08/13/2024
9/7 DAY 27: STILL MISSING
Grateful for all the social media responses to our posts yesterday and the texts from folks who see signs. It is rewarding to have a good response from our efforts.
One of these days it will be our dog that folks are telling us about.
Our spirits are flagging, but we won't give up.
9/6 DAY 26: STILL MISSING
Yesterday was hard. We found pictures of a dog who is not our dog on our tracking cameras in the area where there had been two possible sightings early on. We now believe that those sightings were this dog.
Each "NOT OUR DOG" leaves us wondering if someone picked up our dog--maybe she was hit by a car and injured. Maybe someone just thought she wasn't wanted and adored and part of someone's family?
Keep eyes open, ask friends to ask friends if anyone has a new big white dog, just in case. People can think they are doing the right thing and not know how much a family is hurting without their heart and soul.
9/5 DAY 25: STILL MISSING
We are moving sheep, caring for our farm, making plans for a new homestead, extending our efforts at heart-communication with our dog and trying to breathe.
We miss our girl.
9/4 DAY 24: STILL MISSING
In the last two days we've had two more "not our dog" sightings, a friend do a big loop of sign posting, and some bigger beasties on game cams. Despite the fact that none of these things have brought our dog home YET, they give us hope because you all still care.
I find myself sending our dog mental maps to where I've seen good game for hunting, spying out nice shelter and hoping she found something like it during the rains, and seeing sun on a field and knowing that somewhere she is enjoying that sun on her belly, stretched out on her back with her feet in the air as she loves to do.
Keep texting 617-983-0096 immediately with any possible sightings, with location, direction and a picture if possible. And never try and chase, call to or lure a white dog into the car thinking you are helping. Our dog will not respond well to those things under the best of circumstances and there MANY white dogs working all over our region.
9/3 DAY 23: STILL MISSING
I spent some time using the golden cord meditation as I drove yesterday, taking rights and lefts guided by my sense of where our dog might be. I saw more of our glorious town, more sweet sheep, more lovely people who were glad to take a flyer and watch out for our dog, and more neighbors I'd yet to meet who are already watching for her.
My heart is full to overflowing and also suffering from a wound that will not heal.
As always, text 617-983-0096 ASAP with any possible sighting information including location, direction and a photo if possible!
9/2 DAY 22: STILL MISSING
There are so many hard parts to not having our lead guardian on the job and still running a search when this is such a busy time with our sheep flock.
Come on home!
9/1 DAY 21: THREE WEEKS AND STILL MISSING
We so appreciate those of you meditating, visualizing and praying. We have faith that our dog is alive and will come home but it is hard to wait and sometimes hard to know what to do next.
Yesterday we set another feeding station and were entertained by the antics at the current feeding stations. (See today's post)
Today we have to move sheep--boys to Grafton for their sheepscaping job, ewes to Milkweed Farm for some pre-breeding flushing, and lambs to a new section of our primary grazing area. It is hard to be so busy with farm things but also it keeps us from spinning our wheels with worry and we are eagerly waiting the day that she walks down our road or that a text or call *is* our dog, or that she is photographed on one of Central Vermont Canine Recovery's game cams.
8/31 DAY 20: STILL MISSING
Today we are hauling and stacking hay for our sheep for the winter. There are things that must be done and when hay has been baled, it must be put under cover!
Last night and this morning we tried a new golden cord meditation and this one involves doing a circular search. Each time, Z and I both felt a strong sense of the same direction, even though our bodies were not oriented in the same way.
After we do farm chores, we may try to drive around a bit using our golden cord directionals.
Our dog *will* be found.
8/30 DAY 19: STILL MISSING
After a couple days of no sightings, even of the wrong dog, we're feeling pretty low but trying to stay positive and loving and welcoming for our dog to come home. 😢
8/29 DAY 18: STILL MISSING.
Farm life is full in late August with lambs to prepare for travel to new farms, sheepscaping moves through dense underbrush, and preparing to store winter's hay. It doesn't leave a lot of time for organizing sign locations or coordinating volunteers, especially with one of us back on campus teaching full time.
I have set aside tomorrow as the day to focus on those details, so I hope to have some action items for all of you who have offered more assistance. Thank you for your patience.
In the meantime, we continue to send out love through the heart connection we have with our beloved missing guardian.
