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

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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.