1) No Sightings Today. Not much more to say about that....
2) Bean is still not at the Durham County shelter.
3) A "nest" has been set up along the trail that runs through our area. It includes Bean's favorite fleece sleep-pad, and our bedsheets. We will be checking it regularly.
4) I have tomorrow "off" (I am supposed to be studying for the exam on Monday, but oh well!). My plan is to: a) Pay a visit to every vet in Durham to make sure they have a color photo and her microchip number. b) Go in person to the Wake County and Orange County shelters and make sure they know about Bean and have her microchip ID number. Someone may have picked her up in Durham and taken her to one of those shelters, thinking that she would have a better chance of finding a home. The Durham shelter does not adopt out pits, from what I understand. Pits that are picked up on the streets or brought in by someone are kept for one week. If no one claims them in that time, they are put down. If someone knows about this policy, they might have chosen to take her to a neighboring county. c) Contact the microchip company and report Bean as missing.
5) The plan is to organize a meet-up on Saturday. The idea is to meet at one central location and divide into groups. Each group takes a neighborhood and a stack of fliers, and then puts one on every door there. I think the best chance of finding Bean is to have every pair of eyes in Durham looking for her. Would you guys be up for doing this? What neighborhoods should we put on the list? I am especially interested in getting the word out in areas where people have a lot of pits in their yards, etc. I think we have missed those areas so far, and maybe they would be more likely to notice Bean on the street? What do you all think? We will also need people to volunteer to bring bottled water. Or everyone could make sure to bring their own? More info about Saturday is coming...
6) The window fliers are working!! We got a call from a woman this afternoon who had just seen the photo of Bean and our number in the window of someone's car. Unfortunately the lead was one we had already checked into (the found pit in Southpoint). Please print them out and get them into those car windows! I am going to try to bring out a bunch to the Saturday meet-up to hand out to people who volunteer.
7) Photo copying costs are getting big. Does anyone know of anywhere cheaper than Kinko's? If I post a link to the flier, would people be up for printing it and making/paying for copies? Then you could bring them to the meet up. We need LOTS of copies!
I think that's it for now. Keep up the awesome work everyone!! We are getting so close, I just know it!
Also, apparently Bean was mentioned on the radio this morning! We have covered every type of media now, short of having her name written in the sky (which we will look into next week!).
Much love,
Rebecca
15 comments:
Ok. I'm totally up for coming out for a while on Saturday morning, and I can also go out on Sunday as well. I can make some copies and bring them, and I will go ahead and put them on the doors here at the Georgetown Apts on Duke St. I've also got some up around East Campus (or will have by tomorrow morning). Everyone I talk to seems to already know the story, which is good news!!
Has anyone thought of perhaps handing out some flyers to school bus drivers? Some folks have also mentioned getting some to the UPS and Post office folks - anyone that does a lot of driving/walking around neighborhoods. That sounds like a great idea, but I don't know how to go about it!
Anyhow, keep us all posted about plans for the weekend, although hopefully we'll have some leads by then!!
Rebecca - I think we've met before - I work with JoEllen Mason at Prudential. I am glad to make copies of flyers and drop off on Saturday to you. I will also bring a case of water. It might be that I have to bring copies & water to your home (need house number) and leave on your front porch Saturday morning, it depends on my schedule. Please take Northpaw off of your Vets to Check list - I was there yesterday with my Willis and the poster is up. I will be delivering flyers to Starbucks on Guess Road tomorrow as well. My flyer is in my car window and the windows of my family members. We've said a prayer to St. Francis for Bean! Wendy
We all have heavy hearts tonite. I will pray that there will be good news for you. So many good people helping-that is a true blessing. Bean has lots of friends.
Try to rest and sleep. You will need all the energy you have for searching.
Peace to all
Grandmabecker
Oh yeah, like I said before, I did drop a flyer or two off at the Petsmart/Banfield Vet on North Pointe earlier today, so if you wanted, you could just call them w/ the microchip info, unless you wanted them to have a color flyer (which isn't a bad idea, as my copies were a bit dark).
