Vivi's breeder, Bo Bengtson, provides this information on how to act around a lost and startled sighthound like Vivi. He encourages searchers to make copies and distribute it anywhere Vivi might have been sighted.

HOW TO GET VIVI BACK...

Guidelines for How to Act around a Runaway Dog

The following applies to most dogs that have gone “wild” and do not want to be caught.

The bottom line is: you cannot “catch” a spooked Whippet. Attempts to chase, catch, surround or contain Vivi will have the opposite effect, scaring her further away.

If you see Vivi:

1. Do not get out of the car close to her, don’t slam the car door and don’t call her. You will only frighten her further.

2. If possible sit down on the ground, eat something (noisily!), share with her if she gets close, drop some food on the ground. Talk to her gently and casually, as if you see her every day and don’t care that much about her. Don’t even look at her. If she lets you, pet her gently but do not try to grab her. She is much faster than you are and cannot be caught until she wants to.

3. You should not have a big or noisy dog with you. If you have a calm whippet or small dog on a leash and Vivi is nearby, make a big show of feeding your dog. Nothing makes her hungrier than seeing another dog eat.

4. Do not walk directly toward her; avoid eye contact; act casual but friendly. Not until you can quietly put a strong leash with a choke collar around her neck should you try to do so, and don’t even do that if you are not experienced enough to deal with a dog that might easily panic.

5. In a best case scenario, quietly close a door or gate (a tall one, she can probably jump 6 feet if necessary) behind her. If not, just making non-threatening contact is a huge step forward, and establish a place where she can be fed.

6. The most important thing right now is that Vivi should not feel chased or "hunted" so she doesn't feel like you're moving into her comfort area

7. If you catch Vivi, put her in a car or safe room ASAP. Make sure nobody accidentally opens a door. Be calm and quiet, don’t scare her and CALL 1-877-JFK-VIVI (1-877-535-8484), or 917-626-1374, or 516-776-0923 - IMMEDIATELY!

Losing Vivi after “nearly” catching her will make it even more difficult to instill confidence in her again. She has most likely been chased by more people than we know who grabbed for her in misguided attempts to catch her. Much better to encourage her confidence by feeding her, leaving her alone and petting her if she lets you – until you are SURE you can catch her and put her inside a car or a safely confined area.

Honi Reisman, search coordinator, offers this information about tomorrow's "flier blitz":

<<I am planning a "Handout Blitz" tomorrow. Our objective will be to have volunteers go to heavily traffic areas ie; supermarkets, post offices, car washes, dry cleaners, banks, parks, etc. to hand out Vivi flyers and talk to as many people as possible. I will be at our regular spot, Utopia Parkway and Peck Avenue from 7 a.m. till 12 p.m.

<<I need two volunteers who know the surrounding areas, Flushing, Whitestone, College Point, etc. well. I need you to assist in getting the volunteers headed into an area and finding a good location to set up their post. [If you can help in this regard, email Honi at roxiethedoxie@aol.com.] I want to record where the volunteers will be and their phone numbers.

I am also requesting that the volunteers report back to the Home Base if they get any information that could help us locate Vivi. This is not going to be a stakeout -- this is a "word-out."

Please let me know if you can work with me or if you will be a post volunteer.

We have been receiving a lot of mixed reports about where Vivi has been seen.  We need everyone to note as much information as possible so we can put this puzzle together and get her home safe and sound.

Volunteers will also be provided with a "What to do if" flyer. We have a new toll-free number for our efforts, 1-877-JFKVIVI.  We are in the process of adding this to any new fliers or posters being made.  All fliers/posters will still have the numbers that have been posted. This new toll-free number links to those and will be easier for people to remember.

On behalf of Jil, Bo and Paul, thank you for all you are doing.....you are the greatest!>>

Bo Bengtson writes:

<<UPDATE AS OF THURSDAY NIGHT, MARCH 30, 2006

    Another unconfirmed sighting in the same location as Monday night’s, but this one was supposedly at least a couple of days earlier. A man out walking his dog saw a “skinny” dog which ran away when he went up to it. That area had not been posted with flyers yet so he didn’t know anything about Vivi and didn’t call anyone until today.

    Denise Flaim has kindly posted flyers which can be printed out in four languages – English, Spanish, Chinese and Korean – at http://newsday.typepad.com/news_local_flaim/

    A new 1-800 telephone number is being set up to make it easier to call in Vivi sightings. It’s ready to go, but we want to make sure the number works before posting it, which will take place tomorrow. At the same time guidelines for what to do if anyone should encounter Vivi will be circulated to as many people as possible in the area. The sightings aren’t going to get Vivi back unless whoever meets her manages to win her confidence. No chasing, no shouting, no walking towards her - just quiet, casual friendliness, food and non-threatening behavior: sit on the ground, lie down, walk away!

    It’s difficult to focus any attention on the airline right now, but a couple of things need to be mentioned. According to unconfirmed sources a Delta employee who works as a cargo loader went to give Vivi a drink of water and that’s when she bolted. I personally don’t believe this story: Vivi liked her crate and wouldn’t get out just because someone put in a bowl of water. It also does not explain why the door latch was broken. (A bigger mystery is that the Skychef employee who saw Vivi 12 hours after she was lost is certain that she was then NOT wearing her broad leather collar, which she had when she was loaded. How could she possibly have lost that so quickly?)

    Jil’s lawyer has given Delta five days to respond to a final request for the response to our questions which was promised earlier, and payment at least of the intitial expenses in the search which was also promised earlier. If Delta does not respond we will obviously have to change our tactics. We have been very careful at every turn to not blame Delta for what happened, since nobody knows for sure exactly how Vivi got out of her crate. The fact, however, is that she was lost while in their care, and that Delta has done very little to help us get her back.

    Bo>>

For those who want to print, contribute or post Vivi fliers in northern Queens, here are the most recent versions:

Vivi flier in English: Download Vivi_english_1.pdf

Vivi flier in English/Spanish: Download ViviNewFlyer.pdf

Vivi flier in Korean:  Download Vivi_Korean.doc

Vivi flier in Chinese:  Download Vivi_chinese_1.pdf

Search coordinator Bonnie Folz sends this message via hotelier-whippet sympathizer Brian ("Big Dog") Rosenberg:

"Please ask your fellow bloggers to select one coordinator to dole out sections of blocks to work in the College Point area. There are MANY businesses there along the waterline/shore. Have them contact the various businesses within that block radius by phone, email, faxing info and flyers to them to hand out and make their employees aware that Vivi is still missing and was sighted in that area. Any help the bloggers can provide is so very appreciated."

Bonnie adds that the coordinator does not have to be local, and can do the job long distance.

Brian asks that bloggers use this thread for College Point coordination only.

Vivi searchers met today with New York City Parks Department officials, who will not give them permission to drive their vehicles through the park. The searchers were driven through the park in a Parks Department vehicle -- shades of JFK Airport.

Searchers are free to canvas the 1,255-acre park on foot.

Because Flushing Meadows is so wide open, the searchers think Vivi might not stay in the park for long, and wonder if she has already moved on.

This hunch was buttressed by an unconfirmed sighting last night from a College Point resident who lives near 119th Street and 29th Avenue, due north of Flushing Meadows.

The woman said that around 9 p.m. Monday, she was turning out her porch light when she saw a dog matching Vivi's description outside her home. She did not call in the sighting until today.

A note from Vivi's breeder, Bo Bengtson:

<<UPDATE AS OF MONDAY NIGHT, MARCH 27, 2006

    After no sightings since last Wednesday, around 11AM today a retired police officer saw what appears to have been Vivi at the Flushing Meadows Park. He is apparently not particularly dog-savvy, didn’t know what she was and described her as an “odd-looking” white dog, trying to eat out of a garbage bag at the bottom of the foot bridge to the park. He was amazed at how fast the dog ran and said he had never seen a dog move that quickly. When he got home and told his wife, she pulled up a picture of Vivi on the web and he was convinced that's her.

    After talking to the officer, Jil is confident that if it wasn’t Vivi it was at least certainly a Whippet he saw: “He described her to me as that he thought she was a male, then realized it was her tail curling through her legs. She then took off, not because she was afraid of him but because a green park truck was whizzing around. Tomorrow we'll see if any park people working in the AM saw her. Anyway, he said that the way she ran was beautiful how she curled her body into an arc (the way Whippets do when they run).”

    If this sighting is legitimate, as it seems to be, it means that Vivi has moved west, crossing the Van Wyck Expressway (perhaps via an overpass). Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is much larger than Kissena Park, the area where Vivi seems to have spent the last two weeks. Flushing Meadows covers over 1200 acres, which means that a new approach for capturing her has to be devised.

A DIFFERENT APPROACH

    Denise Flaim explains it best in her Newsday blog: “Every expert who has experience finding missing sighthounds … has been quoted … saying that these ethereal and independent creatures are not your average canine Joes. Sighthound experts stress that in the vast, huge, incalculably significant majority of times, lost sighthounds are either recovered serendipitously by a stranger, or are caught in a humane trap. … Bottom line: You do not ‘catch’ a spooked sighthound… Attempts to ‘catch,’ ‘surround’ or ‘contain’ Vivi are very likely to have the opposite effect, pushing her even further away and prompting her to move on in her journey. This is possibly why she left the Kissena Park area, where she had become established and comfortable until zealous search efforts were put in place. Volunteer searchers are asked to resist human nature, leave Vivi alone, and instead focus on posting and handing out fliers in the area, as well as communities to the north, west and south.”

    I am sure that all those of us who are closest to Vivi agree wholeheartedly with Denise. Please DO NOT go out into the park trying to catch Vivi. If you see her, do not stop, get out of the car, or call her. You will only frighten a now feral Vivi further. She needs to get a chance to calm down and find her own way back to people. What you SHOULD do if you come upon Vivi is sit down, eat something, share with her if she gets close, but DO NOT TRY TO CATCH HER! She is much faster than you are and cannot be caught until she wants to. Not until you can quietly put a strong leash with a choke collar around her neck should you try to do so, and don’t even do that if you are not experienced enough to deal with a dog that might quite easily panic. Losing Vivi after “nearly” catching her will make it even more difficult to instill confidence in her again. She has most likely been chased by more people than we know who grabbed for her in misguided attempts to catch her. Much better to encourage her confidence by feeding her, leaving her alone and petting her if she lets you – until you are SURE you can catch her and put her inside a car or a safely confined area. ... Please note that vehicles without special permits are not allowed on the park grounds.

    It is of course extremely important to emphasize to the public that Vivi should NEVER be chased and, in fact, that nobody should even try to catch her until she is really willing to come up and be petted, or until you can close a door or a six-foot gate behind her. She is much safer from traffic at Flushing Meadows she was in the more built-up areas, so there is even less reason to rush things and risk scaring her further.

    Baited humane traps are being put out into the park. They have had no success in the past, perhaps because Vivi had a traumatic experience in her crate at the airport, or because she is eating well anyway, or because (as some have suggested) a covered trap is less inviting than an open trap. (I frankly find that hard to believe, but it’s worth trying provided that the uncovered trap is positioned so that Vivi does not get exposed to the elements if caught for several hours.)

HOLD THE CALLS!

    Honi Reisman and Bonnie Folz are being inundated with calls and emails, many of which are not helpful. Via Denise Flaim, Bonnie has asked bloggers and volunteers to please stop calling all the points of contact previously posted on her blog. Also, Honi has asked me to tell everyone the following “It is Bonnie’s and my belief that too many chiefs are out there trying to make decisions and not checking with anyone who is in the core search group. I know everyone wants to help but they can’t just haphazardly run off and do their own thing.”

    Please understand that Honi and Bonnie have accepted the responsibility of heading the search in New York at Jil’s request. No decisions concerning the search for Vivi should be made without consulting Honi. She and Bonnie, as well as many volunteers, are devoting untold hours to the search out of the goodness of their hearts. They have their own jobs and lives (or at least had, before Vivi!) and have refused to even get their expenses covered. If you think you can imagine what life has been like for them, and for all of us in Vivi’s family, for the past month… well, frankly I think that’s difficult. Losing a beloved, happy, confident and people-loving dog who has now been turned into a fugitive, feral animal is tough enough. Doing this in the glare of unprecedented spotlight and what can only be descriped as a “media circus” is even more difficult.