8/28 DAY 17: STILL MISSING 😥
I have never cried so much over so many days as I have in the past 17.
But, I am also trying very hard to believe that our dog will come home. And to hold the picture of that homecoming in my heart and to send that vision out to the universe, to wherever our sweet girl is.
Until then, text 617-983-0096 (cell signal is uneven in Vermont) with any sightings. Take a pic if you can. Note exactly where you see the dog and which direction it was going.
DO NOT TRY TO ENTICE INTO A VEHICLE, CALL OUT OR TRY TO FEED. Our dog would not respond to those things from a stranger on her most relaxed days.
8/27 DAY 16: STILL MISSING
Yesterday we heard from someone who, after seeing an online flier, is fairly certain they saw our dog the day after she went missing. That sighting could align with a sighting that happened the next day. Neither are confirmed our dog.
Of course, that was two weeks ago, but there is a chance that she has hunkered down somewhere and is conducting her own searches from deep in the woods to try and find us.
It is equally likely that the dog seen was not her and that she is a hundred miles from here.
An oil truck also called on a delivery and reported a white dog, but that dog was near a farm with working guardians, so probably not our dog, though we did search for that dog without luck.
The good news is that you all are looking and texting/calling and we are grateful.
Remember, photos help, noting exact location of the dog and direction of travel helps, texting/calling 617-983-0096 immediately helps, and your good thoughts and helping us to KNOW that our dog is coming home helps. ♥️
8/26 DAY 15: STILL MISSING
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SHARING THE POSTER FROM MY POST YESTERDAY. IT IS REACHING MORE PEOPLE AND WE HAVE SOME NEW INFORMATION ABOUT A POSSIBLE SIGHTING THE DAY AFTER SHE WENT MISSING. YOU NEVER KNOW WHO WILL HAVE THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO FIND OUR DOG.
MY HEAD IS SPINNING THIS MORNING BUT I HOPE TO GET SOME ORGANIZATIONAL THINGS SORTED AND BE ABLE TO ASK FOR MORE HELP SHORTLY.
TEXT 617-983-0096 WITH ANYTHING PERTAINING TO OUR SEARCH!
8/25 DAY 14: STILL MISSING
HAD A GOOD TURNOUT FOR OUR MEETING YESTERDAY--
STILL LOOKING FOR SIGN COORDINATORS FURTHER AFIELD--MESSAGE ON THE FARM PAGE TO HELP
WE WILL POST LINKS TO BOTH THE POWERPOINT FROM THE MEETING AND THE VIDEO OF THE ZOOM RECORDING
KEEP TEXTING 617-983-0096 WITH SIGHTING LOCATION AND PICTURES WHEN POSSIBLE
WE WILL FIND OUR DOG
8/24 DAY 13: STILL MISSING
TODAY IS OUR ORGANIZING MEETING AT 2:00 IN THE WEST WEST CHURCH BASEMENT. THERE WILL BE INFO, HANDS-ON WORK AND TEAMS SENT OUT TO SPREAD THE WORD OF OUR DOG FAR AND WIDE.
PLEASE COME!
8/23 DAY 12: STILL MISSING
THIS MORNING I CHECKED OUT A SIGHTING ON A DIRT ROAD DEEP IN THE WOODS A COUPLE OF MILES FROM OUR SHEEPCAMP (story on the farm page)
TOMORROW IS OUR BIG MEETING HERE IN WESTMINSTER WEST
[SATURDAY 2:00 CHURCH IN WESTMINSTER WEST address for GPS: 44 Church Road, Putney, VT]
WE NEED PEOPLE FROM 100+ MILE RADIUS--TELL EVERY DOG LOVER YOU KNOW DOWN INTO MASSACHUSETTS AND
WELL NORTH AND WEST OF HERE.
WE NEED AN ARMY TO GENERATE ENOUGH AWARENESS TO GET A POSITIVE SIGHTING. SHE IS SOMEWHERE!
8/22 DAY 11: STILL MISSING
LAST NIGHT WE CHECKED OUT A LEAD IN SPRINGFIELD, VERMONT AND IT WAS NOT OUR DOG.
