Aggie is Resting at Home

Not surprisingly, Aggie was EXHAUSTED when Sonia picked her up from the shelter today.

Yesterday, when the news came in that Aggie was at the shelter, it was too close to closing time for Sonia to get there, especially since she was just returning home from an overseas trip. And today, the shelter didn't open until noon. So, she wasn't home but she was safe and well taken care of.

When Aggie first saw Sonia, she showed no sign that she recognized her! Fortunately, Sonia already knew this was a possibility, so her feelings weren't hurt. ;)  But after she had a few minutes to zone in on her, or maybe she just finally caught her scent, then she was happy to see her. By the time they got home and she saw Dave, she recognized him right away. She went straight for her regular spot! When I was talking to Sonia, Aggie and Dave were watching the basketball game on the big screen TV.

Happily, Aggie is no worse for her time on the lam - not physically! She was timid and shy anyway, and that's still an issue for her. We know there are so many people that followed the search that would love to meet her, and hopefully she will some day be about to prance about among strangers. For now, Sonia will be keeping her close at home while she acclimates her back to life as a pet cared for by humans!

Hopefully, Sonia will also be able to find where in Herndon she was found. She covered so many areas in the town that it might have been that she was found. Sonia will be trying to get this information from the shelter tomorrow.

Much better, Aggie, we like seeing you at home!

Now, to get signs down. If you pass any of the posted fliers or signs that have been put up before we can get them down, it would be great if you would pull them down. Thanks in advance for that!

Breaking News! :) :) :) :) :) :)

Waiting on confirmation now, and hopefully details, but it looks like Aggie has been found!

It seems that Fairfax County Animal Control was, I guess, called out to someone's home (location known at this time only as "Herndon") where a black lab/shepherd mix has been living under someone's shed off and on for a few weeks. The dog has a red collar with tags, and when they called the number on the tags, they reached a Mutt Love volunteer! So, it can only be Aggie!

Right now she's in transport, so way too soon for us to have any details. But I'm very excited about this development!!!

STAY TUNED!!!!

Aggie's Picture on http://www.petharbor.com/

A Sighting by a Volunteer, and Track Maps

Finally, proof that Aggie is not a phantom or visible only to children!

Aggie has some awesome supporters, and as much time as some of them have been putting in, watching for her and canvassing the area, I guess they were bound to see her. Here's an account from one volunteer of her chance sighting today:

This afternoon as I was in the school at the front office, at dismissal I looked out the window to see a black dog running down Parcher. I looked to see if there was a person attached to the dog, but no one was there. I ran out of the building but by the time I got across Parcher, the dog had slipped behind the townhouses on Jensen Pl. That is a cut through to Early Fall Ct...where Aggie has been before. The dog was a mid sized dog, but by the time I got out there, she/he was gone. The dog had slipped behind the townhouses. This one had somewhat longish fur and possibly a curly tail. Mind you, I was in a building looking out and she/he was across the street running down the road, so I was too far away to see the dog clearly....it was loose and fast. I drove to Early Fall Ct to see if she was there and asked some people. They have seen the signs but did not see her there today. One guy had seen her over by the school. The time was 3:10pm... and busy time at school.

We also owe huge thanks to the folks out there that we know are walking, driving and biking around in hopes of seeing her. This is just what we want, and just the way to get sightings. (Of course be careful that you don't chase her, call out to her or make eye contact with her.)

Finally, Sam has provided three maps, all available (along with all past tracks) HERE. One is a map of yesterday's track, then there is an overlay of all past tracks, and finally, the one that looks like this is a map of the central area where all of the tracks intersect:

More Sightings, Another Track

This past weekend, some of our great volunteers poured their hearts into the search for Aggie, and they found numerous kids that have been seeing her. Maybe adults have too, but the kids were the ones that were out & about and being so helpful to our volunteers. The kids that are seeing her are challenged by not having phones handy to call when they see her. It would be great to get a live sighting by one of the kids (well, by anyone!) but we are just so relieved even after the fact to find out from sightings that she is staying so close. We are talking about the community that is accessed by Parcher Avenue.