DEALING WITH DELTA

    In response to repeated questions, I have no idea what’s going on with Delta. Jil’s lawyer, Joyce Randazzo, has formally appeared on Jil's behalf and is awaiting a response. We are very grateful to her for her assistance, as she has totally volunteered her services. Delta has asked for Jil’s input in how to improve their procedures when shipping dogs, which is a positive step. However, Delta has still not provided a response (promised on Feb. 28) to my request for a report of the internal investigation that reportedly took place after Vivi’s loss while in their care at JFK. They comped us two rooms for two nights immediately after Vivi’s disappearance and, I believe, comped a return ticket to NY for Jil and a one-way ticket for me back to LA. That’s it. Delta at one point promised to send Jil $2,000 as a good-will gesture to help with some of the initial expenses, but they have so far not done so. We have received no further offers of assistance, financial or otherwise, of any sort. We are still hoping that Delta will step up and assist with at least some of the considerable costs incurred by everyone involved.

SIX WEEKS LATER…

    That Vivi has managed to stay alive and fend for herself for nearly six weeks of New York winter is, to me, amazing. It says a lot for our so-called “pampered show dogs” that she has been able to do so, and for the wonderful condition Jil has always kept her in. Frankly, I almost wish she were a little more of a spoiled wimp so she would be looking for human help by now. If left to herself, I am sure that she eventually will do so.

    I know it’s tough to wait and not rush things. However, it’s crucial.

    Thanks for understanding.

    Bo>>

Bonnie Folz asks bloggers and volunteers to please now stop calling all the points of contact previously posted on this blog, as they are now being inundated with phone calls.

Which segues neatly into the next point (end Bonnie commentary, begin Denise commentary):

Every expert who has experience finding missing sighthounds -- that's sighthounds, not regular dogs -- has been quoted, in this space and elsewhere, saying that these ethereal and independent creatures are not your average canine Joes.

Sighthound experts stress that in the vast, huge, incalculably significant majority of times, lost sighthounds are either recovered serendipitously by a stranger, or are caught in a humane trap. Neither of which involves someone clutching a Virginia ham sandwich and singing Kumbaya.

Bottom line: You do not "catch" a spooked sighthound any more than you "cuddle" an unhappy Fila.

Attempts to "catch," "surround" or "contain" Vivi are very likely to have the opposite effect, pushing her even further away and prompting her to move on in her journey. This is possibly why she left the Kissena Park area, where she had become established and comfortable until zealous search efforts were put in place.

Volunteer searchers are asked to resist human nature, leave Vivi alone, and instead focus on posting and handing out fliers in the area, as well as communities to the north, west and south.

Search organizers ask volunteers to please call the various museums and organizations located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, many of which are listed here:

www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/vt_flushing_meadows/vt_flushing_meadows_park.html

Also, Terrace on the Park restaurant, which offers aerial views:

www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=12772

Please note that vehicles without special permits are not allowed on the park grounds.

Search organizers are in touch with park officials to obtain this permission.

Vivi reportedly spotted this morning at 11 a.m. in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

These details from search coordinator Bonnie Folz:

A man who lives on Blossom Avenue off of College Point Boulevard  -- on the west side of the Queens Botanic Garden -- decided to get a little fresh air after a morning of house painting.

From the botanic garden parking lot, he crossed the footbridge to Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and saw an "odd-looking" white dog at the bottom of the foot bridge. He said she was trying to eat out of a garbage bag, but bolted when a green truck screamed by.

He was shocked at how quickly the dog ran off, as he had never seen a dog move that quickly. He returned home and chatted about it with his wife, who forwarded him a photo of Vivi that she got from Newsday.com, and he identified her as the dog he saw in the park.

If this sighting is legitimate, it means that Vivi has moved west, crossing the Van Wyck Expressway (perhaps via an overpass). Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is much more open than Kissena Park, where Vivi was seemingly lingering in the last two weeks.

Search coordinators Honi Reisman and Bonnie Folz thank the more than 40 volunteers who turned out today in Flushing to search for Vivi. Unfortunately, there were no sightings.

Pet-detection dog trainer Laura Totis and Sam Connley returned to canvas the area with their three search dogs. There were no "hot" tracks. This might be due in part to weather conditions over the last week -- sunny, dry and windy weather is not ideal for keeping scent concentrated.

Bottom line? "There wasn't anything that we're terribly excited about," Laura says. "We came, we looked, and we didn't find."

Laura, Vivi's owner Jil, Honi and others are regrouping to determine what the next phase of the search should be.

Honi Reisman, who is coordinating the Vivi search, appreciates efforts some volunteers have made to obtain 800 numbers. HOWEVER, for expediency, consistency and to keep search efforts centralized, any donated posters should contain only the following numbers:

(917) 647-4848

(917) 626-1374

(516) 776-0923

Search organizers remind volunteers that any and all decisions involving the search need to be made in direct consultation with Vivi's owners.

Vivi, it turns out, was really Eva -- a 12-year-old white whippet with brown markings who lives in the area. Her owners had let her loose on the lawn to play, and a concerned neighbor called in.

Searchers Rosa Chile and Tina Potter went to the site to confirm the case of mistaken identity.

To reinterate: today's sighting at 192nd Street an 50th Avenue was incorrect.

Back to the waiting game.

Vivi was sighted this afternoon, noonish, near 192nd Street and 50th Avenue, lying on someone's lawn.

This sighting is just northeast of Peck Park, and is within the "zone" that Vivi seems to have created for herself in the Flushing neighborhood.

Vivi's breeder, Bo Bengtson, checks in in last night's update:

<<

UPDATE AS OF THURSDAY NIGHT 23 MARCH 2006

No more sightings of Vivi today, the first day for some time without a single reported sighting as far as I know. The sightings prove that Vivi is still in the area where she’s been now for at least 12 days, but as long as there is no reason to believe she has moved out of her established territory there may be no cause for concern. Jil and Rick are disappointed, however. Their experience probably mirrors Paul’s and mine in previous weeks, and the most important object of their journey was to lay down their scent to keep Vivi comfortable in this area. As the experts keep telling us, lost dogs almost never come back to their owners or the searchers but almost invariably wander into some unsuspecting person’s back yard where nobody makes a fuss, just gives them food and quietly closes a gate at the right moment.

The "stake-out" organized on Saturday by Bonnie Folz may provide an opportunity for Jil to get close to Vivi.  ...  I believe Bonnie has emphasized to the volunteers that nobody should try to grab Vivi unless they are absolutely sure of success. Trying to get ahold of her and losing her would make her even more wary of future capture. The important thing is to get Jil on the scene ASAP whenever Vivi is seen. Hopefully she will recognize Jil, although the experts are not certain that a now-feral Vivi would necessarily even do that, at least not immediately.

I would like to get local school children involved in the search. Vivi is demonstrably less afraid of children than of adults. It isn’t going to be easy for a child to catch Vivi but it’s worth a try. I have a couple of suggestions from people who might be able to help with local school contacts in New York. If you can help, write to me through the Contact Us form on this site and Jeff will forward an email to me.

"LOST GREYHOUND" ADVICE

We were advised to contact Michael McCann, who has had a lot of success in catching lost Greyhounds over many years. He is busy with several other cases but writes that we don’t need his help since it seems we are doing everything right anyway. The following is reprinted with his permission from his "Finding Your Lost Greyhound" from GreyTalk.com. Whippets and Greyhounds aren’t identical but the breeds are closely related, and much of what Michael says would apply to Vivi and other lost Whippets as well.

"Post flyers on every available telephone pole, in every supermarket, drugstore, school, church, police station, vets’ office or any other public building surrounding the area. Ninety percent of lost dogs who are found, are found because someone saw a flyer. The area should be so saturated with flyers that you can’t turn around without seeing one."

"Schools are a great resource for search help. Ask the principal to make announcements about the lost dog and leave flyers to pass out and post on bulletin boards. Kids see everything in the neighborhood — if you give one kid a flyer, five more will have seen it by the end of the day. Don’t ignore the little kids either. They tell their folks everything."

"In our experience, rewards often work against getting sightings. What happens is that you will increase the numbers of people looking for the dog, yes, but the new people tend to be bounty hunters, teenagers, or ‘cowboys’, who just think of the money, not the safety of the animal. Often, when they see the dog, the first thing they do is chase, and sometimes they chase the dog right out of the safety of the territory the dog has felt comfortable in." (The reward for Vivi’s safe return was set by Jil at $5,000 long ago and will be honored. We would not have gotten the media interested without a reward, and this has played a vital role in making local people aware of Vivi. The "bounty hunters" are a concern, however. According to a newspaper article today several such types have moved in to look for Vivi in Flushing. They won’t catch her but they could scare her away.)

"Finding a lost Greyhound is difficult; catching a loose Greyhound who doesn’t want to be caught could be one of the most frustrating challenges one ever faces in Greyhound rescue."

"When you or your volunteers see the hound, do not chase or follow him, make him think you have no interest in him. Turn away, don’t make eye contact, sit down on the ground, and if you have a hound with you, give some treats to him. There is nothing that will make a hungry dog more curious than watching another dog eat. If he approaches you, stay on the ground, avoid eye contact and toss treats in his direction; gain his trust through his food motivation. Lick your lips, and yawn, a lot. These are ‘Calming Signals.’ Have a looped leash handy in case he approaches close enough."

There is much more, mostly information that we have published before. Michael lists a number of Greyhounds which have been lost for several months, even years: Mike for seven months in Marshfield, MA (captured in a live trap); Barney for over a year in Southbridge, MA (captured in a live trap); Scarlett for seven months, from November 2001 to May 2002 in Pawtucket, RI (captured in live trap); Phantom for at least 10 months in Cincinnati, OH; Connor for 18 months in Camptown, KS; Cavan or seven months in Bennington, VT; and Lady Grey for at least 15 months on the campus of Eastern New Mexico University. Note the locations and the temperatures these dogs endured. None of them was loose in a city, however.

THE "MEDIA CIRCUS"

Several people have commented on the "media circus" that has developed around Vivi. Initially we encouraged coverage in an attempt to make the people living where Vivi is aware of her. Things have escalated to an almost unreal level, however. Katie Couric on The Today Show this morning made a comment that she was sure Vivi would be found soon. I believe Bonnie Folz is going on Good Morning America to talk about lost dogs. The Los Angeles Times ran a color photo of Vivi on its front page today and made it the top story of its The Nation section. CBS and Fox News have called for updates today; Karin Goin tells us that BBC called her trying to get our phone numbers.

Following reports that bounty hunters are moving in to chase Vivi, we have decided to cut down on interviews. The only media that really matter to us are those that people in Flushing read or watch, and according to Jil there is sufficient coverage there. Denise Flaim’s Newsday updates at http://newsday.typepad.com/news_local_flaim/ provide by far the most comprehensive information.

We are very grateful that almost nobody has pointed out how unfair all the focus on Vivi’s misfortune is. There are thousands of other dogs out there who deserve every bit as much attention. We don’t know why her story has captured the nation’s (and the world’s) attention to such an unprecedented degree, but in so far as it benefits Vivi, and hopefully other lost dogs also, we cannot be other than grateful.

Thanks for your good wishes.

Bo >>

Vivi's breeder Bo Bengtson would very much like to get local schools involved in the Vivi search in some way. If you are a local searcher or volunteer who has an education background or a connection to someone in the New York City school system, and have the time and expertise to liaison with local schools, he asks that you please email him at bobengtson@impulse.net.

No Vivi sightings reported today because ...

... no one called in a sighting today.

Bonnie Folz calls to share the following details about the Saturday Vivi search:

Volunteers are asked to assemble at Peck Park (Utopia Parkway and Peck Avenue) at 6 a.m. sharp for orientation. Volunteers will receive an information packet containing, among other things, a map and a specific protocol to follow when Vivi is sighted.

Some volunteers will be given stationary locations, while others will be "floaters."

