. She's somewhere. She's trying to make her way home, and can't figure it out. That's why we won't stop looking until she's found.

Thanksgiving Day

Once upon a time, we thought that on Thanksgiving Day, we would be able to say we are thankful to have Izzie at home. We can't say that, but there are some things to be thankful for, such as . . .

* our caring friends, old and new, that have helped in the search for Izzie, in one way or another

* the support, prayers and well wishes from strangers and friends, for Izzie's safety and that she is returned to us

* the time that we had with Izzie from when she was a tiny puppy until she went missing

* that we have Opus, Izzie's companion, to help us through the difficulty of missing Izzie

* the hope and faith that remains that we will get Izzie back and be able to care for her for the rest of her life

* that Izzie is microchipped!

And thank you so very much, in advance, to the person or people out there that will one day, somehow, help reunite us with Izzie.

Still Looking For Izzie

With the display ad printed in the Collegiate Times last week, we did hear from a few people that were not aware of Izzie and her plight. So we know that there are still some people out there that we still need to reach!

At this time, only one sighting is still open. A comment left last Thursday was not delivered as an email to us (as all comments are set for) and we missed it until today, Sunday! Until we can make contact with that commenter, we can't rule out that the dog referred to in that comment was not Izzie. We'd love to be able to follow this one up with good news.

As Seen in the Collegiate Times . . .

November 16th Week

After surviving Izzie’s second birthday on Sunday, we refocused efforts starting Monday.

The last Izzie sightings, in Newport, will be 3 weeks old on Friday. Two of the three sightings that day had Izzie running with a min pin that has never been identified, and with a Jack Russell Terrier that was later found in Pembroke. This is north and west of Newport. After more than two weeks, immediately following those last sightings, of spreading the word about Izzie all around Newport, we decided to spend some time looking in Pembroke in case they were together. The third and final sighting had Izzie wandering by herself, so this might not be right, but Izzie’s location is unknown any way you look at it.

Other efforts were spent trying to reach Tech students, faculty and employees; Appalachian Trail hikers via a website devoted to them; and the hunting community, who are in the woods and crossing paths with dogs on a regular basis.

Status and Update

What's that about time healing all wounds? It's been 15 weeks now, and the wounds left by Izzie's disappearance aren't healed at all. The determination to find her hasn't diminished; it's as much there as is the pain of her loss, and of knowing that she's out there on her own, missing home and family as much as she is being missed.

Izzie was born on November 15th, 2007, so her second birthday is the saddest birthday you can imagine. It's not how we ever imagined it would be. The birthday card that came from her vet, while appreciated, did not have the effect it was intended to have when it was sent out, if you catch my meaning.

But on to what's been happening.

This week there were sighting calls to respond to, but none that were Izzie.

A couple of other lost dogs out there got the help they needed; not reunions with their people, but help in out of the rain, nonetheless.

Posting fliers in the rain was more fun than a barrel of monkeys. The things we do for love.

To end on a happy note, a kind benefactor has, once again, stepped forward to offer help, this time in the form of some Collegiate Times ads that will run next week. Be looking out for them on the 19th and the 21st, which is when the student staff there advised are the best days to run them.

Another (Older) Sighting In Newport

Since the Friday, October 30th sightings put Izzie in the Newport area, we've been concentrating on that area as far as spreading the word. (No place and no person is actually safe from Izzie's flier or calling card, but Newport has been the focus.) We talked to people, handed out the card, posted the flier - in Newport, at Pandapas Pond, at the Appalachian Trail.

And a call came in Sunday evening, from a family member of someone we spoke with that passed the word on, that she was sighted around October 25th near Clover Hollow Road and Laurel Creek Spring Road. She appeared to be traveling alone.

So, this sighting puts Izzie in Newport five days ahead of when we had previously learned she was there. We are happy to have this information even though it came to us two full weeks after it occurred.

While we would REALLY be thrilled with live, hot sightings by people that see her NOW, we want to get any information, even outdated, about where she's been seen. If we are able to track some kind of pattern, it's possible for us to get ahead of her.

Right now, it seems that her travels aren't a pattern at all, but just one big wandering journey that started on August 1st and is continuing to this day. But we know that there haven't been enough sightings to really give us a pattern. We know only that there have been cases in the past, with other lost dogs, where the searchers had enough sighting information to determine a pattern, and they were able to put a humane trap in the dog's path -- putting an end to the search.

We'd love to do the same. So - calling all past sighters: if you feel that you have seen Izzie and can describe the date and location, it's not too late to make a call.