AND WE GOT CONFIRMATION FROM THE KIND FOLKS AT THE CHURCH HERE IN THE VILLAGE OF WEST WEST, THAT WE CAN USE THE BASEMENT FOR SATURDAY'S MEETING WHICH WILL BE ALL ABOUT HAVING SUCCESS IN THIS SEARCH OVER THE LONG HAUL AND EXPANDING INTO A MUCH BIGGER AREA AS OUR DOG COULD BE TRAVELING 10-15 MILES PER DAY. WE NEED PEOPLE AT THAT MEETING FROM ALL OF THE COUNTIES BORDERING WINDHAM COUNTIES. SPREAD THE WORD!
8/21 DAY 10: STILL MISSING; WE NEED YOU!
Okay folks. We've been supported by my parents in being able to hire all the best in dog tracking and thermal drone piloting and now it comes down to boots on the ground. SO. MANY. BOOTS.
We will be expanding our flyering and sign post efforts into two more Vermont counties and down to Massachusethusetts.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 24 at 2:00pm, WE WILL HOLD A BIG ORGANIZING MEETING IN WESTMINSTER WEST,
VERMONT AT THE COMMUNITY CHURCH (Address Church Street, Putney for GPS)
We will hear from the Central Vermont Canine Recovery, we will be appointing regional search heads, we will learn strategy, tools and actions necessary to get the word out as far as possible and increase the odds of seeing our dog.
JOIN US!!!
8/20 DAY NINE: TODAY WE STARTED AT 5AM WITH A FULL-TIME PRODESSIONAL THERMAL DRONE PILOT AND SPENT SEVEN HOURS COMBING WESTMINSTER WEST AND NORTH WESTMINSTER. OUR DOG WAS NOT HERE TODAY. THAT IS NOT TO SAY SHE WILL NOT TRAVEL BACK ON HER WAY TO TRY AND FIND US, BUT WE ARE SOMEWHAT COMFORTED TO KNOW SHE IS NOT IMMOBILIZED WITH AN INJURY NEARBY, WAITING FOR US TO HELP HER.
WE WILL BE HOLDING A MAJOR ORGANIZING MEETING THIS WEEKEND IN WEST WEST, TIME TO BE DETERMINED. WE WILL BE COORDINATING EFFORTS TO EXPAND INTERSECTION SIGNS AND FLYERS INTO THE COUNTIES TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH. STAY TUNED FOR THE TIMING OF THIS MEETING.
IN THE MEANTIME, AS ALWAYS, PLEASE TEXT 617-983-0096 WITH ANY SIGHTING DETAILS, DO NOT CHASE, AND DO NOT APPROACH.
THANK YOU
8/19 DAY EIGHT: IN WHICH ONE SHEPHERD FINISHED 8 DAYS OF CARETAKING SUPPORT OF A PARENT AND DROVE 12 HOURS TO PICK UP AND DELIVER THE YOUNGER GENERATION HOME (FOR A VISIT BEFORE RETURNING TO COLLEGE) AND THE OTHER SHEPHERD LEFT THE SHEEPCAMP FOR THE DAY TO TRY AND READY OUR HOME FOR THAT VISIT)
SO, APOLOGIES FOR THE LATE UPDATE...
OUR DOG IS STILL OUT THERE SOMEWHERE. FEEDING STATION CAMERAS AND A SEARCH OF THE TRACKER-IDENTIFIED AREA (WHICH INVOLVED HIP WADERS AND WAIST-HIGH MUCK) HAVE TURNED UP EVIDENCE OF DEER, AN OPPOSUM AND A PORCUPINE.
A MUCH MORE HIGH POWERED THERMAL DRONE ARRIVES IN THE COOL OF THE EARLY MORNING TOMORROW TO COVER AREAS IMPOSSIBLE TO ACCESS.
TOMORROW, WE WILL PRINT MORE FLYERS AND INTERSECTION SIGNS AND ASK FOR HELP AGAIN. 🙁
8/18 DAY SEVEN: ANOTHER LOCAL "BIG WHITE DOG" FARM GUARDIAN CAMPED OUT AT OUR MISSING DOG SIGN AT PATCH AND WEST WEST ROADS CAUSING QUITE A STIR AND GETTING MORE THAN ONE MEAL--SMART DOG! BUT NOT OURS.
THANK YOU TO THE MORE THAN A DOZEN OF YOU WHO STOPPED, CALLED AND TEXTED LAST NIGHT AND THIS MORNING. WE TEXTED THE FARM WHERE WE THINK THE DOG BELONGS (AROUND THE CORNER FROM THE SIGHTINGS) AND WILL UPDATE HERE IF CONFIRMED THEIR DOG.