The protocol for a Vivi sighting will be to contact Vivi's owner Jil Walton to come to the location, all the while slowly, casually and cautiously keeping the dog in sight. "Floaters" will be repositioned around the perimeter of the sighting while those in stationery posts are required to stay at their posts in the event Vivi runs their way.

This cannot be overstated: What is needed on Saturday are volunteers who can show much-needed restraint in the event of a Vivi sighting and allow Jil to approach the dog without any interference or histrionics.

Volunteers will be given a specially colored ribbon to tie to their car antennae so they can be instantly recognizable to one another. They will also be supplied with bait such as hot dogs (or, ideally bring your own).

For those who plan to arrive later, Bonnie will be at the Peck Park location all day to distribute info packets and assignments.

Q. Did the man walking his Doberman near Flushing Cemetery notice Vivi's state of health, specifically, her eyes?

A. No, it was 3:30 in the morning and it is safe to say he didn't have his Starbucks yet. He did say, however, that his Doberman pulled him down the block on his Flexi lead to the precise spot where Vivi was standing on the other side of the cemetery gate. Presumably, the Dobe got a better look, but, like most Working dogs, he is not inclined to comment.

One of Vivi's favorite friends at the barn where her owner Jil Walton works is a Doberman, which may explain why she is drawn to the breed. She hangs with a Dal as well.

Q. Is Vivi in heat? Do we need to worry about "whip-pits"?

A. Of all the things to obsess over, Vivi's reproductive status is not one of them. She is not due to come into heat until the summer.

Q. Is it my imagination, or are the Vivi posters and fliers disappearing?

A. No, Dorothy, you're still in Kansas .. er, Flushing. Much to the searchers' frustration, New York City Sanitiation Enforcement has been removing Vivi fliers and posters from telephone poles and other public places where they are posted. They like whippets as much as the next guy, but it's the law.

Q. How about darting Vivi with a tranquilizer?

A. Dumb, dumb, dumb. What works for coyotes in Central Park under helicopter surveillance does not work for whippets lost in Queens or anywhere else, for that matter.

Sighthounds like whippets have very low reserve of fat stores, which is what make them so speedy. This low body fat also makes them very sensitive to anesthesia and especially barbituates.

Also, tranquilizing dogs of any breed is often not recommended by animal-control professions, because before the drug takes effect, the animal can run off and hide, potentially leaving it vulnerable to predators, traffic, adverse weather or other dangers while unconscious.

The best tool in the search for Vivi is patience, something which seems to be in short reserve these days.

Q. Why does Vivi run away? Why doesn't she want to be caught?

A. Back to the sighthound thing again. Unlike more biddable breeds, such as sporting and herding dogs, hounds are bred to operate independently of their handler. They are hard-wired to think for themselves, which is what makes them such an interesting sight to behold in the obedience ring.

Sighthounds breeds such as salukis, greyhounds, Afghan hounds and, yes, whippets, quickly resort to feral mode when they are lost in strange places. Their very ability to survive on their wits, independent of bumbling humans, is also what makes them so elusive and difficult to catch.

Short answer: A golden will sell his soul for a ham sandwich. A whippet won't.

Q. How did Vivi get from JFK Airport to Flushing, which is actually closer to LaGuardia?

A. Pet detectives stress that owners underestimate the distances their dogs can travel. Consider the story of Lucas, a whippet that was lost in downtown Atlanta, only to resurface one month and 26 miles later, having traversed some of the city's most dangerous thoroughfares.

That said, there are some tantalizing signs that Vivi didn't get loose on her own. An airport employee who saw Vivi the night of her escape Feb. 15 says she was not wearing her black leather buckle collar, which was fitted snugly so she could not remove it herself.

And there is some evidence that Vivi might have been in someone's keeping during her adventure in 718-land: A resident who fed her bread in Flushing Cemetery said she had a piece of white twine around her neck in kind of a homemade leash.

Q. Other than the dry facts of where Vivi has been sighted, what can I learn from this blog?

A. Reading the blog postings is an excellent glimpse at the complicated psychology of our own species.

Vivi, the wily whippet who yesterday morning was spotted in the Queens Botanical Garden, was back near her usual stomping grounds near Flushing Cemetery by nightfall.

Search coordinator Bonnie Folz reporst that around 6:30 last night, a woman on Jasmine Avenue near 156th Street called to say that her daughter had seen Vivi in their backyard. The family leaves dog food outside for their own canine, and Vivi saw fit to partake. By the time the family got outside, Vivi was in a community driveway behind the house, and -- as is her wont -- sped off when approached.

The Jasmine Avenue sighting is about six blocks west of Flushing Cemetery, where some searchers believe Vivi beds down for the night. Searchers surveying the cemetery last night with night-vision goggles reported neither canine nor paranormal activity.

Laura Totis, the pet detective from Baltimore whose searches confirmed that Vivi was in the Flushing area, sends this report to breeder Bo Bengtson and Vivi's owners:

<<After discussion with you and the family I felt our goal was defined as having two priorities:

1. Check areas of recent sightings to determine if they might be Vivi or not.
2. To use the dogs to help narrow down the specific area she may be in
   

We checked the sightings and found that in two of the areas the dogs were able to pick up a trail were the others we were not able to locate any tracks. We checked tracks previously found and determined they were most likely raccoon not canine. If you think of sightings, dog prints, physical evidence of animal activity, hair, dog alerts, photographs, as clues then, each clue from a different resource adds credibility to an area allowing the search management to prioritize areas of higher or lower probability. Although you can never say with 100% certainty she is here or she is not here until you have the subject (Vivi) home safely. My suggestion was that you try to locate the area Vivi may be in then work with resources that specialize in capturing dogs to try to trap her. We narrowed the area we felt was the most promising based on substanting clues including sightings, the scent specific trained dogs were able to pick up scent in the area and surrounding areas, and dog prints consistent with a whippet sized dog. We suggested areas for two traps Since Mr. Bengtson was concerned she may be "trap savvy" we bated the unset traps with food the first night. The dogs are a resource to help you locate Vivi, however the dilemma still remains of what to do with that information, you still need to capture her. Animal control may be of some greater assistance. The people in the houses with sightings that we worked with were extremely cooperative, leaving gates open to the yard and willing to set and check traps in their yard, use baby monitors to listen for activity so they could either close the gate behind her or call for assistance capturing her. It was all very encouraging when we left the city. I left the following suggestions for the folks managing the search on the ground.

1. Hire a search coordinator to work closely with the family and folks  running the search in the area. This might help take some pressure off the  people who have been dedicating an awful lot of time and resources to the  effort.
   

• They can track what is being done and when
• Where to focus the flier placements
• Track where fliers have been posted
• Coordinate a local response to sightings
  

1. Prioritize placement of fliers so that they can be most effective.
   

• Start with Major intersections in a several mile radius using large  posters on corners and at bus stops.
• Next hit the intersections where neighborhood roads come out to main  roads
• Volunteers can go through areas with high probability sightings almost  door to door passing out fliers and checking for collaborating evidence.
  

1. It almost seems like the search is moving into a maintaince stage. I don’t  think it necessarily gains a lot for the family to be on the scene. They can  maintain a presence for Vivi through the use of scented items they can mail  regularly. If they are on the scene their time can be spent walking areas of  highest probability the goal being to keep her into an area until she can be  trapped. It is unlikely she will come to being called even by family.
2. Consider using wildlife motion detector cameras to check potential  sightings. If she seems to be returning to a yard use baby monitors to  determine if/when she is in the yard.
3. Work with someone specializing in trapping live animals to help recover her.
   

Good luck I am always happy to help if you lose the area she is in again. Remember trailing dogs by definition are behind the subject you really want to determine how to get her into a safe area where she can be trapped and recovered. We are always concerned that an enthusiastic pursuit can sometimes push the subject out of an area. That is where your shotgun approach to posters will prove helpful. All of your volunteers on the ground are doing an amazing job! If anyone can catch this dog they will.

Good luck!!

Laura Totis>>

Whippet owner, Vivi supporter and hotel impressario Brian Rosenberg hosts Cindy Adams today, Wed., March 22, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Garden City Hotel. The gossip columnist will be signing her new book, "Living a Dog's Life," and dishing, natch, at the hotel's Rein bar and bistro. For more information, call (516) 877-9385, or visit www.gchotel.com.

A portion of proceeds from book sales will be donated to the Vivi search.

Search coordinator Bonnie Folz (who has no time even to joosh herself up for her interview this afternoon with Good Morning America) says there is not one iota of evidence that Vivi was sighted anywhere else other than the Queens Botanical Garden. Bonnie spoke directly to the caller. Vivi has not been seen further west than that.

While it might be prudent and useful to call business and authorities in other parks and communities such as Flushing Meadow Park, Vivi has not been sited there.

Bonnie adds that anyone who wants to help with media coverage or place ads in local newspapers and publications should coordinate with Brian Rosenberg at brosenberg@gchotel.com.

... and the forsythia, and the croci ...

Searchers say Vivi was seen today at 11 a.m. at the Queens Botanical Garden. This means Vivi would have crossed busy Main Street to get to the 39-acre garden, which is in line with an east-westerly greenbelt that Vivi seems to traverse in her jaunts around the neighborhood.

Vivi's owner, Jil Walton, says it is not surprising that Vivi is drawn to the bustling Asian community to the west of Kissena Park and Flushing Cemetery. The barn where Jil works in California is located near a similar community, and Vivi is likely familiar with its sights and smells.

Vivi's foray to downtown Flushing does not necessarily mean she has forsaken the more residential neighborhood to the east where searches and sightings have been clustered in the last couple of weeks. Not to mention the peaceful cemetery that has become a favorite, er, haunt: At 3:30 a.m.  today, a man walking his dog near 46th Avenue and 163rd Street says his Doberman was nose-to-nose with the whippet through the iron fence of Flushing Cemetery.

To get a sense of the area where Vivi has been ranging, click here. To the immediate left of the red dot, on the west side of Main Street, is the Queens Botanical Garden. Flushing Cemetery is about an mile and a half to the east.

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

For a photo slide show of Vivi in happier times, romping with friends from the barn where her owner Jil Walton works, visit www.carolbeuchat.com/vivi/index.htm.

THE FOLD

MISSING SHOW DOG

BY DENISE FLAIM
Newsday Staff Writer

March 22, 2006

When Jil Walton of Claremont, Calif., got off the red-eye at John F. Kennedy International Airport yesterday morning, she beelined to a corner of Queens she knew only from the grids of a Hagstrom map.

The 39-year-old patrolled the marble angels of Flushing Cemetery, and trekked the trails of Kissena Park. Then from a remote trail, she spotted a pup tent camouflaged by high grass.

Her fiance and travel companion, Rick Patterson, 44, clambered down the hill. "Have you seen a little white dog?" he asked the human inside.

"Oh," came the reply, accompanied by a waft of marijuana smoke. "You mean Vivi?"

To dog cognoscenti, Vivi is Champion Bohem C'est La Vie, a prize-winning whippet who competed last month at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. But to residents of Flushing, she is that slip of a hound that bolted from her crate at Kennedy Airport Feb. 15, and has now made her home in their community.

Thanks to a canine-centric consortium of animal lovers, Vivi has been tracked to this section of northeastern Queens by two pet detectives and five search dogs. Telephone poles have sprouted fliers, and volunteer searchers cruise by in cars plastered with Vivi posters.

"I know I'm just supposed to be putting down my scent" in order to encourage the whippet not to wander, said Walton, periodically shouting "Vi-veeeeee" as she walked. But in every rustle of dead leaves, she hears the jingle of dog tags. "I still have this fantasy that I'm going to find my dog."

She has reason to hope. Vivi alerts have come fast and furious since March 11, when the dog was spotted by both a landscaper and a resident near 192nd Street and 45th Avenue - a sighting confirmed by search dogs. Since then, Vivi was seen playfully approaching a 12-year-old girl and scarfing down Italian bread tossed to her by a resident around the perimeter of Flushing Cemetery.

