The search for Pogo the missing Papillon: Latest from her family

Wanted to be sure you saw what Betsy Hoffmeister posted last night as a comment on the original WSB report about Pogo, her missing Papillon, who bolted after a bath last Friday night and has been the subject of an extraordinary search, which tracked her as far as High Point till the trail grew cold:

I went up to Westcrest Tuesday from 9:30-10:00 and 4:45-6:00 pm at West Crest Off Leash Dog Areas, looking at both the small and large dog areas. I talked to probably 60 people. None of them had seen her. They are all now looking. Volunteers have started to put up signs. Jeanette Fournier of the High Point Neighborhood Association was FABULOUS and spent 1/2 hour with me helping spread the word in the High Point Neighborhood.

I have filed a police report.

According to the Harry Oakes, Jr., of International K9 Search and Rescue Services, who tracked her with his amazing search dog Willow up to the High Point Library in the first place: “If the person who takes possession of your pet refuses or fails to file a found report, this constitutes, “Theft of personal property”. This is a crime. A police officer has the responsibility to take a crime report and investigate the crime.”

I believe that the two families who tried to help her on Friday and Saturday were well intentioned and wanted to do the right thing. For whatever reason they did not follow through. Whether it was just bad timing or what. I’m very disappointed but I believe they were doing their best.

The person who has her now cannot have made an effort to find out if she is a pet or not. If he had taken her to a vet, he would have found out that she is microchipped. Every vet in the area has her information. And, since the microchip company is now alerted that she is missing, if her chip is scanned, I will be alerted, even if she shows up in Cowlitz County or Tallahassee, Florida.

I am willing to give this person the benefit of the doubt that they are somehow taking good care of her and they sincerely think they are doing the right thing. I am willing to keep an open mind. But, at this point, my dog could be considered stolen property.

If you see her, here is what I would ask you to do. First, please call her name. It’s Pogo, as in Pogo stick. She may or may not respond. If she comes to you, pick her up. Call me right away. 206 353 9334. If you feel safe and comfortable talking to the person with her, please do so. If the person is confrontational, please do what you need to do to feel safe. But if you feel confident in doing so, here’s what I would do: please tell the person that you have reason to believe that this is a highly-sought missing dog and you would like to help him do the right thing to return the dog for the rightful reward. I will rush over there.

If things get confrontational, feel free to call 9-1-1. There is an open file on her, all of the officers in West and South Seattle are looking for her. If they’re not off doing something more important, someone may respond.

Most important is your personal safety, but, if you feel safe enough, please, I beg of everyone out there, do not let her get away again. I can’t stand much more of this.

Finally, I want to thank EVERYONE who has sent positive thoughts and wishes. I don’t have room in my space for negativity right now. Please tell absolutely everyone you know about Pogo.

LisaM February 25, 2009 (11:57 am)

Betsy – let us know if you need help with hanging flyers or scouting out the off-leash area – whatever you need live bodies for!
Lisa

andrea February 25, 2009 (12:00 pm)

Betsy, my family (both human and the 3 doggies) will be on the lookout and do our utmost to try and bring Pogo back safe and sound to your family…I will also check around the vicinity of the dogpark and its neighborhoods for you…I am so sorry you guys have to go through this! I pray that there is a quick and easy resolution to it for you.

The Velvet Bulldog February 25, 2009 (12:35 pm)

Betsy: Did a quick drive through High Point this morning on my way to an appointment and noticed Crossing Guards near the WS Food Bank and quite a few construction workers. It might be worth getting fliers to these folks who are out in the neighborhoods during the day.

Sue February 25, 2009 (2:03 pm)

If a pet is taken to a vet and you mention that it was a stray, do they automatically scan a pet for a microchip if you don’t request it?
.
The reason I ask is that my neighbor in Lynnwood found a cat about 4 years ago as a stray. She made a huge effort to post signs, ask at the school where it was found, tried everything she could think of to find the owner while she temporarily took it in. We then decided to adopt the kitty. Took him to the vet for a checkup, shots, but never once thought about a microchip. I’ve never had a microchipped pet, so it never even crossed my mind. So, to my knowledge, he was never scanned for one in all this time and could very well have ID for his owner of 4 years ago.
.
I mention this because this post refers Betsy saying that (paraphrasing) the person who may have her dog could not have tried to find the owner. That might not necessarily be the case.