Then late this afternoon, Sam and Salsa came out, and verified Aggie's scent in the areas where she has been seen. So, while it's now been more than three weeks (in case you aren't keeping track), we are encouraged by the knowledge that she's right in front of our noses even if we can't see her. It's a matter of time now!

Will post Sam's map as soon as we get it, but here is how the track was described by one of the volunteers that accompanied it:

Basically we started at Bryce Ct, cut through Tamani, up Summerfield Drive straight onto Rock Hill Road and headed straight into the woods...way back and around. Came up back onto Rock Hill (right by a yellow house and gravel drive...which faces Capstone Circle).  Crossed Rock Hill back onto Capstone and through a cut through (the one I found last week) and back onto Bryce. It was one big circle...amazing...we ended where we had started and parked our car!

Keep watching out for her, and here's to you being able to place that one critical -- and impeccably timed -- call that we need!

Still Waiting on Sightings But Good Efforts Going On

Although she doesn't know it yet, Aggie is grateful and thankful to her many supporters that have come out over the last couple of days to work, despite the rain, in getting the word out via fliers. I suppose if I was going to hold my breath waiting for sighting calls, it would be after an effort like this one. Well, good thing I didn't because I'm still waiting. But they HAVE to be coming through any time now. (As this update is being posted, the map needs to be updated with the areas that were fliered in the last couple of days -- thanks to all!!)

Our team was encouraged by a report from Amanda, who was contacted by our friends at the Loudoun County's Animal Control office. It's so comforting to know that they are in Aggie's corner! And she IS weaving in and out between Loudoun and Fairfax Counties. Here's what Amanda reported:

Just an FYI...an officer from Loudoun Animal Control called me today and said they had picked up a black dog with a little brown on her mouth.  I asked him if she had any white on her and he said no.  I told him it couldn't be Aggie.  He did say that they have been keeping their eyes out for her so at least that is encouraging.

And lastly, for now, in case you didn't notice the upper left corner of the page here, we've now added capability for any reader to translate this page into one of numerous languages of their choosing. So please, if you know anyone that might have seen Aggie but does not read English, let them know to visit this site, and they can get all the information we have about this lost soul we call Aggie, who needs to come in out of the rain.

New Track Confirms Saturday Sightings

Sam and Salsa (Pure Gold Pet Trackers) were brought out on Tuesday to track from Saturday's sightings, and it seems that Aggie has done quite a lot of moving around, in a lot of different neighborhoods. A map of the track will be posted as soon as it is available from Sam -- hopefully Wednesday. Definitely, more help is needed to spread the word. Can you join the effort?

Update -- click HERE to get a map of all of the four tracks run on Aggie, the last two being last Friday, and yesterday, Tuesday.

A small version of just yesterday's track is here:

Here is Sam's report that accompanied the track maps:

She is still circling the neighborhood but the circles are expanding.  We need to spread out the postering to include all neighborhoods bordering Herndon Pkwy and Rock Hill Rd all the way out and including the golf course.  Dogs love golf courses.

Still haven't found her food source but it must be steady and of higher value than what we have been putting at the feeding station at the drainage area near Rock Hill Rd.

Someone is seeing her and not seeing the posters or not understanding the posters, or not willing to get involved.  She's out during the day periodically but only children are seeing her so maybe she isn't afraid of kids, just adults.  Hard to tell at this point.  The only positive thing is that she is still staying within a mile or two of where she was lost.  This is a very tight territory.  Unfortunately, there are too many hiding places so without the cooperation of the community to be actively watching for her, we won't be able to get ahead of her.  Right now, the only thing we can do is maintain feeding stations and pray that her luck holds on all of the roads she is crossing.