An airport employee who saw Vivi the night she got loose at JFK said she was no longer wearing her black buckle collar, which Walton said was so snug-fitting Vivi could never have removed it on her own.

Yesterday at 5 a.m., Vivi was reportedly sighted on Bowne Street, about a dozen blocks from Kissena Park.

She's certainly not thrilled with most humans of late, bolting at least twice in the last week when passersby have tried to grab her. That aloofness is typical of the breed, but not her dog, said Walton, a horse trainer and former Olympian who took Vivi to work with her every day. "She's the greeter at the barn, and she loves boys," she said. "She's a shameless flirt."

As for Walton, her summer nuptials are on hold until her family is complete again.

"I told Rick, let's forget about the wedding," she concluded as she turned on to yet another brush-lined park trail, "and have a 'Welcome Back, Vivi' party instead."

For updates on the Vivi search, visit www.newsday.com/animalhouse.

Feb. 15

Vivi reported missing at Delta terminal and is spotted in marshes at the end of a runway.

March 11

Two tracking dogs pick up a trail in South Jamaica that leads them to Baisley Pond Park.

March 11

Later in the day, Vivi is reported near 192nd Street and 45th Avenue in Flushing.

March 15

Passerby reports Vivi at Utopia Parkway and Peck Avenue, Flushing.

Thursday

Sighting at 210th Street and 43rd Avenue, Bayside.

Saturday

Three children spot dog at Bagley Avenue and Auburndale Lane. They say they had also seen it there a day earlier.

Sunday

Vivi reported at Flushing Cemetery by neighbor who fed her bread at 164th Street and Pidgeon Meadow Road at 2 p.m.

Monday

Vivi reported at 12:30 wandering around Utopia Parkway and 47th Avenue. A woman who tried to approach said the dog bolted toward Flushing Cemetery.

Yesterday

Vivi reported near 42-14 Bowne St. at 5 a.m.

Seach coordinator Bonnie Folz asks if any Vivi volunteers would reach out to the New York City Sanitation Department and alert them to the presence of Vivi in the area. She notes that tomorrow is garbage pickup day in this part of Queens, and sanitation workers would be likely to catch Vivi "dumpster diving."

Bonnie Folz calls on her cell phone from Flushing, where volunteers continue to post fliers and search, with this message:

Under no circumstances should any substance -- not antibiotics, not sedatives -- be placed in any food left out for Vivi.

Bonnie stresses that anyone wanting to be of help in the Vivi search effort should concentrate on posting fliers in the Flushing area. If out-of-staters want to contribute to the effort, she asks them to contact local vets' offices, police stations and shelters to alert them to Vivi's presence in the community; and to make large (11 x 17) brightly colored posters.

Wording should say:

- - - - - -

$5,000 reward

<<picture of Vivi>>

Last seen in this area. Do not chase. Please call:

(917) 647-4848

(917) 626-1374

- - - -

Overnight the posters to:

Vivi Search

3392 Bay Front Place

Baldwin, NY 11510

Vivi's owner Jil Walton and her fiance Rick Patterson took the red eye from LAX this morning and headed straight to Flushing to start searching for Vivi. This is Jil's second trip back to the East Coast to search for her missing whippet.

Their first stop was Bowne Street, near Franklin Avenue, where Vivi was reportedly sighted at 5 a.m. This very populated part of Flushing is about 10 or so blocks west of Kissena Park,  where Vivi searcher Rosa Chile says she saw Vivi running near the duck pond yesterday. There was no sign of the speedy sighthound in either location this morning.

Volunteers had fliers made up in both Koren and Chinese, and posted them in the Bowne Street area.

In an effort to leave her scent in the less-trafficked, parklike places where Vivi has recently been sighted, Jil and Rick walked the perimeter of Flushing Cemetery as well as many of the paths and trails of Kissena Park.

This afternoon, a humane trap was being transported to the cemetery, whose caretakers have given permission for it to be set up.

Vivi was sighted again today at 12:30 wandering on the street in the vicinity of Utopia Parkway and 47th Avenue. The caller said she allowed him to get close, but when he reached out to grab her she bolted toward Flushing Cemetery and ran along the cemetery fence line toward 162nd Street.

Another woman called to say she saw Vivi in the cemetery last night, but did not think to call searchers. Presumably locked in the cemetery overnight, Vivi must have escaped this morning when the gates reopened.

One of the search co-ordinators, Bonnie Folz, emails to ask volunteers to please not blog about the specific locations of where traps are set in attempts to catch Vivi. This could hurt rescue efforts instead of help them.

Instead, volunteers are asked to continue to work on the general search for the missing whippet, posting mini-posters that are visible even by driversby, and handling out fliers.

After Vivi was spotted this afternoon bolting into Flushing Cemetery, searchers, including breeder Bo Bengtson, Carol Reisman and Bonnie Folz, toured the cemetery with the caretaker after it had closed. No Vivi.

Bo then went to Kissena Park, walking it to see if he could glimpse his missing whippet. No sight of her.

Joggers told some searchers that they had heard a dog whimpering in the cemetery, and with that the group reassembled at Flushing Cemetery in an effort to search it again. The caretaker, who lives nearby, took Bo through the cemetery once more, again with no luck.

Pet detective Laura Totis returned home to Maryland this morning after her dogs successfully scented Vivi in several locations in the Flushing neighborhood. She reiterates -- as she has all along -- that if Vivi's general location is known and credible sighting are forthcoming, funds raised to find Vivi would be better spent on traps, surveillance equipment and posters, not tracking dogs.

Vivi searchers in Flushing rushed to 164th Street and Pidgeon Meadow Road at 2 p.m. today when a resident called to say he had seen Vivi.

The man, who lives across the street from Flushing Cemetery, said he had been feeding Vivi pieces of Italian bread, which she accepted tentatively. He said she had a piece of string around her neck, and when he reached for it, she bolted back into the cemetery.

A family member who walked up at that point told the man that the dog was the "airport dog" pictured in the a flier posted nearby, and he promptly called the Vivi searchers.

This is not the first time this man has seen Vivi, who he was able to describe in detail. He saw her a couple of days before and suggested to his girlfriend that they try and catch her and keep her, but the girlfriend was worried that the dog was sick, because her eyes were filled with pus and she was extremely skinny.

Volunteers who are in the area this afternoon and tonight are asked to search and post posters near the Flushing Cemetery area.

Who tied a piece of string or rope around Vivi's neck remains a mystery.

Pet detective Laura Totis calls to say that the biggest priority in the Vivi search is to keep her in the Flushing area, and to find out as soon as possible if she begins to travel out of the vicinity.

To this end, highly visible signs and posters need to be placed all over the Flushing area where Vivi has been sighted in recent days.

Laura asks any and all volunteers to please assemble Sunday morning at 8 a.m. at Peck Park at Utopia Parkway and Peck Avenue in Flushing for a poster blitz.

There will also be a 10 a.m. meetup at the same location for those who cannot make the earlier one.

Please bring heavy-duty staplers and tape if possible. Posters will be provided.

During the night and very early morning, the Vivi searchers will be checking the humane traps and most recent sighting locations.

Searcher Rosa Chile reports from the field:

The little girl (actually two sisters and a brother) who spotted Vivi yesterday near Auburndale Lane and Bagley Avenue had also seen her the day before. The children reported that while Vivi had playfully approached the small girl, she ran away when the older sister came near.

The mother of the children has given permission for searchers to place a humane trap in her yard, and will also leave a baby monitor in a small playhouse that she has in the yard.

Rosa also says that the search dogs have split up: Laura Totis and her Rottie and German shepherd dog are going to Bayside to check out the apartment-complex sighting on Bell Boulevard, as well as a new one that reportedly occurred Thursday night at 210th Street and 43rd Avenue. If the dogs find Vivi's scent in either place, this could mean that the elusive whippet is making a circuit between the two communities of Bayside (where the apartment building is located) and Flushing (where the children reportedly saw her yesterday and the day before), though they are separated by a highway (the Clearview Expressway).

The other search dog, a golden retriever owned and handled by Karen's former student Sam, will go to the stable located near Kissena Park in Flushing to see if there is any scent there. While there was no sighting at this property, searchers wonder if Vivi would be drawn there, since she was raised on a horse farm.

This stable is not the Queens County Farm Museum, which is located six or so miles to the east. The scent dogs visited a woman who claimed to see Vivi in Floral Park near the Queens County Farm Museum yesterday and picked up no scent. This community is far afield from where other Vivi sightings have been clustered, and the sighting may not have been a real one.

This from searcher Honi Reisman, echoing Bonnie's earlier request:

<<We were out last night searching with Rosa, Tina, and Laura with her dogs.

Laura requested that if you are volunteering, to please concentrate your efforts on posing fliers on all corners in and around that area and handing out fliers to everyone you can. If you see Laura working her dogs, please DO NOT interfere! Please stop by post offices, police stations, fast food restaurants, libraries, etc.

Please let people know that Vivi has been sighted in the area and that they can help by spreading the word not to chase her but to call one of the numbers listed. If they feel they can secure her in a fenced in area, a car, a garage, their house, then do so, but to know that she will most likely try and run from them. Please stress how important it is not to chase her and that a phone call would be better. Tell them to please be specific about when and where they saw her.

With all of these efforts, Vivi will be rescued!

Thank you all for your continuing efforts....you are GREAT!!

 
Honi>>

Bonnie Folz writes in an urgent email:

<<Last night's sighting by a little girl has placed Vivi at near Peck Park in Bayside. Confirmed by the tracking dogs.

Apologies to late-night searcher Honi Reisman, whom I woke out of  a likely peaceful slumber:

Honi confirms that a little girl in the area reported seeing a dog she thought was Vivi yesterday near Bagley Avenue and Auburndale Lane, and that the dog followed her playfully. Pet detective Laura Totis, breeder Bo Bengtson, Honi and others went to the site last night, where the dogs picked up very strong scent.

This sighting is not far from similar ones reported in the last week. The group will return to that area today.

Again, Honi reiterates that well-meaning searchers should not interfere with Laura and her dogs' work, and instead concentrate on posting fliers (see previous post) in the surrounding areas.

Honi Reisman, who has been helping organize the Vivi search from day 1, sent the following email at 2:30 this morning.

In it, she outlines specific measures that local searchers can take to help in the search -- and cautions others whose zeal for finding Vivi might actually hamper the overall effort:

<< It is very important to let [pet detective] Laura [Totis] and Bo [Bengtson, Vivi's breeder, who flew in to New York Friday night] do their work looking for Vivi.  What we need the volunteers to do is to saturate Flushing with fliers/posters.  The areas we are focusing on are Kissena Park, the golf course nearby, the cemetery nearby, Peck Park, and all surrounding areas east and west, north and south of  Utopia.

We recommend and request that fliers first be placed in page protectors that can be picked up at Staples or any office supply store or zip lock bags.  This is to protect them from the weather.  Stop at all Post Offices, Banks, Police Stations, fast food places, libraries, supermarkets, drug stores....you get the gist.  Put fliers up on all corners, all directions.  Dont be shy when you see people walking, ask them if  they know about Vivi and if they don't, tell them and tell them not to chase her.  If they feel they can get her into a gated area or a house then do so and call one of the numbers.

Another important thing is to tell people NOT to change any of the phone numbers on the posters.  The numbers that are there are key people who have been the key people since the beginning.  There is a network set up that is working, this is no time for people to start changing things.  Please, this is not an ego situation, this is a search for a dog.

Thank all of those who are and have been volunteering, we could not do this job alone.

We just got in from searching Flushing with Laura and her dog, Bo, and of course Rosa and Tina. Getting some sleep and we'll be on the trail tomorrow.

Honi>>   

Pet detective Laura Totis confirms that her dogs did not indicate that they had picked up Vivi's scent at the Floral Park home near the Queens Park Museum. This is five or so miles east of previous sightings. Note that the previous post had a typo: It was Union Turnpike and 249th Street, not 149th.

Laura adds that while her dogs did pick up what seemed to be the whippet's scent at Kissena Park in Flushing, that the track was not hot, and could have been a couple of days old at least.