Another Similar Lost Dog

While still working off the Friday sightings of Izzie in Newport, and around spending a lot of time there, Karen is still checking other online sites daily, looking for any sign of Izzie. She just found the ad below for a similarly described lost dog, who happened to become lost under similar circumstances and in the general area. So, besides being on the lookout for Izzie, please also be on the lookout for Monty!

We think that as long as Monty is lost and running around, and the search for her is continuing, there could be sightings of her called in to Karen, and sightings of Izzie called in to Monty's searchers. So Karen has reached out to the Craigslist poster so they can manage sighting calls and any confusion that results from this coincidence. If we can help Monty find her way home, we'd really like to do that.

The Craigslist ad is at this URL, and a copy of it is also below:
http://blacksburg.craigslist.org/pet/1447156704.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

blacksburg craigslist > community > pets
Please help LOST DOG (Dublin, Fairlawn, Bburg)
Date: 2009-11-01, 5:52PM EST
Reply to: comm-sqyw5-1447156704@craigslist.org

Please help us find this dog... she is a small/medium terrier mix, mostly black with white on her chest. She is very shy and ran away while we were watching her for a friend. Her name is Monty and her family would really like to have her back. She got out in the Dublin area but her home is in Blacksburg. She was running that direction (into Fairlawn). Any information would be extremely appreciated.

Location: Dublin, Fairlawn, Bburg
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests
PostingID: 1447156704

UPDATE: Karen was able to find out that this dog is no longer lost! This is great news, of course. The notice remains in some areas around town, so until all of these notices are removed, it's still possible for Monty's searchers to get some Izzie calls. They have agreed to pass on any sightings to Karen as soon as they come in.

Sighting Sun Nov 1st

A pair of sightings by one person was called in just moments ago, and they occurred around 10:30am and then around noon yesterday. (By the way, yesterday marked three months since Izzie went missing.) The area where the caller saw the dog is being investigated now. Thanks so much to the caller who stopped what she was doing when she saw the flier to call this in. (For that matter, thanks to everyone that has been doing this all along!)

If this is Izzie, then she was MUCH closer to home yesterday than she has ever been seen! The caller saw the flier while away from a computer, and she is going home now where she can sign on to see more photos of Izzie to compare them to the dog she saw.

The Friday sightings were among the strongest sightings since Izzie went missing, and for her to be there in Newport on Friday around 5 or later, and then be off Prices Fork in Blacksburg, between Heather and Hethwood, by 10:30 on Sunday, she'd have to do a straight shot. But all indications are that Izzie can do it. So we are hopeful!

Stay tuned! And by all means, call if you see Izzie!!!

UPDATE: After investigating this sighting, we are confident that the dog seen is another dog. There were others in the neighborhood that had seen the dog that the caller referred to, and they got closer looks -- close enough to see that the coat was different and that the dog is not Izzie. So, Karen is back in Newport today, continuing to search, call for Izzie, and spread the word.

New Sighting - Today

Renewed hope! But if today's sighting was Izzie, she's spread herself even thinner accross the area, having now popped up around five miles north of most of the areas where we've been concentrating. This sighting was in Newport, and we have put fliers up there. So the people who saw her knew to call us.


The sighters' bad fortune - both being home sick with the flu - was our good fortune in that they were in a place where they could see Izzie. What they saw was actually three dogs; one that looked like Izzie, a Jack Russell and a third that looked like a min pin -- all small dogs of similar size. This is not the first time Izzie has been seen with other dogs.

One of the sighters had seen the JRT by herself several days ago, and that dog may be the same dog that is featured on fliers in Newport for a dog missing since earlier this week. The Jack Russell's home is in an area where Izzie may have been sighted about two months ago. So if Izzie is wandering around in no discernible pattern, as it seems she is, and is returning to some of the same areas over and over, this may be an example of that.

This possible sighting can be seen on the sighting map.

Update:  from canvassing people in the area, we now have two additional sightings in the general area of this sighting! That sighting was from mid-day, and we have another one from a few hours earlier in the morning that was also all three dogs, and a final one from a few hours later that was just Izzie.

This Week

Izzie isn't showing herself to people that know who to call, so no sightings since before the last update. But we know that she is still out there, still trying to find her way home, still confused about which way to turn to get there.

Knowing that there are still so many people that we need to spread the word to, a wonderful benefactor has stepped in this week to provide some funding help. We are encouraged that by increasing the number of people that are aware of Izzie's plight, we are closer to connecting with those that we are certain must be seeing her, and can tell that she needs help, but who can't catch her and don't know who is looking for her.

Meanwhile, we're still going out every day to search, talk to people, and check any feeding and scent stations we have going. It gets more difficult with every passing day, and especially those that are rainy and cold, since it's obvious that these are the days that Izzie is most miserable.