Rebecca, I was thinking of a possibility about why Bean's remaining so elusive...and I was reminded of a friend's story. She went to visit her sister in Manhattan a number of years back, and she brought her dog James along with her for the weekend. The sister had a party and some drunk woman stole her dog--they actually had her on tape getting into a cab with James. Apparently, in the middle of the city, the woman had the cab pull over and she pushed the dog out...God knows why. My friend lived in Boston and had to return, but would travel to NY each weekend searching. They plastered NYC with flyers, got on local radio and cable programs, etc. and sure enough, "James" had been living the good life with a cop who'd found him and renamed him "Buddy." Several weeks went by before the cop found out Buddy's true identity, and although he loved him, he contacted the rightful owners. Talk about expecting the impossible...losing a dog in New York City, not living there so only being able to physically look on weekends, and being at the mercy of the kindness of strangers...my friend got her dog back. Happy. Healthy. And living a dual life. Just as I'm certain Bean will find her way back to you. So when you're wondering about how it's been 5 nights and cold weather and such, think of what a sweet love she is and how of course others will recognize that in her. And perhaps right now, she's curled up on someone's couch somewhere, being called Rosie, and the owner of the couch has yet to hear about Bean. Anyway, I just want to say that sometimes no news can still be good news--or at least, it's not necessarily bad.
If by Saturday afternoon Bean is still being sought, I'm happy to come help volunteer. I've posted flyers in my car too.
Rebecca,
I didn't realize Bean was your dog until I read the paper this morning. I've been sending and receiving emails to list serves since this happened...
I just wanted you to know that I'm thinking of you, and hoping for Bean's safe return. I've been keeping an eye out around my office for Bean, as it's somewhat close to Ninth Street.
Also, I forwarded all the information to the Mitchell Mill Animal Rescue in Raleigh tonight; I know that they go to shelters over there, on the off chance that someone took her to a shelter over there.
Many of us in my neighborhood are holding you all in our hearts,
Mindy
I'm up for saturday, I will see about getting some copies made before I get there. I don't know the neighborhoods there, but am willing to come out and help...i have two dogs, I can't imagine me out looking for them they are little....try and get some rest tonight....
I am wondering if hitting busy shopping centers and putting flyers in the car's windshields might be a way to reach lots of people.
I will be looking for the info on meeting up on Saturday.
Donna
My husband and I are in for the search on Saturday! I forwarded Bean's info to a friend at Second Chance today. She suggested sending it to all of the rescue groups in the area, and she forwarded it to her contacts in Durham.
The Coalition to Unchain Dogs is already aware and is handing out fliers, by the way . . .
Churches also are wonderful places to hand out fliers and get out the word - huge mobilization potential.
i know you are worried sick about Bean, and I would be too (I'm a dog mom too), but please don't portray the Durham County animal shelter in a negative light, especially if you don't know all the facts.
i volunteer at the durham county animal shelter pretty much almost everyday, for over three years and counting, and while i do not know the official word about pit bulls or pit bull mixes, here is what i do know about the shelter.
i do know that the shelter takes care of animals who have been abused, lost, thrown out, or are simply unwanted. They take in animals that cannot be rehabilitated to live with people, animals that are so far hurt and abused that the shelter can only offer a kind place to die. The shelter cannot say no to anyone bringing an animal in, even when it is full. The shelter tries to find homes for all the animals it can and keeps them for as long as they can.
The shelter is not prejudiced to any particular kind of dog. All dogs brought in as strays are held for 3-5 days to see if someone comes for them before they are evaluated for adoption. i do know that some pit bulls do get adopted out, because i've walked, fed, and spoiled them rotten. in fact, my current most favorite dog to work with is a pit mix, and he's up for adoption. Some of the pit bulls may not be up for adoption because most of them that do come to the shelter have known only aggression and respond in kind. The few that are sweeties are usually severely injured to the point of no return.
i've talked to fellow volunteers at the shelter about Bean, and they've all expressed outrage and concern for her. I'm also pretty sure the shelter staff knows about Bean's situation as well. If Beans ends up at Durham County shelter, I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find her there, and that she'll be in a warm place, with blankets, plenty of food and water, toys, and an occasional treat (or two).
OK everyone! You can download printable copies of all the flyers at:
http://pctraininggirl.com/teambean.html
It's just a little page where we can keep track of all the links.
See you on Saturday!
Kelly
What a great website!! I'll forward it to anyone I can think of.
APS of Durham does adopt out pit bull and pit mixes. Like Eunice, I also volunteer there walking dogs almost every Saturday. There are always several pit or pit mixes there available for adoption. They are also some of the sweetest dogs that I've had the privilege to work with.
I'm sickened by the theft of Bean. I've got a flyer, collar and leash in my car, at the ready should I spot her anywhere in my travels.
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