The nearby garage that pet detective Karen Goin's dogs tracked Vivi to will not be searched again because Vivi's bedding had subsequently been placed there, making it impossible for the dog to differentiate a fresh scent.

Laura will meet with Vivi's breeder Bo Bengtson, who arrives tonight from California, before resuming the search tomorrow. Likely to be on the itinerary is the apartment complex in Bayside where last week a nearby resident reported seeing a dog that looked like Vivi.

Searcher Darlene O'Sullivan says that earlier in the day, the search dogs out trying to sniff out Vivi the wandering whippet got a strong scent in Kissena Park on 164th Street near the golf course.

Darlene adds that the dogs did not pick up a scent at Union Turnpike and 249th Street, near the Queens Farm Museum in Floral Park, where a woman says she saw a dog matching Vivi's description at 2 a.m. Thursday in her driveway. She said the dog was eating the food left out for stray cats.

You can't make this stuff up.

On their travels through the neighborhood around Kissena Park, searchers Rosa Chile and Tina Potter came across a stable with seven horses. In the middle of Queens.

The property has had horses for the last 80 years, said its elderly owners, and they aren't planning on changing that any time soon. They were aware of Vivi's plight, and when they heard the lost whippet was raised on a horse farm, they said they would ride their horses through Kissena Park tomorrow in the hopes of the clip-clopping of hooves might lure her out.

Searchers Tina Potter and Rosa Chile have been accompanying pet detective Laura Totis today. After checking Peck Park, and finding no scent, they went to nearby Kissena Park, which has a large pond frequented by ducks and other wildlife. There, the dogs did pick up Vivi's scent.

Soon after, they received word of a possible sighting to the east, near the Queens Farm Museum, which is the largest tract of undisturbed farmland in New York City and the only working historical farm in the city. It is home to various animals, including chickens, pigs, sheep and one cow. A caller said she saw a dog matching Vivi's description two nights ago in the farm's vicinity. The exact location is not clear.

Tina, Rosa, Laura, her assistant Sam and the dogs were heading to the Floral Park area. This new unconfirmed sighting in Floral Park is five or six miles east of Kissena Park.

After that, the group plans to head to the Bayside apartment complex on Bell Boulevard where a resident says he saw a dog he insists was Vivi entering the building. The dogs will search for her scent there as well.

Bonnie Folz reports that pet detective Laura Totis took her pet-detection dogs to the Peck Park in Flushing where Vivi was reportedly sighted Tuesday morning. The dogs did not pick up any scent.

The dogs and handlers are proceeding to other sites in northern Queens where Vivi was allegedly sited in recent days.

Vivi's breeder, Bo Bengtson is arriving in New York today; Vivi's co-owner Jil Walton and her fiancee Rick are expected to follow shortly.

To make copies of the Vivi lost dog flier: Download ViviNewFlyer.pdf .

Vivi's breeder, Bo Bengtson, sends this message to local searchers who want to pitch in with the arrival of pet detective Laura Totis tomorrow:

<<The pet detective who is coming up to Flushing early Friday, Lauren Totis, called back and asked everyone to please NOT crowd the park with people and dogs until further notice. She may need our help later and has promised to let me know, but for now the last thing she wants is a lot of people and dogs in the park.

I know the temptation is there to just walk out and try to find Vivi... However, we have to trust Lauren as a professional and respect the wishes of those generous people who hired Lauren and donated her services. Obviously anything less than optimal working conditions will make it harder for Laren to be of real assistance. I am sure everyone will understand and respect that.>>

Pet detective Laura Totis of Baltimore confirms that she will in New York tomorrow morning with her two lost-pet detection dogs -- Xena, an 11-year-old Rottweiler and retired search-and-rescue dog, and Chewey, a 2 ½-year-old German shepherd. She expects to work on the Vivi search through Sunday.

Laura will be accompanied by Sam Connley (who she trained) and her golden retriever Brando.

But Laura stresses that those who hope her dogs will lead searchers to the wandering whippet need be realistic: Detection dogs detect – they very rarely find.

"Tracking dogs by definition are following behind – they will never catch up," she says. "Missing dogs, and particularly sighthounds, are not likely to be there waiting for you."

Instead, she says, once the search dogs have confirmed that Vivi is in a particular direction or area, the focus next needs to be on containing her until she can be caught.

Using an "incident command system," or ICS, which is the formula most human searches are based on, volunteer searchers can be assigned functions and job descriptions. "When you look at the grid, search and rescue teams are down in the bottom lefthand corner," Laura says. "We’re one resource, but we’re not the most significant one."

Laura’s goal is to confirm some of the recent Vivi sightings with her detection dogs, and then help set up a long-term plan for Vivi’s capture. This includes continuing pubic awareness about her presence in the community, and possibly investing in useful equipment, such as humane traps and motion-detector cameras that are used by hunters.

"From what I hear, it sounds very encouraging," she says of the Vivi search so far. "There are consistent sightings within a couple of miles, and there is an environment to keep her there."

But, Laura stresses, pet detectives – herself included -- don’t come riding in on white horses or brandishing magic wands. At best, she can confirm Vivi’s presence in the area, help set up a plan to keep her there, and then leave it to enthusiastic volunteers, both local and long-distance, to complete the lengthy and sometimes daunting job of finally bringing Vivi home.

Like the song says, the waiting is the hardest part.

Bonnie Folz calls to say that there is a serious problem with Vivi fliers posted by an independent volunteer in the vicinity of 190th Street and 50th Avenue in Flushing.

The peach-colored fliers have an incorrect phone number listed as the second contact.

The second number, which is Rosa's cell phone, should be (917) 647-4848. On the fliers, the three numbers after the area code are incorrect.

"I need whoever put those fliers up to go and replace them, or I need volunteers to go there with black markers and write the correct numbers over the incorrect ones," Bonnie says. "We simply cannot afford to have someone with a sighting calling a number that is wrong."

If there's anything we should learn from the search for Vivi the lost whippet, says Kat Albrecht, the veritable czarina of all pet detectives and the author of "The Lost Pet Chronicles," it's that pet detectives are an all-too-rare breed.

"We need more dogs and people trained to do this," says Albrecht, founder of Pet Hunters International, the nation's first-ever pet-detective academy. "If you lose a dog in New York, you shouldn't have to hire someone from Oklahoma" -- a reference to Karin Goin, a graduate of Albrecht's program who last week drove for two days to get to the East Coast to help in the Vivi hunt.

Vivi searchers are working to recruit another pet detective to follow the trail of the lost whippet, which was sited as recently as yesterday in the park-covered neighborhood of Flushing in northeastern Queens.

But locating Vivi is only half the battle, Albrecht reminds. Catching a sighthound like a whippet -- which by nature is aloof to strangers -- presents challenges of it own.

"You're not going to catch any dog that’s doesn't want to be caught, much less one that can run 25 to 30 miles an hour," says Albrecht, adding that the only way the whippet can be hand-caught is if she is coaxed into a closed-in area or corner.

A better option is using what she calls a "magnet dog" -- a highly gregarious canine that can lure a hesitant runaway in with a wagging tail and "come play with me" body language. The magnet dog is placed in a harness and on a 30-foot-long lead so the doggie encounter can take place a distance from any human onlookers, who can then slowly creep nearer.

"A dog will respond to another dog," Albrecht says, although notoriously visual sighthounds many times prefer their own kind, such as another whippet or greyhound.

Once a runaway dog is attracted and distracted by the magnet dog, Albrecht employs a Snappy Snare. An animal control tool, it is not the same as a catchpole, which requires two hands, is rigid and can position the dog away from you -- indispensable with aggressive strays. Instead, the Snappy Snare is flexible, resembling a looped horse lunge line.

As the dogs greet one another, Albrecht slips the Snappy Snare over the lost dog's head, releases the thumb guard, and the noose instantly tightens around the dog's neck. Albrecht notes that Snappy Snares are not for use with potentially aggressive animals, as there is a real danger that the handler might be bitten.

As for using humane traps in an area where a lost and frightened dog like Vivi might be hiding, Albrecht notes that "they are not going to be effective in the first couple of days," until the dog settles in to her new territory. Albrecht recommends placing the traps in quiet, untrafficked places. Vivi's new neighborhood, which contains a cemetery, golf course and acres of brush-covered parkland, afford plenty of opportunities in this regard.

BY DENISE FLAIM
STAFF WRITER

March 16, 2006

They are the Thelma and Louise of the Vivi vigil. And they're not giving up any time soon.

Tina Potter is a schoolbus driver whose depot is near John F. Kennedy International Airport. There, exactly a month and a day ago, a slinky white-and-brindle whippet named Champion Bohem's C'est La Vie -- better known as Vivi -- got free of her California-bound crate and melted into the marshland.

When Potter, 50, and roommate Rosa Chile, 56, learned of the lost show dog, a crusade was born. They search every day, before, after and between Potter's morning and afternoon bus shifts. Her 50th birthday was Saturday, but the cake is untouched in the fridge.

"I love this dog, and I don't even know her," said Chile (pictured right, with Potter) as she piloted her gray Honda SUV near Utopia Parkway and Peck Avenue, the Flushing intersection where Vivi was reportedly spotted by a passerby just after 9 a.m. Wednesday. "I don't clean my house anymore. All I do is look for Vivi."

As if in a mind-meld with the duo, Vivi has meandered northward over hill and highway in the last week, with the new report putting her only a few miles from their Hollis home. Over the weekend, search dogs belonging to Oklahoma-based pet detective Karin Goin followed Vivi's scent to a garage in nearby Auburndale. Other obligations took Goin back west, leaving only a handful of locals -- and two in particular -- to continue the hunt.

"Right here, that's a good one," said Chile, , pulling over to a telephone pole across from St. Mary's Cemetery.

"I am the flier queen," Potter said, extracting one of the full-color pages and carefully tacking it to the pole so no corners flapped against the wind.

Retired from schoolbus driving herself, Cuban-born Chile takes chemotherapy pills twice a day for breast cancer diagnosed in 2004. The treatments make her feet and hands sore and red, so she navigates while Potter wields the utility stapler.

Chile drove and stopped, drove and stopped, scanning under cars in brick-pillared driveways, peering into thickets flanking golf-course greens. She trolled through a city Department of Environmental Protection yard, where manhole covers were stacked like Oreos. In Thelma-like stride, she squeezed her truck onto the narrow bike lanes of Kissena Park to survey its pond. "Vivi likes ducks," she said authoritatively. "Though I hope she doesn't eat one of them."

Meanwhile, the two, who own a 4-year-old cocker spaniel, Lily, stop everyone to hand out fliers -- dog walkers and sanitation workers, joggers and landscapers. When a man on a bicycle indicated he was deaf and didn't understand, Chile segued seamlessly to American Sign Language. "Five thousand dollar reward -- I told him that's a lot of money," she said with a thump of the driver's door.

"This dog went from living on a horse farm in California to running the streets of Queens," said Potter, who's touched by the reverse Cinderella story. "She was a show dog, and now she's a stray dog."

"There are so many places to hide here, sweetie pie," Chile said with a sigh. Then she eased the car out of park and headed toward a promising clump of trees.

For updates on the Vivi search, visit www.newsday.com/animalhouse.

Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.

The daily email from Vivi's breeder Bo Bengtson in California.

A clarification: The siting Bo mentions was shortly after 9 a.m. EST, not noon.

There was an **almost** sighting around lunchtime, in which a fellow called Bonnie Folz certain that a woman had entered a local park with Vivi on leash. Closer inspection by Tina and Rosa found that the woman was walking a whippet that closely matched Vivi's description -- only it was a male.

<<There was another sighting of Vivi around noon today in the park close to the apartment building where she was seen on Saturday night. A woman saw Vivi trotting along and followed her at a distance (didn’t chase her) for some time, meanwhile calling Bonnie Folz on her cell phone. Bonnie as well as Rosa, Tina and a few other volunteers came to the location very quickly, but the woman had lost sight of Vivi at that point.

This sighting explains why nobody in the apartment building called, as we were hoping yesterday. If that was indeed Vivi in the building, the person she was with at that time may only have given her some food, not realized who she was and let her go.