We'd like to have Izzie home before the three month anniversary of her departure, but it's not far off.

Update through 12 weeks

Today, Saturday, marks 12 weeks since Izzie has been missing. Twelve long, difficult weeks during which Izzie has remained as central to her family as she was before she left! It hasn't been fun, but the days have been filled the only way they could be filled - working every idea imaginable to find Izzie.


Since the sightings earlier in the week, Karen has been walking the area, talkng to as many people as she can find to tell about Izzie, or remind about Izzie, or find out who might have seen Izzie. She was able to speak to mostly everyone who has property that backs up to the new search area. They all have cards and know of the recent sightings in their neighborhood.

At one point, Karen could swear she heard Izzie's bark! She could hear a small yappy dog barking, and a dog barking which sounded like Izzie. But she still hasn't caught up with her.

With muzzle loading season starting Saturday, meaning turkey and deer, we were really hoping to have Izzie back home. The obvious fears are for her safety, of course, but because Izzie may be scared out of the area.

There are feeding stations which Karen is checking each day. They are moved around whenever a new opportunity presents itself. For example, when Karen found a fallen deer, which Izzie could feed on, she placed a camera at that site for a few days. The camera caught vultures and also another stray dog, but no Izzie .

There were other calls and emails of possible sightings that kept Karen busy, but none that have panned out.

Upcoming -- a postcard mailing to a large population of Blacksburg that might have seen Izzie, but who Karen hasn't been able to catch up with.

3 Sightings!

Finally!!!! More sightings!

Canvassing of the area around where Keisters Branch Road and Nikkel Lane meet, by Karen, have produced three sightings, all within shouting distance, all in the last 24 hours.

Hope abounds!

Oh, a word about Izzie's collar, since one of the sighters didn't call because the collar he saw on the dog didn't match the color of the collar on Izzie's photo . . . In Izzie's photo on her fliers and cards, she is wearing a red collar. When she disappeared, she was wearing a green collar. The color of the collar that the man saw on the dog that looked like Izzie was green.

Having said that, please disregard the collar color anyway! There are any number of ways and reasons why Izzie might now have a different collar or no collar at all. Please just call if you see a dog that could conceivably be Izzie.

Thanks once again for all of your support! It's making a very difficult job just a slightly bit less difficult.

Rain Rain Go Away

Like so many dogs, Izzie detests weather like this rainy and windy weather we've been having. Come to think of it, the other dogs that Karen has often seen roaming around haven't been showing themselves, either - most likely for the same reasons. Once the rain lifts, it seems that the chance of seeng Izzie will improve.

Calls have been coming in this week with sightings of dogs that might be Izzie, and every one is checked out thoroughly. Sorry to say, none of them have been Izzie. In a way, it disguises how long it's been since there was a really good sighting - more than ten days now.

Saturday, October 17th, marks 11 weeks since Izzie disappeared. It's been hard being with out her, and surely she missed her family as much as she is missed. And it's hard just knowing all of the time with her that has been lost and can never be gotten back.

But the hope and the faith is still where it always has been. Besides making rounds all over town, talking to people and making sure everyone knows who to call when they see Izzie, we are planning a postcard mailing. Everyone in town needs to have their own copy of Izzie's picture and the contact information. There's no telling where Izzie will pop up next.

And Today Is Another Day

OK so that dog wasn't Izzie, but the hope was nice while it lasted.

And then an email came in late last night from a couple that had just seen a dog that may be Izzie. Live, hot sightings like that are obviously the best! Since it was around midnight, that may be the reason the couple emailed rather than calling.

Please keep in mind -- it's never too late to call in a live sighting. I guess if you remember at 2am that you saw Izzie the day before but forgot to call in the sighting, that call can wait till the morning, or email is fine. But if you are able to call while you see Izzie or within minutes, please don't be concerned about the hour being too late to call!

Also, if you can take a picture of the dog you see with your phone and email it, that would be very helpful too.

Thanks to everyone for your support. It's helping much more than you know.

Whatever You Have to Cross, Cross Them!

We have some hope in the form of a new "sighting" call earlier today, although if the dog in question is Izzie, that must mean that the recent sightings may not have been her.

Someone that picked up a notice recently has a friend that found a dog matching Izzie's description, and the friend has been giving the dog a home. The caller has seen the dog a few times in the past month as he visits the friend every several weeks.


The caller will be visiting his friend later today, and will call to say if the dog is or is not the long lost Izzie.

Everything is crossed now!

And more sightings!

We are happy to report another couple of Izzie sightings, confirming that she hasn't turned to fairy dust! She's out there! Karen has been able to jump right on each sighting, and to go to the areas and speak with the people that have seen her, and others in the area, some of which have also seen her. And Karen is updating the map with the sightings.