Mike February 25, 2009 (2:04 pm)

I’m still confused as to how the owner lost the dog to begin with. There’s been a lot of blame posted for the dog being let go by OTHER people, even with ethnicity being brought up in the quote from the owner. Did ethnicity somehow play a part in the owner losing their dog?

LisaM February 25, 2009 (2:21 pm)

C’mon people, either offer to be helpful or go away…

WSB February 25, 2009 (2:27 pm)

We don’t ever ask people to go away but the bottom line is, this dog’s missing and apparently went through a variety of people before vanishing. Unusual story. That’s the reason we’re featuring it beyond the Pets page. And the previous comment re: ethnicity is a mischaracterization of what Betsy explained earlier – it was about an immigrant community that perhaps might not have known the authorities to go to, etc., so she is asking that people interested in helping inquire anywhere and everywhere they can – TR

changingtimes February 25, 2009 (7:37 pm)

from just scanning the story for the few days i do see mikes point…the ethnicity jab turned me off to the whole story…i showed many people at work this and they were all upset that someone would catogorize that and have it printed. and also the “you could be charged with a crime for holding my dog hostage” type writing that is going on….when i was in high school there was a dog that i found wandering..we took to the vet and the dog had been microchipped but the vet said that it looks like the dog has been abused… and had been having multiple set of puppies and would most likely be better off NOT going home….we left the dog at the vet…so dont know exactly what happened to it…on another level i know how horrible it is to lose a dog! mine was lost last year! an older lady had taken him in and spoiled the heck out of him! she did not call immediatly and i never pressed charges for kidnapping :)

sam February 25, 2009 (8:11 pm)

I got the impression that the “kidnapping” issue was a way to get the missing dog on the SPD’s radar also, not as much of a threat.

In any case, I will keep an eye out for Pogo, and hope he returns home soon.

feline_fan February 26, 2009 (2:30 am)

I agree that the ethnicity set me off on a negative about this entire issue. As if people of asian descent must be immigrants, and must therefore not know enough about US culture to take a dog to a vet/shelter? Nevermind that most general practice vet offices are closed on weekends, most people without pets aren’t going to know where the closest emergency clinic is, and the ‘immigrant’ family might not have had an available car or available time to drive to the animal shelter on a Saturday. I understand how important pets are to people, but people can’t expect that their interests are more important than other people lives. People should just appreciate that a lost pet is being cared for, rather than being hostile and threatening.

j. February 26, 2009 (8:34 am)

Who is being hostile and threatening? Let’s just keep an eye out for this woman’s dog and quit being so sensitive about everything! Sheesh.

zerodacus February 26, 2009 (9:17 am)

I have to admit I have been turned off by many of the posts on the previous blog, both by the folks trying to place blame on the owner, and initially the ethnicity, and later although probably good intentioned “you will be cited for kidnapping if you don’t drop everything in your power to return this animal” quotes on the law, which will probably stop some people from not even bothering to return a lost pet in the future. I sincerly hope Pogo shows up and there’s a happy ending all around. In an attempt at humor I will recount my own personal story of a well intenioned, but misguided good samaritan. A couple of years ago, I was sleeping in from arriving home on a late flight, when I heard a commotion outside and looked out the window in time to see my three legged dog being loaded in the back of a car. Now, this dog was twelve years old and had been born missing a leg, and a big escape for him was from the back yard to the front. In this case my son had not closed the gate, and the dog was lying on the parking strip minding his own business, when a woman walking by determined that he had been hit by a car, lost part of his leg and needed to be taken to a vet immediately, luckily, he had our phone number (and address) on his collar, and she left me a message telling me where she had taken him. What made it humorous (after the fact) was, that she might have noticed, that if he had lost part of his leg, there should probably be some blood involved, and he probably would have howled in pain if he was really hurt, rather than wag his tail with a big dumb grin as he got loaded into the car to go for a ride.

acemotel February 26, 2009 (1:16 pm)

ha ha ha, Zerodacus. I needed that funny story today, thanks.

AlkiRagdoll February 26, 2009 (3:18 pm)

On one hand, I am glad for Betsy that people are talking about this issue. However, remember that this is a family desperate to have the safe return of their furry child. I would hope the everyone reading these messages would do so with compassion as to how they would feel if they were in this family’s shoes. Having recently lost a parent, I assume that the words said in haste are part of the grief that is being experienced. Lets cut them some slack. Lets find Pogo and get beyond it.