Several volunteers have begun to search the park, which adjoins a huge greenbelt, with no success. A group of fanciers, led by Beth Thompson in Seattle, have offered to hire and finance yet another pet detective with search dogs who could come to NY by Friday. We are overwhelmed by their generosity. They are trying to organize the practical details of this search right now. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain, so we can only thank them.

We now know that Vivi is loose again, but it seems to me that if she is no longer afraid or panicking she might recognize some of the familiar voices. Jil, her fiancé Rick (whom Vivi loves), Paul and I are all ready to go back to NY again and continue searching this weekend. One of the pet detectives we are talking to tells us that both we and the volunteers have to back off for a while, however, so we are holding off flying back until further notice.

It is very encouraging that there have been three separate sightings of Vivi in Bayside or Flushing within the last few days, and that these have been independently confirmed by the tracking dogs. This indicates that Vivi is sticking around in the same general area and not roaming as far as she did earlier, and it also seems she is willing to let herself be seen more often. We hope this means that she will be caught soon and that this ordeal will finally be over.

I apologize for not being able to respond to email. There are over 1000 emails in my Vivi "In" box now and it will be some time before I have time to deal with them. My apologies for this and thanks for all your good wishes.

Bo >>

Bonnie Folz calls to say that a passerby saw a dog fitting Vivi's description ("white with brown blotches") walking near Peck Park, which is at the intersection of Utopia Parkway and Underhill Avenue.

The woman who sited her was walking slowly behind the dog as she was on the phone with Bonnie. Bonnie called searchers Tina and Rosa on the other line, and talked with them until they met up with the woman. But by then the latter had lost sight of the dog. She was unable to indicate what direction the dog was heading in.

If you are available to get to this area, or know someone else who can, Bonnie asks that you please head there immediately.

Saturday, March 11. A female resident and a landscaper both say they saw a weak-looking Vivi trotting down the street in the vicinity of  192nd Street and 45th Avenue in Flushing.

Based on extensive conversations with the woman, and the fact that pet detective Karin Goin's search dogs picked up Vivi's scent, searchers have concluded this was a legitimate sighting.

Sunday or Monday, March 12 or 13. A letter carrier reports seeing a dog matching Vivi's description near Utopia Parkway and 196th Street. Follow-up conversations with the mail carrier reveal that the dog was on leash with its owner, and was not Vivi.

Monday, March 13, approximately 12:20 a.m. A resident who lives in eyeshot of the Windsor Park apartments at 73rd Avenue and Bell Boulevard says he looked out of his window and saw a dog matching Vivi's description following a man.

Searcher Tina Potter says she spoke to the man who called in the sighting. According to her, he said the unleashed dog was following approximately 4 to 5 feet behind the man, who went to the door of the apartment complex, withdrew a key, opened the door and held it open while the dog walked slowly, tail tucked, past him and through the doorway into the building.

Was this Vivi? Is any whippet, much less a half-starved, half-feral one, inclined to do an off-leash heel? Could this have been a case of mistaken identity? Unclear.

Vivi search organizer Bonnie Folz calls to say that there has been another Vivi sighting -- this time in Bayside, a residential community about two miles east of where the lost whippet was spotted in recent days.

Bonnie said that shortly after midnight on Monday morning, a resident watching from an apartment window at 73rd Avenue and Bell Boulevard saw an unleashed white and brindle dog matching Vivi's description walking along the street. A man who did not appear to be with the dog walked by, and the dog followed behind him through a door of the Windsor Park Apartments.

The man said he did not see the dog reappear from the courtyard.

Volunteers, including Vivi's co-owner Paul Lepiane, spent Monday night ringing doorbells at the apartment complex and posting flyers. Bonnie says approximately one-third of the residents were not home.

Paul is return home to California this afternoon.

Bonnie asks local volunteers to head to the area to post flyers (available at the VetPort at JFK, Cargo Area C, building 189) and search the neighborhood.

The apartment complex is adjacent to Cunningham Park, and Crocheron Park is not far away. Flyer postings in those areas would be helpful, Bonnie says.

For those who are out of state but want to help with the Vivi effort, Bonnie asks that they please contact local business and officials in the area to raise awareness of Vivi's presence, with a particular focus on those companies whose employees spend a good deal of their day driving or walking around the community.

Among her suggestions: police precincts, courier services, veterinarians, groomers, pet stores, UPS, Fed Ex, landscapers, parks department, St. John's University, local businesses, Bayside Chamber of Commerce, local schools, car and livery services, tow truck drivers, etc.

Bonnie asks that volunteers please coordinate this among themselves on this blog to make sure their efforts do not overlap.   

This information comes via rescue organizer Bonnie Folz:

Sunday's search of the Flushing neighborhood where Vivi was sighted earlier in the weekend has led to yet-another twist and turn: Pet detective Karin Goin's two search dogs each individually followed Vivi's trail to a residential garage.

The homeowners reported that their normally-quiet setter had started inexpicably barking around 2:30 a.m. for the last couple of nights. They also noted that a side door to the garage had been left ajar, and that the garage contained their dog's crate as well as a bag of open dog food.

Vivi's co-owner and handler Paul Lepiane placed the whippet's crate, a bowl of water, hot dogs, her bedding and a sweater previously worn by Vivi's other owner, Jil Walton, in the garage. He spent last night parked on the street watching the house and environs in the hopes that Vivi might return.  He did not see her, and when he left at 5:30 a.m. today, the hot dogs were untouched.

Paul plans a similar stakeout this evening. Because of other obligations, pet detective Karen Goin had to leave this morning.

At least one other person has seen Vivi in this residential area: The homeowner's son said the local letter carrier told him she had spotted the dog near Utopia Parkway and 196th Street.

This area of Queens is about 10 miles north of JFK Airport, where Vivi was originally lost when she broke free of her California-bound crate after competing at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show.

For those in the area who want to help, Bonnie says that there is a **pressing need** to post more Vivi flyers in the Auburndale/Flushing area. Flyers and clear tape to post them with are available at the VetPort in JFK Airport (Cargo Area "C," Building 189).

Additionally, Bonnie says that volunteers who want to park in the area overnight and just watch for the white-and-brindle whippet would contribute greatly to the effort to find her.

Dogs detect Vivi's scent in Flushing

BY DENISE FLAIM
STAFF WRITER

March 12, 2006

Almost a month after a champion whippet named Vivi escaped from her crate at Kennedy Airport after competing in the Westminster Kennel Club show, a pet detective said she believes the elusive California show dog has been trotting around the borough.

"She's really doing New York," said Karin Goin, of Depew, Okla., who searched the airport area Friday and yesterday. "This is the toughest breed to catch, and she's traveling."

Goin used her two tracking dogs - Cade, a chocolate Lab-coonhound mix, and Boone, whose pedigree is murkier - to search the airport area.

The two canine sleuths picked up a trail in South Jamaica that led them to 110-acre Baisley Pond Park, just north of the airport.

But later in the day, after a phone tip from someone who said she had seen the white and brindle dog trotting down her street, Goin took the dogs to a residential area near 192nd Street and 45th Avenue in Flushing, where she said she could tell by her dogs' body language, including the position of their head and the pace, that the trail was likely only a day old.

"She's definitely out there and she's definitely moving around," said Goin, who turned down an assignment to search for B.B. King's lost dog in order to track down the wayward whippet.

Goin, a private investigator who in 2004 decided to limit her practice to finding lost animals, plans to resume the search this morning.

Goin's fees, about $1,000 per day, were paid in part by a fund set up by local rescue group Bobbi and the Strays to defray expenses in the search for the whippet.

Among the revenue-makers was last night's "Vivi and the Strays" benefit at the Garden City Hotel's Posh nightclub, where one of the items for sale was a $12 T-shirt sporting an upside-down ribbon in the shape of a "V." Admission to the event was a $10 donation.

"Even people at work who don't have dogs ask me all the time about Vivi," said Steven Lisker, an Akita breeder from East Rockaway who turned out for the fundraiser. "Just when it seems Vivi is out of the news, she pops back in again."

Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.

Bonnie Folz sends this in an email:

<<As many of you may or may not know, Paul has returned to New York to do more searching and attend the Vivi & The Strays fundraiser tomorrow night.

Paul has been out searching today and has asked that I post to all of the searchers to please stay away from the Cargo Area A for the next two days and not put out any food. Paul is hoping to lure Vivi out of hiding by placing her crate with her bedding, some of Jil clothing (for some familiar smells) and some really smelly, good tasting food as well as a humane trap or two in the area. Paul feels by keeping the people traffic to a minimum and only having the food down which he has placed, we will have a better chance of getting her back.

I will try to forward any information as it becomes available throughout the night and day but think this will be a waiting game and the ball is in Vivi's court now. (I hate waiting games and would much rather be out and about, but...) You all have been so wonderful with your help to get Vivi back, those good thoughts from far away, emails, faxes, phone calls, long drives through unknown neighborhoods, trips to the airport at all hours, and all the prayers. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Please respect Paul's wishes and pray that by this time tomorrow Vivi is back safely in his care! I hope to see you at the fundraiser tomorrow night and for those heading out to help in the search for Sniffles, I'll make sure to get the word out while at the fundraiser that help is needed to find him. Best of luck, my thoughts and prayers are with you. >>

The last tune this intrepid reporter set foot in the Garden City Hotel's nightspot, it was called the G Club, and my beat was nightlife, not companion animals. Yep, hotel magnate and benefit organizer Brian Rosenberg and I go back. (He has an extensive file of yellowed clippings that he will happily procure in order to critique my critiquing. One of his major complaints was that nightclub reporting should not require an Oxford Dictionary chaser.)

But that was a different decade, and times change. And, with a whiff of nostalgia, I'll be at the G Club -- I mean, Posh -- Saturday night to cover the Vivi benefit. Here are the details:

"Vivi and the Strays" Benefit

At the Garden City Hotel's "Posh" nightclub

Featuring music and dancing

Saturday, March 11, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

45 Seventh Street, Garden City, N.Y., 516-877-9412

Admission: $10 donation ... cash bar

Sure to be a hot commodity: the black Vivi & the Strays T-shirts, which sport an image of an upside down pink ribbon, evoking the letter "V," for $12 each.

Raffle prizes include an 11-by-14 oil painting on canvas of your dog by award-winning artist Terry Chacon  (value $600), an 8-week obedience training course donated by Bonnie Folz of Pawsative Dog Training in Queens (value $300), and two reserved seats for the 2007 Westminster Kennel Club dog show (value $200).

Joyce Randazzo, the Lake Success attorney who has stepped up to help Vivi's owners coordinate the search for the missing whippet and facilitate communication between all parties, echoes the upbeat email breeder Bo Bengtson posted late yesterday (see below).

"After speaking with Delta officials, I'm extremely encouraged and confident that all appropriate steps are being taken to find Vivi," she says. "It’s disappointing that there hasn’t been positive news yet; however Delta is doing everything in their power to see that Vivi is found."

Once logistics have been worked out, the search will expand to include some high-tech measures, as outlined by Bo in this latest note:

<<Joyce Randazzo, Jil’s attorney, who spoke with Delta Airline officials today, is extremely confident that Delta Airlines is doing everything possible to find Vivi. "They are conducting regular and organized searches of all important locations and have given permission to pet detective, Karen Goin, to conduct an extensive search as well."

Joyce adds, "We believe the collaborative efforts of Delta Airlines, the Port Authority, Karen Goin, and the countless volunteers will result in Vivi being found. We wish to thank all involved for their extraordinary efforts and extreme kindness. We are convinced everything possible is being done to find Vivi, and remain hopeful that something positive will come of this soon. Information will be provided as it becomes available."

Thanks to the generous support for the Vivi search fund. Donations sent to Paul in California are forwarded to New York where they will be deposited in the non-profit fund set up there. Further donations may be sent to "Bobbi and the Strays," c/o 3392 Bay Front Place, Baldwin, NY 11510 with the check designated "For Vivi." "Bobbi and the Strays" is a shelter for lost dogs at JFK where a separate account has been set up for the Vivi search. Donations are tax deductible. We hope that the shelter will be able to acknowledge receipt of all donations they get.