But honestly, I'm having a hard time keeping up with where the girl is going! It looks like she's still moving around a LOT!

So the message for now is -- wherever you are in Blacksburg and the surrounding area -- please be on the look-out for Izzie. Do NOT be surprised if you see her; don't think that a sighting can't happen to you. It can . . . and hopefully yours will be the one that provides the link that is needed to bring Izzie safely home.

Stay tuned; all indications are that there will be more. But, what will it be, and when, and where???

New Sightings! 10/4 & 10/5

Saturday marked nine weeks since Izzie went missing -- the first Saturday in August.

Following a busy weekend packed with new visits and revisits to all sighting areas and feeding stations past and present, and pretty much any place that ever had something going on since Izzie went on the run, there have been a couple of sightings -- one Sunday evening and then earlier today. Karen is checking on the latest sighting as I'm writing this update.

Our travels over the weekend included a visit to a couple that had seen Izzie in August, and they have offered a couple of dog houses they are not using. These will be great complements to feeding stations, so this offer is greatly appreciated and those dog houses will be picked up for this use!

We also found out about the dog we'd been calling Scruffy, who is one dog that Izzie has been seen traveling with. Scruffy is an owned dog named Gypsy that was caught all the way over at the feeding station, on that camera there, a good distance from her home. Meanwhile, another dog that we saw as we were out and about is one that we know to live quite a ways from where we saw him (or her). So knowing that the dogs in this area that Izzie has been seen with are such travelers does make it easy to see how much she must be moving around.

We've received a call from the US postal service regarding the fact that we've been putting fliers in US mail boxes which is, as it turns out, illegal. Mea culpa for this! We won't be putting any more fliers in mailboxes, and we are looking for more ways to make sure that everyone knows who to call if they spot Izzie.

Mid-Week Update

On Wednesday, additional photos of Izzie were shown to the woman that had called in last Friday's sighting, and she's 100% sure from those photos that it was Izzie that she saw. This is good news since it had been a little while since we'd been sure that Izzie was out & about being seen. It provides new direction, a new area to concentrate in, and I for one am feeling brand new hope.

The feeding station and borrowed motion sensored camera were moved from the first site -- which seems to have been feeding everyone BUT Izzie -- over to the new area on Tuesday. It's getting some action and hopefully, it's Izzie. Besides the smell of the food to draw her there, a dirty shirt from the house was also left there to assist in that.

But not ones to wait around for Izzie to show, Izzie's supporters have been covering a lot of ground in this new area, talking to landowners and distributing fliers, and also searching in case Izzie is stuck somewhere. Next up, they will be there at the end of the workday today to catch people arriving home from work.

New Izzie Poster!

Today marks two months since Izzie slipped away, having no idea what she was getting herself into. I can only imagine how badly she wants to be home where she's safe, surrounded by family, out of the elements, has a comfy bed to sleep in -- and knows where her next meal is coming from! Without a doubt, she's trying her best to get there. But she still needs help -- everyone's help. Thanks to everyone for whatever you are doing to help bring Izzie home.

Positive Sighting September 25th

We received a call yesterday morning from a resident who lives off Wake Forest Road in McCoy. The caller saw the flier we posted Monday, which we posted because we'd already recieved a sighting in the general area, for Thursday or Friday (24th or 25th). This caller is certain that she saw Izzie on Friday (25th) at around 3 PM. The dog that she saw was traveling on Wake Forest Road towards Shale Road. It appeared she had a short chain/leash attached to her collar.

While canvassing the area and speaking to neighbors, another resident reported seeing a small black dog in the area at around the same time.

We distributed and posted additional fliers on Wake Forest, Longshop and Whittaker Hollow Roads and are focusing our search efforts in the quadrant bordered by these roads.

If anyone is available to help search please call 540.577.9739.

Weekend Update

Brief weekend update from Karen. The camera at the feeding station is in use and starting to capture some images, though none yet of Izzie. As you can see, searching for Izzie is a full-time job for Karen, and any & all support she can get is appreciated.

Camera at the feeding station -- Saturday was a washout here...the camera couldn't keep up with the pelting rain and blowing foliage. Today's pix were better; Scruffy and a boxer mix who lives nearby. One of a neighbor's old dogs made his way to the feeding station as well. Here's the best of the photos.

This last shot is the neighbor's dog who made his way to the feeding station from the house. He was waiting for me this morning at the feeding station (a first). Probably had something to do with the three pounds of hamburger meat I mixed in with the dry food at the feeding station yesterday!

Fliering & search area -- We expanded our posting and search area out Mt Zion to Big Lick Rd and Norris Run..