Lisa S February 26, 2009 (5:00 pm)

Okay, are we done now with slandering Betsy. I know that she meant no harm whatsover by her comments, so let’s just let it go.
So has anyone seen Pogo today??

WSB February 26, 2009 (5:03 pm)

We haven’t heard an update but noticed there’s a flyer on the pole nearest our house in Upper Fauntleroy, 4 or so miles from North Delridge, so Pogo’s making it to pole postings far and wide.

Let Me Out February 26, 2009 (7:47 pm)

I think I saw that dog today at 3pm heading South on 35th just South of Dakota. There was a girl on foot going after it and a guy who got into his car and turned around on Dakota to go after it.
I hope they were able to get it and send it home.

Farmerbetsy February 26, 2009 (9:15 pm)

We haven’t heard anything. as soon as my son is asleep my husband is going to go out and look.

Farmerbetsy February 26, 2009 (9:20 pm)

let me out — WAS SHE ON THE EAST OR THE WEST SIDE OF THE STREET?????????

Farmerbetsy February 26, 2009 (11:00 pm)

Jerry’s off to look around that area. What a scary place — dangerous street wise — for her to be running around (or any poor doggy for that matter). She’s got to be terrified, unless some kind person has her and is taking care of her, which of course is what we are praying for. Thanks everyone. I know how hard it is to drive, listen to your children argue in the back seat, pay attention to other drivers, AND look for a little lost dog, all at the same time. Thank you for keeping your eyes peeled. The more eyes, and the more detailed information, the better.

jerry February 26, 2009 (11:33 pm)

Ok, posters up around 35th and Dakota. Ironically, I met a lady on 35th who was frantically looking for her two dogs that had just run off…

Aim February 27, 2009 (1:50 pm)

Anything new? Still hoping for a happy reunion.

Betsy, are you going to the shelters once every 48 hours? I know it’s a massive time investment, but from having worked in one I can tell you that animals that are found occasionally slip through the cracks and don’t get checked against the lost list. It helped us out a lot if owners would simply come in and LOOK, because nobody knows your furry kid like you do.

I’m keeping an eye out, and watching this space for updates.

Jerry February 27, 2009 (3:34 pm)

Hi Aim – no, nothing new yet (I’m Pogo’s other owner – and Betsy’s husband). Betsy did visit the Seattle shelter today and was told she didn’t need to stop down but to be sure to call at least every 3 days and talk to a particular person who will watch out for Pogo. The other thing he said is since she’s microchipped and we’ve alerted all of the vets in the area, it’s very likely she’ll eventually turn up and get returned to us when whoever has her takes her in. So we’re still quite hopeful but nothing new to report yet today :(

Farmerbetsy February 28, 2009 (3:46 pm)

I just spoke with an animal communicator. This is a transcript of what she said:
You confirmed that you can communicate with Pogo; she is alive; she is very frantic and worried. She is outside of a set of four homes. Behind the four homes is a steep ravine, the homes are on a flat area, and below the homes is a steep hill as well. She has been over many, many hills. She thinks that between our house and where she is there may be three big hills.

The four houses all look alike. Two are white, two are light (blue?). They are 1940’s era homes, longer in the back, narrower in the front. In front of the homes is a sidewalk. It is a a quiet street. Some of the homes have fences, chain link, or shrubs. One house has an arbor at the sidewalk. In front of one of the homes are four or five older model cars in excellent condition as if they have been remodeled. The houses have front porches. Two of the houses have driveways next to them; two don’t. NEXT TO ONE OF THE HOUSES IS AN EMPTY LOT. IN THE EMPTY LOT IS AN ABANDONED FOUNDATION OVERGROWN WITH WEEDS AND BRAMBLES. She can hear trains. She has heard some very loud construction or loud booms. She smells grass, mulch, or as if someone has mowed recently, but the street is very quiet right now. Up the hill are some new, modern houses. Kids are riding bikes nearby. The street is paved.
You get the sense of a funnel – the ravine is behind the bungalows and sort of makes a Y down into the street where the houses are and below it. It doesn’ seem like there is an alley behind it.

She is frantic and worried and doesn’t want to ask people for help. ”
if this sounds like your neighborhood, call me at 206 353 9334 and let me know.

Sorry, comment time is over.