We are looking for people close to Herndon that are able to help monitor feeding stations, because we feel we need to set up more feeding stations until we can get her interested in one of them, and then we will abandon them. The more people we get on that team, the less will fall to any one person. Can you help?  Please send an email if you can help monitor feeding stations around Herndon over the next week.

Saturday Sightings

Good news - when fliers were given out to students at the school on Parcher, a couple of the students reported seeing a black dog resembling Aggie on Saturday in the neighborhood at the townhouses on Monaghan Drive. Our volunteer spoke to one of the boys who lives there, and another boy told her the same thing when she showed his mom the flyer. Additionally, she learned that one of the teachers she saw her too. In the morning, she's going to talk to the teacher to find out from her what she saw, but it was definitely a black dog.

The flip side of it is that this is basically a whole new neighborhood. Aggie can cut through and get from one neighborhood to the next easily, but those of us traveling by car have a long way to go to either move operations or add operations in the new neighborhood. Fortunately, some volunteers had gotten out on Sunday and posted a lot of fliers to the Parcher neighborhood, though not all streets, and not Monaghan Drive. However, there's still a lot more to be done, and we have a supply of fliers ready so no need to print your own. Then there's a lot of electronic outreach that can be done. However you can help, including good old fashioned searching, please let us know.

The map will be updated with the latest sighting, but here's how it looks since just before we learned of the sightings, showing where we need fliering - in red.


View Find Lost Aggie in a larger map

Still No Sightings -- Over a Week Now

Aggie has been missing for 15 days now, and the last sighting is over a week old.

It seems hard to believe so much time can go by with no sightings when so much work has been done to circulate the word, and with how many peole have been out searching for her. Hopefully, the areas where people are searching are the right areas, and that eventually she will emerge and be seen. This past weekend, there have been a LOT of eyes scanning the area for Aggie.

It also seems unlikely that anyone has her because we think she is so unlikely to go to anyone, and that she woudl be hard to catch. But, we know that her supporters are also checking the Pet Harbor website, so if the area shelters are keeping that website up to date, she must not be at any of the shelters -- Fairfax, Loudoun or Arlington counties or Alexandria.

We know it's more than possible that she is hiding in plain sight, so to speak. We know that she's likely to have developed survival skills even if she didn't already have them, which is possible since so little is known about her past life, because so many lost dogs before her have done it. So, hope is still very much alive .  .  . but it's not easy searching for a dog that is not showing herself at all.

Please keep looking, and please keep spreading the word so that someone who sees her will know who to call -- immediately, please!

The Boys Miss Aggie

Aggie set off on her adventure just minutes after she met her new family at her new home, 2 weeks ago now. But it was enough time that the children know the companionship they are missing with Aggie gone, and they want her back! The family very much appreciates that, when the older son participated in sharing day, at school, by sharing that he wants his lost dog back, the school put his sign up in the front lobby. Kids are a great way to spread the word about a lost dog, so please make sure that the kids in your life know to keep an eye out for Aggie, and to tell their friends.

Well, it seems that the people at the quarry had safety issues with anyone but workers in there, so Sam was not able to get in there to track or search. But aren't quarries really loud, at least during the business day? Let's hope she's not there, then, since we can't get in.

So we appreciate that some community members are making concerted efforts to take their walks and spend some time searching in the general area of Rock Hill, Sterling Road, and Herndon Parkway. Looking at the map of the general area, Parcher Avenue looks like an area that would be worth circulating the word about Aggie to. If you know people living in that community, or if you know the homeowners associations back there, please help make sure they know about Aggie. She could get there from where she's been sighted and tracked by Salsa even if cars could not so easily get there.

There is also some concern that if Aggie meanders along Rock Hill on the other side of 606/Sterling Rd, she could so easily pick up the W&OD Trail. If she does that, Purcellville and Arlington are hers for the taking. That and the fact that that the trail has a lot of great places to post fliers is part of why we would like to get to bikers and dog walkers and anyone willing to spend some time along the trail this weekend. Can you help?