Craigslist -- reposted the ad which had expired, and expanded the Craigslist posting to include Roanoke as well as New River Valley.

News media advertising -- renewing the ad to run in the Roanoke Times Wed-Sun, and running an add in the News Messenger, which reaches the New River Valley

Friday Update

Today's the day the camera will be installed at the feeding station, and it will be nice if we can finally see some pictures of Izzie eating from it!

But Karen is smartly keeping all options open, and still checking Craigslist and any other sources she can think of, trying to find Izzie. Right now and this weekend, she is working to pick up on a lead she got last week that got lost in the shuffle -- of a dog matching Izzie's description in Radford.

So, who's reading this blog from Radford? Have you seen Izzie?

Tuesday Update

Good news in that we think we have found someone with a motion sensored camera we can borrow... but we'd like to keep the appeal open so that we can hopefully get a second camera in case it's needed for more feeding stations.

Scruffy was seen again Monday! After walking the south side of Glade Road in the afternoon, following Tom's Creek to Hoge Pond and crossing open farmland on the east side of Brookfield Road, Karen saw Scruffy hanging out around Backwoods Lane again.

The feeding station has been gradually moved and continues to need daily replenishing. The rawhide bones are disappearing as well. The camera would help us know if it's Izzie, Foxy, Scruffy, or some other as yet unknown dog.

Keep those positive vibes flowing for Izzie to be brought back to safety.

Monday Morning Update

Update from Karen

Over the weekend, Karen had heard from one of the two people that sighted Izzie last week, saying that after she looked at the photos on the blog, she decided that the dog she saw wasn't Izzie. Certainly we're glad to know this if it's the case, but obviously it was a let down. So Karen caught up with the other person that had seen a dog matching Izzie's description on the same day. He viewed Izzie's photos on the blog and is "98% certain" the dog he saw at 3:30pm on the 15th was indeed Izzie. This is good news, and it's the latest sighting we now have -- last Tuesday.

Karen visited the house closest to that sighting and has spoken to 3 different people who live or are visiting there. One guy that she spoke with had been away for a month and just returned late on the evening of the 15th. No real help there.

Old Creek Road is part of the daily loop, and Karen is over there at least 4 times daily at different times. She's securing permission to walk the area. Ever the optimist, Karen noted that the good news with the rain today is that maybe she can pick up some paw prints around the creek bed.

Izzie is SOOO lucky that Karen has been able to keep her spirits up, and isn't giving up after so long (more than seven weeks now), as many, many people who have lost their dogs do. Ask anyone who has lost and dog, and they'll tell you it's hard to keep going week after week. But the support of all Karen's and Izzie's friends helps make it possible for her to keep going! Keep that support coming!

Saturday Update

IMPORTANT: WE ARE LOOKING FOR THE LOAN OF A MOTION-SENSORED WILDLIFE CAMERA that can capture photos of whatever animal is obviously eating from the feeding station. Since rawhide bones are being included and are disappearing, we believe this is a good indication that the culprit is at least the same species as Izzie! Please call Karen at (540)577-9739 if you have access to a camera and can loan it out for a good cause.


From Karen, late Saturday afternoon --

We've been out all day canvassing, posting and distributing fliers on the south side of Glade Road east of Brooksfield Road and north of Prices Fork Rd. Areas revisited and canvassed include Old Mill,Walnut Spring Roads and Stratford View Drive.

Friday Update, Weekend Plans and Keeping the Faith With Foxy

We continue to focus our search efforts in the area north of Glade Road. While viewing the map, please note Tuesday's sightings are on page 2. This is alot of ground to cover and sometimes we feel like we're looking for a needle in a haystack. The foliage is beginning to wither with the onset of autumn and it is easier to pick up the wildlife trails which criss-cross the rough terrain.

Thursday evening we ran across the elusive Foxy sitting on the side of Bobcat Lane. We threw chicken in her direction from our vehicle while keeping a respectful distance. Foxy played it cool for about five minutes but the aroma of the freshly-roasted chicken was too much for her to resist! She was soon eating out of my hand and appeared to be enjoying human contact.

We continue to ask for and receive permission to search the properties on Mt. Zion Road that share borders with properties on Bobcat Lane. Again, old logging and mining trails are serving us well. The feeding station is getting alot of action and is replenished daily. Rawhide treats discriminately placed are disappearing at night.

Tuesday Evening's Sighting Report

Izzie was seen crossing Mt Zion Road and running up Welcome Lane around 7 PM.

We were in the area and met the sighter within 20 minutes at the exact location where Izzie crossed Mt Zion. Opus and I walked the nearby area and spoke to several residents on Welcome Road until darkness fell, and then returned to the feeding station on Glade Road and staked out the area until 11:30 PM.