For information about Saturday’s fundraiser for "Vivi and the Strays" at the Garden City Hotel in NY, please contact Brian Rosenberg at brosenberg@gchotel.com. Paul is flying in from California for the event to represent Vivi’s family.

I have no further updates. I know it’s frustrating to wait for news, but I promise to post whatever I can as soon as possible.

Again, thanks for all your kind letters, messages and wishes. We appreciate them more than we can say!

Bo >>

What Boris did for 'flying' pets

By Denise Flaim
NEWSDAY STAFF WRITER

March 6, 2006

When Barbara Listenik heard about Vivi - the champion whippet that escaped at John F. Kennedy Airport more than two weeks ago, and at press time was still lost - it was déja vu all over again.

On Christmas Eve 1996, Listenik's dog, a 6-year-old basenji-pitbull mix named Boris, bolted from his crate as it was unloaded at the city's other airport, LaGuardia.

Like Vivi, Boris was flying Delta Airlines. Like Vivi, who is a California girl, the Florida-reared Boris was unaccustomed to blustery New York winters. And, like Vivi, Boris was chased - unsuccessfully - by a cargo crew: Vivi disappeared into the reedy marshland at the end of a runway, while Boris ricocheted through a terminal before melting into the very urban neighborhood of nearby Corona, Queens.

Boris had a happy ending: Six and a half weeks after his adieu on the tarmac, he was found, filthy and emaciated, behind an abandoned tire shop two miles away. How Vivi's story will end remains to be seen, though her owners believe she might be living in the airport's westerly reaches, sleeping in abandoned cargo buildings and hunting rodents and rabbits for her dinners.

"I feel so bad for the owners - I know what they're going through," says Brooklyn-based Listenik, who remembers being treated "beyond horribly." "I went to the supervisor and said, 'OK, you lost my dog - what are we going to do?' And he handed me a baggage claim form and said, 'Contact Atlanta - that's where our hub is and that's all that we can do.'"

Listenik did more than call corporate: She lobbied Congress to raise the status of airborne animals to something more than your average piece of Samsonite. And on June 15, 2005, the Safe Air Travel for Animals Act - also known as the Boris Bill - went into effect, requiring airlines to report incidents involving injured, lost or killed animals to the Department of Transportation's Aviation Consumer Protection Division. In turn, the agency publishes these complaints in its Air Travel Consumer Report (http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/reports/).

Much Internet chatter has focused on Delta's role in losing Vivi. The airline has issued a one-sentence statement - "Delta is committed to working with the family to help find Vivi" - and says it has launched an internal investigation.

(In another bout of bad publicity last week, a bulldog breeder from Queens accused the airline of "forgetting" about her 8-month-old puppy for 24 hours after he missed a connecting flight to Bozeman, Mont.)

Jil Walton, Vivi's co-owner, says she was in daily contact with Delta, which has comped her flights and accommodations, as well as those of Vivi's other owner and breeder. Delta says it has been conducting daily searches for Vivi since she was lost and did not coordinate with other Vivi searchers because it was not asked to.

Walton says Delta agreed last week to compensate her $2,000 or so in search-related expenses, including the rental of a boat to patrol the shoreline where pawprints were found the week after Vivi's escape. Walton says she, in turn, will donate the money to a special fund being created for the ongoing Vivi search.

As Listenik learned with Boris - who died last year at the ripe old age of 15 - events like these can sometimes help the greater good. The Vivi story has drawn attention to the problem of stray dogs in this unheralded corner of southeastern Queens, where rescue groups like Bobbi and the Strays operate on a shoestring and an army of volunteers. And her owners have pledged that some of the Vivi funds will go to help all dogs, not just the well-pedigreed ones.

Like Vivi's owners, Listenik consulted animal communicators. "I really didn't believe in it," she says. "I was like, 'If you're talking to him, tell him to come home.'"

Still, some of the details they provided - he was living in a tire shop, he was seeing something red (neighbors had put out a red carpet for him to sleep on) - were really convincing, Listenik admits as she hums the "Twilight Zone" theme.

But the psychics provided the best advice of all. "They said, don't give up because then he's going to give up," Listenik says. "They'll find Vivi as long as they don't lose hope. Keep the connection alive."

For updates on the Vivi search, visit www.newsday .com/animalhouse.

WRITE TO Denise Flaim, c/o Newsday, 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville, NY 11747-4250, or e-mail denise.flaim@newsday.com . For previous columns, www.newsday.com/animalhouse

Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.

<<Update as of Sunday night, March 5, 2006.

    Volunteers Tina and Rosa spoke with the woman who reported seeing Vivi in a residential neighborhood outside JFK on Saturday night and do not believe it was Vivi she saw. (There was, among other strays, a mostly white Pit Bull Terrier in the neighboorhood, and it was dark.) This confirms what we hope is true, that Vivi is still inside JFK. It was also Tina and Rosa who spoke to the Skychef employee who reported seeing Vivi at the airport about a week ago, and they believe this sighting really was of Vivi. Tina and Rosa have watched the area of the airport where Vivi has been sighted even late at night. I am very grateful to them.

    The most immediate course of action now is to enlist Delta’s assistance in getting pet detective Karin Goin into the airport with her tracking dogs. We hope they can let us know if Vivi keeps returning to the area where she has been seen, where food has been consumed, etc. Once that has been established with some degree of certainty, traps need to be placed in the most likely spots and baited with food that is appealing enough to lure Vivi in. (This obviously isn’t the case with the current traps, which are only baited with dry kibble.)

    As mentioned yesterday, a lawyer has offered her services in dealing with Delta. She has already made preliminary contact with them. Many have asked about calling Delta and trying to pressure them into action. However, according to our lawyer that could be counterproductive at this time. Please note that any contact with Delta should be initiated only by our attorney to insure the continued cooperation of Delta in search efforts. A formal statement by our attorney will be forthcoming.

    Lt. Alan B. Borgal, a Massachusetts State Humane Officer, has offered the use of a remote controlled drop-net (30’x30’) that when activated drops in 1/3 of a second. The net is designed to be used on dogs. You can activate the net from a 1/4 mile away. They are in the process of purchasing a $1200 dollar infrared camera, so a person can check the net at night. If we have a sighting of Vivi they can come and set up the net, provided that it is possible for someone to monitor the net. Lt. Borgal is a Special State Police Officer and has thirty years experience of Animal Rescue. They also have several other humane trap designs that may be helpful besides cage dog traps. We appreciate the offer and will take advantage of it if possible.

    Here is Bonnie Folz’s report from Saturday’s organized search activities: “We had, in my opinion, a good day yesterday as approx. 45 volunteers came out for the search & flyer blitz. One gal drove down Friday night from Massachusetts. Another came in from Connecticut. Yet another flew in from Boston to La Guardia; she's a flight attendant and came over to JFK to help distribute flyers to other ‘crew’ members at the various airlines throughout the airport. Another couple of ladies pulled up about an hour before I was closing up shop to say they were sorry they were late; they drove over 200 miles to help! Two gentlemen from the North Shore Animal League were there bright and early to post flyers. Others came later in the day as they figured to search for her at the dusk hours.  I'd say the volunteers distributed close to 9,000 flyers.”

    We are immensely grateful to all the volunteers who helped. Even though we hope Vivi is still inside JFK it is very important to post flyers, since we need both the public and the JFK employees (all 45,000 of them) to be aware of Vivi.

    For information about Saturday’s fundraiser for “Vivi and the Strays” at the Garden City Hotel in NY, please contact Brian Rosenberg at brosenberg@gchotel.com. It promises to be a very special evening!

    It is frustrating to have missed a weekend’s acccess to the airport, but it is necessary to wait and see what our lawyer can accomplish. Thank you all for your help and positive thoughts.

    Bo>>

Just before midnight Saturday, on her way home from the Billy Joel concert at Madison Square Garden, Bonnie Folz received a phone call.

A young woman in Rosedale, Queens, reported seeing a dog matching Vivi's description running down the street about an hour before. The woman said she called out, "Vivi," and the dog stopped and looked back briefly before continuing to run.

The woman tried several numbers -- 911, 311 (New York City's information hotline), Delta Airlines, all to no avail. Finally, she reached a Port Authority official who contacted Bonnie on her cell phone number.

The tireless team of Tina and Rosa -- who have become the Thelma and Louise of the Vivi search -- tracked down the young woman today and showed her a photo of the missing whippet. Alas, the Rosedale runaway did not match the mug shot.

Frustrated over what they perceive to be Delta's lack of responsiveness to the Vivi loss and search, her owners consider legal recourse. Bo Bengtson's daily missive:

<<This is written late on Saturday night, so it’s past 1:00 AM in New York but several people are still out looking for Vivi. There was a reported sighting outside the airport, probably around 11:00 PM EST. But, within an hour or two there were other calls. One from someone who said he had Vivi and demanded the $5000 reward before hanging up; another from a psychic who said she saw Vivi "among lots of animals" (as in a zoo or pet shop). It’s easy to be cynical about these contradictory reports and see them as a result of either the new flyers posted all over the area today, or of the news story about the search on CBS Channel 2 in New York tonight ­ but we are trying to follow up on all leads, no matter how difficult they are to confirm.

It is my hope that Vivi is still at the airport, which is far safer for her even though she may be more difficult to catch there. It is extremely disappointing that nobody has been allowed in to check for possible tracks in the snow today.

I have no general report of the search of the area outside JFK earlier on Saturday which Bonnie co-ordinated. I know that a couple of volunteers - Dennis and Sandy ­ ventured as far as into Jersey City to put up posters. There were no sightings or leads during the search as far as I am aware. This is disappointing but we are grateful to all who participated and helped put up flyers.

Jil has had only limited success in dealing with Delta so far, and Delta refuses to talk to anyone else. They are not sure if they can help bring the pet detective we have contacted, Karin Goin, and her two dogs up from Oklahoma to JFK. Although they say that they are searching we still have no evidence that they are doing so. We have therefore accepted the services of a lawyer who I hope will be able to convince Delta that their very active participation in the search is in their best interests. The dog was lost while in their care and it seems inconceivable to me that Delta is not doing all they can to at least appear to help.

More on Sunday afternoon. I am trying to keep my own feelings out of this but must confess that I am incredibly frustrated by the authorities who should and could help with the search but are not doing so, as well as extremely grateful to all the volunteers and kind people who out of the goodness of their hearts are doing so much to help.

Thank you.

Bo >>

Another emailed update from Vivi's breeder, posted last evening. The Port Authority slowly bows out ...

<<Major changes in the search today. The Port Authority will no longer allow access to restricted JFK areas for non-PA individuals in searching for Vivi. They will continue looking for her during their regular patrols and have promised to keep the traps out (and checked several times per day) for a few more weeks but have told us that nobody else will get further access. Basically, they feel they have done their duty, and more than that, and they have told us that any further active search beyond what they are doing on their own will have to be dealt with through Delta Airlines.

Delta has refused to communicate with anyone except Jil. She is currently negotiating with her Delta contact, Alex Battaglia, about getting the pet detective we want to hire, Karin Goin, and her search dogs up from Oklahoma by Monday. She would then search all the areas that Delta has access to. Apparently these areas overlap with, but are not identical to, what Port Authority has control over. (JFK is obviously a patchwork of areas under the responsibility of different authorities.) Since Jil is at work in California, she wants to authorize Honi Reisman to speak on her behalf with Delta. None of the search would be possible without Honi’s efficiency and support. We cannot thank her enough for all she is doing.

We are not sure if the change from the Port Authority to Delta is good or bad. Certainly Port Authority has done all they can, and we realize that they have other duties than searching for a lost dog. Delta Airlines, on the other hand, has a vested interest in finding the dog since she was lost while in their care. They have more resources than anyone else to help if they are willing to do so. We do not as yet know how capable and determined they are. They have agreed to pay some of the search costs but have consistently refused to respond to inquries about the internal investigation about how Vivi was lost, and also refused to explain exactly where, how and when they searched for Vivi, as they insist they have done.