If you are able to come out and help, or if you go out searching on your own for Aggie, thank you and please let us know -- by email or by comment on this blog. Aggie definitely needs help in all kinds of ways. And don't forget spreading the word electronically, stopping by the shelters in the area to check the dogs in residence, and of course, communicating telephatically with Aggie to explain that we are not predators, we are trying to help her!

The Quarry Nearby

It's been a week now since Aggie has been sighted -- that;s a long time to go without seeing a lost dog, and don't get tired of reading this, but she didn't turn to fairy dust. She is somewhere. While it's impossible for there to be too much outreach, or enough that we are sure everyone in the area knows about her, and who to contact if they see her, we do feel that a lot of spreading of the word has been done. So now, Sam (I think) developed the idea that she could be wandering around that quarry that is right in the area.

It's massive, the quarry. Go to Google Maps and key in 23076 Shaw Rd Sterling Rd 20166, and get a look at it. You can see why we are concerned that if she has made her way in there and is looping through it, she might not be seen for weeks. While we don't want to shut down the efforts to continue spreading the word throughout Herndon and to dog lovers all over Northern VA, we are putting some of what resources we have into exploring the theory that she is on the quarry property.

Here's a report from one volunteer that did an initial cruise there yesterday (Wednesday):

I went to the Quarry, it is big. This is a very large area to search for one person, a lot of tree limbs. I did my best; I was there 3 hours.

I drove onto the first entrance and was flagged down. Very dangerous, he said and has a big hole in the middle. Across the street, Quarry on left side are some wetlands (?) some dry on the other side. I did see animal paw tracks on the harder mud. I followed them but then they broke up. I did see a few spots she could hide in, however it can be very noisy so close to the Quarry. But the closer to RT 28 through those woods the more quiet, if that makes any sense.

I also went to the administrative office further back on the same road on site and gave them the poster and cards. They said they'd show it to the guys. I gave out posters and cards to men fixing their vehicles by the quarry that work there, one to the 7/11, one to the public storage, one to the Comfort Inn which faces the woods, (I think it's a Comfort? I also looked all over their site I also looked all over the Public Sarge, a lot of equipment she could have been hiding behind or in. They were very helpful.

To anyone thinking of going there, careful and wear boots.

Then later, Sonia reported that Sam will be going out to the quarry with one of her dogs tomorow, after obtaining authorization to do so, which is required by the quarry people.

While we have a few volunteers that are fitting in the time to do some searching, trying to drum up sightings, more people are needed on the weekend. We need people to check and replace some of the fliers, do some expansion on the fliering, and install some larger signs that we ahve, in strategic locations. Anyone want an excuse to bring out the bike? Biking the area to look for her may produce sightings, or biking the W&OD trail to post fliers will help spread the word. Please, please leave a comment or send an email if you can help!

Large Signs Are Now Up

The area that Aggie is wandering through is laced with heavily traveled roads including Herndon Parkway and Sterling Road. This has it's advantages and disadvantages, the disadvantages not needing to even be spoken and they are scary to us all.

The advantage is that if we can get LARGE signs up at some of those intersections, which has now finally been done, there should be more people that now get the message about this wandering black lab called Miss Aggie. The 8.5" x 11" fliers posted at a pedestrians eye level are really good mostly just for pedestrians, and any bikers that might be traveling on any of those routes. The occaisional passenger sitting right at a light and staring right at the flier can see it, but for the most part, their good comes when someone (1) sees Aggie and (2) remembers having seen a sign to go back and look at on the corner. Lots of lost pets have been found because someone recalled that there were lost pet signs up in the area and they could find one in short order.

With signs now up, the next job is to make sure they are staying up. So anyone that will be moving through Aggie's area (see the map from the last blog update), please look for signs around Herndon Pkway and Sterling and Rock Hill Roads, and leave a comment if it looks like there the signs put up have come down.

Again, and still, we are waiting for sighting calls.