We are returning to the area today.

Karen


Update posted on Karen's Facebook wall late Wednesday afternoon:

Walking, talking, posting quadrant bordered by Glade Rd, Mt. Zion Rd, Old Creek Rd and Buckshot Lane. Another sighting from yesterday at 3:30 PM close to last night's sighting.

(The sighting from yesterday afternoon was called in today.)


Important Update Saturday from Karen: The woman who reported Tuesday's 7 pm sighting called me today. She saw the dog she thought was Izzie again today and after looking at the blog photos realized it was not Izzie.

Sunday Morning Update

This update from Karen covers the last several days; you can see how hard she's working -- and how much she's learning about the goings on of the animals around here!


What a week! We've been going non-stop since Tuesday's sighting and subsequent sightings on Wednesday and Friday. I'm an adrenaline junkie by nature and was pounding the pavement until I hit the wall last night. I'm trying to be patient and wait for sightings but always end up walking, talking and fliering fueled by hot sightings.

Carol and Julie (mother and daughter) own the family homestead and farmland on the south side of Glade Road (area of last week's sightings) as well as 80% of the quadrant bordered by Backwoods Lane, Glade Road, Buckshot Lane and the top of Brush Mountain on the north side of Glade Road. Julie lives on the property south of Glade Road; Carol lives 15 minutes away and drives Glade Road several times each day.

They are huge animal lovers, intelligent and all-around wonderful! They are continually rescuing, fostering, feeding, spaying/neutering, vaccinating, etc. the dogs and cats who wind up on their land. They work with the local and regional rescue/humane groups. They are trying to coax two dogs while helping find Izzie.

The first dog is Scruffy. He has been sighted, almost daily, for about six months. (His picture was posted on this blog a few days ago.) Carol saw Izzie with Scruffy Tuesday; she knows the dogs who run in the area and is certain the dog she saw was indeed Izzie.

The second dog is Foxy. She is about the same size as Scruffy, all black, fox-like ears, long-haired. Four years ago, Foxy was taken in by two vet students who lived on Bobcat Lane. She was spayed and given a rabies shot. Foxy escaped from the vet students about a month after spaying and has been running loose in the area since. Julie and I talked about Foxy on Friday; she had not been sighted since May but Julie is confident she is eating at one of the feeding stations.

Yesterday I was driving "the loop" as night fell; my headlights picked up a pair of eyes at the foot of the farm driveway (close to the feeding station). I stopped the car and got out to get a closer look (hoping, praying it was Izzie).

It was the elusive Foxy! She stared at me and I kept my distance while talking to her softly for five minutes. Neither of us moved and I slowly backed away, got in the car and left. I called Julie and let her know: she was so relieved! Foxy is known to travel at night and is elusive; sightings are few and far between. Easy to figure with her dark coloring.

My other dogs and I walked and walked yesterday. There are so many places Izzie could be. We were on cow trails, creek beds, wildlife trails, logging and mining trails, farm roads, Forest Service Roads, main roads and the Heritage Park Trail. We could hear the canons from Lane Stadium; they go off each time the Hokies score, and they scored 52 points yesterday -- go Hokies!! We covered the north and south sides of Glade Road; I'll guesstimate an area covering one and a half square miles. We all slept well last night!

Do You Recognize This Dog?

This is Izzie's new friend; let's refer to him as "Scruffy" for now. Izzie was sighted with Scruffy on Tuesday, September 8th and twice on September 11th.

We received a phone call from a school bus driver who had seen them traveling together at 6:45 this morning. After he completed his run, this nice man phoned us and returned to the area and helped canvass.

When we arrived, Scruffy was milling around Glade Road near Walnut Springs Farm and eluded us. He crossed Glade Road and ran into the woods on the east side of Bobcat Lane.

After speaking with several people in the area, we found out they have been trying to capture Scruffy for the past 3-4 months to see if there's a collar underneath all that matted fur.

We canvassed the area from 8 AM until 4 PM today and will return frequently hoping to cross paths with Izzie. A feeding station is nearby.

New Search Area

Based on yesterday's possible sighting and information received from local residents, we are concentrating our search efforts on the south side of Glade Road.

Check out the map for details about the area.

Possible Izzie Sighting September 8

We had another sighting today at around 12:30 of Izzie with a long-coated brown dog. They were running on the side of Glade Road towards town. When the sighter stopped her car, the dogs took off into the woods.

I was about 10 minutes away posting fliers and had Opus and Bittie with me. We drove to the area of the sighting and walked the dogs. They both reacted in the vicinity of the sightings.