The person who reports having seen Vivi approximately a week ago has been identified and interviewed by volunteers Rosa and Tina, who I understand are confident that this was a genuine sighting. I would like to have more details about time of day, proximity to the dog, if it was possible to determine anything about Vivi’s condition, etc. but have not been able to get that yet.

As mentioned earlier, Bonnie Folz is organizing another search and distribution of "Lost Dog" flyers in the areas outside JFK on Saturday, March 4. Bonnie Folz will be set up at 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM outside the Vetport at JFK Airport Cargo Area C, Building #189. The focus will be Vivi’s flyer blitz. Contact Bonnie at Pawsativebf@aol.com for further information.

We have determined that since I am an AKC judge it would be inappropriate for me to in any way deal with contributions from the fancy. Donations should be sent to "Bobbi and the Strays," c/o 3392 Bay Front Place, Baldwin, NY 11510 with the check designated "For Vivi." "Bobbi and the Strays" is a non-profit shelter for lost dogs at JFK where a separate account has been set up for the Vivi search. Donations are tax deductible. Donations already received by us will be forwarded to the NY address. We hope that the shelter will be able to acknowledge receipt of all donations they get. Paul, Jil and I will have to apply to the fund for payment of any expenses we have incurred (boat rental, psychic consultation and travel expenses, pet detective cost, transportation, etc.).

The link to the eBay auction for a photo session donated by dog photographer Virginia O’Conner is http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6040812260. Virginia is donating the proceeds to the search for Vivi. For any questions, please contact Virginia at vmoc@bestinshowcreations.com. For details about the Garden City Hotel "Vivi & The Strays" fundraiser on Saturday, March 11 from 7 pm -10 pm, to help in the search for Vivi, contact Brian Rosenberg, Vice President Sales & Marketing, at the Garden City Hotel: (516) 877-9366. Email: BRosenberg@gchotel.com.

Dealing with all of the above does not for a moment make any of us forget Vivi, who haunts every sleeping and waking hour of so many. We hope she is warm enough, that she manages to find enough food... and above all hope that she will be caught in one of the traps soon. It is difficult to accept what those who have experience with lost dogs say, that she most likely would not respond to a human voice, even those she knows best, under the present circumstances. It is my hope that Delta will be able to put out more traps with more of her own old bedding and more smelly, interesting food - which will finally result in her letting herself be caught and brought back to safety.

Thanks for all your kind letters, cards and emails. >>

<<Much excitement today when it was learned that there was an "almost certain" Vivi sighting only about a few days days ago, in the same area as we suspect that she is hiding. We are still trying to find the person who actually saw her. We are talking about hundreds of employees most of whom speak no English, but our second- or third-hand reports seem reliable. If this is true it means that Vivi definitely survived on her own at JFK for the first ten days, which is immensely encouraging.

Several volunteers are keeping the area under non-stop surveillance. Qe are talking to a licensed private investigator who we hope will be able to go in immediately. And, it seems likely that, thanks to Honi Reisman’s influence, the Port Authority will agree to allow access for this. There has also been some snow in the JFK area today which may make tracking possible.

Several more traps have been made available and set out in the most likely areas, and several boxes with used clothing from Vivi’s people and bedding from the horses and dogs that she knows have been FedEx’d out from California to JFK in order to be placed in the traps.

This sighting also emphasizes how important it is to spread the word about Vivi. Obviously some people around or at the airport still don’t know about her or the sightings would be immediately reported. All those 20,000 new color posters will be very useful in this respect. Thanks to all the volunteers who help put them up all around the airport.

Paul and Jil appreciate the generous donations that have already come in to help with the search costs, which are mounting quickly. Those Paul has received here will be individually acknowledged; a list of donors for contributions received as of today is included below. These checks will be deposited into a non-profit fund in New York. Future contributions should be addressed to "Bobbi and the Strays" at 3392 Bay Front Place, Baldwin, NY 11510 with the check designated "For Vivi." "Bobbi and the Strays" is a non-profit shelter for lost dogs at JFK where a separate account has been set up for the Vivi search. Donations are tax deductible.

For more information about Brian Rosenberg’s fundraiser for "Vivi & the Strays," see Denise Flaim’s blog below.

Professional dog photographer Virginia O’Connor has generously offered to donate proceeds from a one-hour private photo session of your dog to be auctioned on eBay to benefit the Vivi Fund. The link to the auction is http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6040812260.

For any questions, please contact Virginia at vmoc@bestinshowcreations.com. We appreciate Virginia’s generosity.

We are all exhausted but feeling more optimistic than before!

Thanks again for all your support and good thoughts.

Bo

Contributions for search costs gratefully received from Laurie Frick, Diana Wallace McConnell, Driftwood Boarding Kennels, Jean Fergus, Audrey Munch, Mark Sachau & Bill Gielow, Valerie Barnard, Irene Wilson, and Dr. Barbara Henderson. >>

Local researchers canvassing the area where Vivi the whippet was sighted more than two weeks ago say workers there have told them they spotted a dog matching Vivi's description as recently as four days ago.

Surviving in that area of the airport is hardly unheard of for a small dog like Vivi, even in the dead of winter: Workers also report that previously, a small poodle took up residence in the sparsely trafficked cargo area for more than a year.

Today's snowfall provides hope that Vivi's tracks might be spotted overnight. Searchers believe she sleeps during the day in one of the area's unoccupied but heated cargo buildings, and hunts at night.

Vivi's owners are also working with the Port Authority to see how much expanded access they can get to the largely restricted area in the hopes of giving a pet detective the lattitude he or she might need in order to adequately search the area.

THE SEARCH FOR VIVI DAY 15

Momentum in dogged effort for whippet

BY DENISE FLAIM
STAFF WRITER

March 2, 2006

Little more than two weeks after a champion whippet named Vivi broke free of her crate at Kennedy Airport and ran off into the marshes, searchers have not given up, continuing to hand out thousands of lost-dog fliers and canvass the 5,000-acre airport.

An organized search party of volunteers is planned Saturday at 8 a.m., starting at the Vetport at Building 189 in Cargo Area C.

Vivi's co-owner, Paul Lepiane, and breeder, Bo Bengtson, both of Ojai, Calif., reluctantly returned home last weekend, with plans to fly east at the first sighting of Ch. Bohem C'est La Vie, as Vivi is formally known. The last time she was spotted was on the evening of her escape outside a westerly cargo area.

"I suspect she is [on the airport grounds] and coping OK," said Bengtson, noting that the airport has many unoccupied and heated cargo buildings with plenty of crevices where Vivi could hide. "If she's in a warm, safe place, she has tons of rabbits and squirrels to hunt" - a Catch-22, as a well-fed Vivi is less likely to go into one of the food-baited traps checked by the Port Authority several times a day.

Though pessimists abound, Vivi's lack of visibility may not mean that she has been picked up by someone or succumbed to the elements. Iva Kimmelman, a longtime whippet breeder from Stow, Mass., said independent hunters like whippets will "mentally check out" from domestication more readily than the average Fido.

"They go into wild-animal mode and all they think about is survival," she said, adding that a feral Vivi might not recognize or return to her owners, let alone a stranger. "I've never seen a lost whippet that would come up to a person. They run until they're trapped."

While Vivi might be lying low, her supporters aren't. Brian Rosenberg, vice president of the Garden City Hotel and a whippet owner himself, is planning a "Vivi and the Strays" fundraiser at the hotel's nightclub, Posh, on March 11. Proceeds will benefit the search, which may expand to include a pet detective, as well as local rescue groups that help other lost dogs.

"It seems like this is the start of something, whether Vivi is found or not," said Rosenberg. "It shouldn't just be about one show dog."

And searchers worry that Vivi's well-heeled reputation might work against her. Initially, one of Vivi's owners said she was worth $150,000 - an exaggeration intended to put the search for her into high gear, but one that might make the $5,000 reward look disproportionate.

"She is worth $20,000 as a show dog in the right context, possibly, but she is not worth a cent without her papers," said Bengtson, adding that the cost of showing and "campaigning" a show dog like Vivi easily mounted to that much in expenses for her owners. "We're dreading that someone might be holding out for more money. But the reward is $5,000, and not anything more."

Copyright 2006 Newsday Inc.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-livivi024646904mar02,0,3114763.story

The Vivi-obsessed will forgive me if I post the occasional non-search related item, as the cat people will soon stop speaking to me if I don't acknowledge other species (or even breeds) exist.

To that end:

FREE Frisbee Catching Seminar

Saturday March 11 2006 @ 11 a.m.
Eva’s Play Pups, 52 N 11th St , Williamsburg Brooklyn

L train to Bedford Ave. North to N11th street

Can your dog catch popcorn? Fetch Better yet, does he have a mouth? Then he can catch a Frisbee.

Or so promise the trainers of Empire of the Dog, who've taught everything from border collies to Chihuahuas to dive for the coveted flying disc.

This seminar is FREE for humans, but you'll pay $20 advance registration if you want to bring your well socialized dog. To register, visit www.empireofthedog.com.

WHO: The Garden City Hotel’s Posh Nightclub & VP Brian Rosenberg

WHAT: “Vivi & The Strays” Fundraiser

WHEN: Saturday, March 11, 2006 from 7pm – 10pm

WHERE: 45 Seventh Street, Garden City, NY 11530 [516] 877-9412

The Garden City Hotel will host a “Vivi & The Strays” fundraiser at its Posh Ultra Club on Saturday, March 11 from 7 pm -10 pm, to help in the search for Vivi, the whippet show dog lost on February 15 at JFK Airport. The prize-winning three-year old female Vivi, whose full name is Champion Bohem C’est La Vie, had won an Award of Merit at the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden when she escaped while boarding an airplane bound for California.

“All proceeds will benefit the Bobbi & the Strays animal shelter which is helping continue the search for Vivi but will also help other lost dogs too,” says whippet owner Brian Rosenberg, the hotel’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

The public is invited to the event, which will also be attended by Vivi’s co-owner and handler Paul Lepiane and Bobbi of the Bobbi & Strays animal shelter.

Funds will be raised through a $10 admission to Posh Ultra Lounge and sales of T-shirts and other items. A cash bar, music and dancing will be featured on the night.

Those who cannot attend the event but wish to make a contribution may do so by sending a check made out to Bobbi & the Strays (with "For Vivi" on the memo line) to 3392 Bay Front Place, Baldwin, NY 11510.

For further information about this event, please contact Brian Rosenberg, Vice President Sales & Marketing, at the Garden City Hotel: (516) 877-9366 .

Vivi's co-owner Paul Lepiane sends this email:

<<Hello to everyone from one of Vivi's owners. Having been simply overwhelmed with actually being on the airport grounds for 12 days, dealing with hundreds of emails and a constant stream of phone calls during that time, as well as trying to deal with my business which was being neglected in California while I was in New York looking for Vivi, today was the first chance I had to look at Denise Flaim's blog.

One of the more difficult aspects of dealing with this situation is trying to explain to people that we are receiving advice on what we should be doing from hundreds and hundreds of people. We look at this information and try to work out what is feasible in this situation.

Being that Vivi was lost and is probably still on airport property is a double edged sword: the good side is that she is not in danger of traffic and has lots of accessible buildings to find shelter and warmth; the bad side is that the possibilities for hiding places is unimaginably vast and we are limited as to what we can do by the security restraints under which Port Authority must work. They have been amazingly good at letting me and a few other people have access to anywhere we wanted on the grounds.

Everyone has to remember that since 9/11 security is really tight in the non-public areas (where most people have never been). It is simply not possible for outside people to have free rein inside the grounds.

We have done and are doing everything we can to get Vivi back as she certainly means as much to us as other peoples' pets mean to them. Please believe in what Brian Rosenberg and Bonnie are doing. They are working hard and delivering our message as fast as possible.

We hope that those people who donate funds to help find Vivi do so with the understanding that the money will be spent in the most efficient and appropriate ways by the family who is closest to the situation and have knowledge of what is and is not possible under these conditions.

Thank you all for your interest, support and kind thoughts during
this very difficult time for us.

Paul Lepiane>>