We searched the area on foot for around two hours, talked to people, posted more fliers. It's such a large area to cover, and sparsely populated. I'm headed back out there this afternoon.

Also, this morning I was back in the area where Izzie went missing -- reposting fliers in case she is trying to get back there (in light of Saturday's possible sighting which is fairly close to where she went missing).

While out, I met a woman who lives in Northend on property that backs up to Route 460. The woman owns a dog, and she said that he has been barking and staring at the culvert for the past two nights. She's going to keep an extra eye out if the barking continues. She showed me the culvert that runs under 460 and comes out on Redbud Lane. I checked out the culvert from both ends; it's very possible for Izzie to make her way through. This may have been how she got under 460 the night she escaped.

Possible Sighting Sat 9/5

A woman called Sunday evening about 7pm to say that she saw a dog matching Izzie's description on Saturday evening (9/5) around 7:30. The dog she saw was running up Hidden Valley Drive, which is a private driveway off Tom's Creek Road with five home. It's opposite Givens Lane, and about 1/2 mile off of Route 460.

The caller didn't have the flier when she saw the dog, but she recalled having seen one in town. She went back out the next afternoon, Sunday, to get the phone numbers from the flier at the YMCA Thrift Store on North Main.

This location where she saw the running dog is less than a mile from where Izzie went missing. And it's about that same distance to the area where Sunday morning's searching took place. This was well before the tip came in, but it was a good area to search in.

In checking out the sighting, Karen was able to speak with two of the five residents living on Hidden Valley Drive. She made plans to return to the area Monday, Sept 6th, on horseback. A lot of ground can be covered in the fields surrounding Hidden Valley Road and a couple large farms across Glade Road on horseback!

Friday Morning Update

From Karen, regarding Wednesday's sighting and other efforts going on to locate Izzie:

We were out there again late yesterday afternoon until after dark. Spoke with 3 people (in addition to the guys who reported the sighting late Wednesday night) who said they also saw a dog who could possibly be Izzie on Route 42 and on two side roads off 42.

One lady near the AT trail head said her dogs have been barking at unusual times at night. She told us she would keep her porch light on and check around (she leaves dog food out at night for her dogs) when she hears her dogs bark.

Unless we get a sighting report away from this area, we are hiking that area tomorrow. Blacksburg will be covered in case we get a sighting report near town.

Heritage Park is covered by 5 folks and their dogs who walk the park daily and carry flyers and talk to people they come across. There is a big mountain bike race Saturday and Sunday which leaves from the bottom parking lot of the Park. We posted flyers all along the route.

The trailer court is also covered, by two really good guys with the eagle eye who know everything that goes on, and by a wonderful lady who stocks the cat feeding station. She is there four evenings a week to feed, water and socialize the cats.

Possible Sighting Early AM 9/3

We are hoping!!!

A sighter called in the wee hours to say he spotted her with brown dog on Rt 42 in Newport. Says she has been there for days near AT. He described he perfectly...to a "T".

However, cell phone problems overnight kept Karen from getting this message when it came through, so she couldn't get the details and run out to investigate it immediately as she would have wanted to. She got the message this morning.

And as of right now, the caller isn't answering as she's tried calling back, and the voice mailbox is full -- grrrr! But she's going out to check it out as best she can until she can hook up with the sighter to get more info.

Check back later to see what this leads to. And send your strongest, most positive vibes Izzie's way!

Do You Know Whose Dog This Is?

We have found a wonderful family who can take good care of him until his owner is found. They have offered to give him a forever home if he needs one. He was taken to a local vet and scanned for a microchip (there was none). A heartworm test followed (negative) and a rabies shot was administered. He was a complete gentleman during his visit and displayed a quiet curiosity around the many dogs and cats in the waiting area and during his blood test and innoculation. We hope this is the dog Izzie was sighted with on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 and she will show up at his temporary digs.

A Chronology of Izzie Sightings, August 10-28

Izzie was sighted yesterday, August 9th off Glade Road. She seems to be trying to find her way home and is 2/3 of the way here.
August 10 at 8:20pm

Izzie is reportedly traveling with another dog. We are focusing our efforts on the quadrant bordered by Glade Road, Shadow Lake Road, Meadowbrook Drive and Tom's Creek Rd.
August 11 at 2:57pm

Another Izzie sighting on Monday, August 10th! Near intersection of Westover Dr. & Glade Road..very close to where she was spotted Sunday. Still hanging out with a medium sized brown dog. Be on the lookout near Heritage and Westover Hills Park.
August 11 at 10:39pm

Izzie sighting Tuesday, August 11th between noon and 2 in the Heritage Comm. Park walking trails. Possible ID on the dog she may be traveling with, a small brown pit mix (intact) who is allowed to roam at will. His home is in a trailer at the back of the trailer court which backs up to the farm at the end of Old Farm Road, and borders national forest land.
August 12 at 9:38pm

Izzie may have crossed over to the south side of Glade Road and may be heading towards home (Foxridge). Possibly traveling in the Boxwood Dr/Linwood Lane neighborhoods towards Old Mill Road.
August 14 at 12:34pm

LATEST POSSIBLE SIGHTING on Saturday around 2 pm resting in a wooded area with a brown dog on Shadow Lake Rd aross the street from the entrance of Shadow Lake Village.
August 16 at 11:25am

Very good sighting report today...didn't get a call until 8 hours after the sighting however it was near the bridge in Heritage Park...same area as Tuesday's sighting and close to the trailer park on Meadow Brook Road where she has been sighted several times. I will camp out at that site all day tomorrow. Today’s sighting was at 10:30am, near the creek.
August 16 at 9:16pm

Received a call yesterday from someone who overhead a conversation about a guy who had picked up a small black dog with white paws who was very skittish. The guy was pumping gas at the Wilco station (now Citgo) on North Main St. (across from Papa John’s). Went there and heavily postered the area around the gas station.
August 22 at 10:30am

Possible Izzie sighting this morning at 7:30 on Price's Fork Road near Hethwood (Foxridge, our home, is in the Hethwood complex). She had made it across busy Price's Fork Road and was sighted on the Hethwood side.
August 27 at 10:53am

More info on this morning's possible sighting...near the intersection of Prices Fork and Plantation Roads by the Carillion clinic lying in a shady spot. Walked, talked and posted area since the sighting...heading back over now.
August 27 at 2:40pm

After an all day canvassing of the vicinity surrounding this morning 's sighting, darkness has fallen and we will resume tomorrow morning at 6:30. Left food near the sighting and there is a water source nearby.
August 27 at 8:41pm

Early this morning we canvassed the vicinity of yesterday's sighting. We received a phone call last night about a possible Izzie sighting, with a brown dog, near the intersection of Shadow Lake and Meadow Brook Roads between 10 and 11 pm on Wednnesday night. The sighters followed the dogs into the Gateway parking lot of Heritage Park (on Meadowbrook Rd) and the dogs ran off into the park.
August 28 at 9:16am

Izzie's (Possible) Running Mate in Custody

This nice guy ("Dexter" for the time being) has been sighted on Meadow Brook Road near Edison Lane on several occassions since August 27th. A nice woman approached him and called us to see if he is a candidate for the dog spotted running with Izzie over the past month. He's an intact male, thirty pounds, boxer mix, camo collar, no tags and it appears he has been living on his own for awhile. Dexter is people and dog friendly and walks on a leash.

We searched the roads, culverts, creek and woods nearby looking for traces of Izzie. Two of Izzie's doggy friends were along for the search and didn't react to the area. This area is less than a mile from Wednesday evening's possible sighting.
I have a call into the person to see if the picture matches the dog he sighted with Izzie.

The woman agreed to keep Dexter at her home which is nearby and to allow us to hang out with him with hopes of spotting Izzie.

Izzie is Lost!

Izzie, a 10 pound spayed terrier mix, escaped from her caretaker on Givens Lane in Blacksburg, Virginia on the evening of August 1, 2009. She left behind her constant companion, Opus, and her best friend, Bittie.

In the course of an hour, the immediate vicinity was canvassed until nightfall ended the search.

Izzie was sighted in Brookfield Village the day after she went missing. She managed to either cross or follow a culvert under very busy Route 460.

Within 2-3 days she was sighted on several occasions at the Meadow Brook Trailer Court on Meadow Brook Road.

It appears she made friends with one or more dogs who reside within the trailer court and was spotted on three occasions in the area bordered by Glade, Shadow Lake and Meadow Brook Roads traveling with at least one of these dogs, an intact male named Bruce. We contacted Bruce's owner who informed him Animal Control had ordered him to either leash Bruce or keep in inside in accordance with local ordinances.

Two days after Bruce was in lockdown, Izzie was sighted, on two seperate occassions, and appeared to be traveling on her own. Both sightings were in close proximity to each other, one in Heritage Park and one report of her running down the middle of Glade Road. These sightings were on Sunday, August 16th between approximately 10:30am and 2 pm.

Our most recent sighting was on Wednesday, August 26th around 10 pm in the Gateway parking lot (Heritage Park) with a brown dog.

We continue to canvas the area near the most recent sightings while fanning out every day in each direction. Since Izzie has been hanging around the same area for a month, we have no reason to suspect she has wondered too far away.