IN ADDITION TO POSTING SOME OF THE PICS TAKEN OF THAT DOG IN A SEPARATE POST, I ALSO MADE A POST OF CLOSE UPS OF OUR DOG WITH IDENTIFYING CLUES.
LATER TODAY WE WILL CHECK THOSE FEEDING STATION CAMERAS 🤞🏻
AND WE'LL BE PRINTING 150 MORE FLYERS TO POST IN A TWENTY MILE RADIUS, EXPANDING BEYOND THE CURRENT SIX MILE RADIUS FOR TRAIL HEADS, LIBRARIES, STORES, RESTAURANTS, TOWN HALLS, PARKS, AND SEVEN MORE INTERSECTIONS.
LOOK FOR A POST LATER TODAY FOR COORDINATION OF THAT EFFORT ♥️
UNBELIEVABLY GRATEFUL FOR THE VIGILANCE AND HEART OF THIS COMMUNITY. EVERY TEXT, CALL, COMMENT AND "LIKE" LIFTS OUR HEARTS AND I'M POSITIVE BRINGS OIR GIRL CLOSER TO US.
617-983-0096 ANY TIME
DO NOT CHASE; CONTACT US! 🙏🏻
8/17 DAY SIX: SIGHTING WAS LIKELY NOT SOLSTICE AND TRACKING TEAM CONFIRMED NO SCENT OF HER IN THAT AREA
TRACKING INFO GIVES US FOUR NEW FEEDING STATION RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND A POSSIBLE 20 ACRE AREA BUT NO GUARANTEE SHE IS STILL IN THAT LOCATION
WE NEED TO ACT AS IF SHE IS BOTH IN THAT AREA OF DENSE UNDERBRUSH AND SWAMP AND SIMULTANEOUSLY WITHIN A 20 MILE RADIUS. 🥹
JUST DOING THE NEXT RIGHT THINGS TODAY ON TWO FRONTS.
AS ALWAYS, IF YOU SEE HER, DO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE, CALL OUT OR APPROACH. TEXT OR CALL 617-983-0096 WITH DETAILED LOCATION AND PICTURE, OF POSSIBLE
8/16 DAY FIVE: ONE POSSIBLE SIGHTING TEXTED IN LAST EVENING BY SOMEONE WHO SAW THE FLYER! OF COURSE IT WAS JUST BEFORE THE BIG STORM AND THE DOG WAS NOWHERE TO BE SEEN WHEN Z AND NEIGHBOR ANDREA WENT OUT TO THE WOODS IN A DOWNPOUR!
TODAY THE PROFESSIONAL TRACKING TEAM COMES
WE ARE HOPEFUL
THANKS TO ALL OF YOU AMAZING NEIGHBORS WHO ARE SUPPORTING OUR EFFORTS TO BRING SOLSTICE HOME. ♥️
PLEASE CONTINUE TO KEEP AN EYE OUT, TEXT 617-983-0096 WITH ANY NEW INFO, AND DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CALL OR APPROACH HER IF YOU SEE HER. THANK YOU 🙏🏻
8/15 DAY FOUR: PLEASE DO NOT SEARCH--MORE THAN EVER, SURVIVAL INSTINCTS WILL DRIVE HER FURTHER AWAY IF SHE SEES OR HEARS STRANGERS.
SO MANY AMAZING NEIGHBORS HELPING AND SIGNS ARE BEING POSTED EVERYWHERE. DRONE COMES AGAIN TODAY AND TRACKER COMES FRIDAY.
NO SIGHTINGS. SHE IS LIKELY HUNKERED DOWN.
YOUR WELL WISHES AND PRAYERS ARE SUSTAINING US ♥️
8/14 DAY THREE: FEEDING STATION IS ESTABLISHED, FLYERS ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED, GAME CAMS AND INTERSECTION SIGNS FROM CENTRAL VERMONT CANINE RECOVERY ARE BEING PICKED UP, NEIGHBORS ARE WATCHING THEIR GAME CAMS; WEST WEST NEIGHBORS ARE THE BEST BUT SOLSTICE IS STILL MISSING.
DO NOT SEARCH--FINDING HER NOW DEPENDS ON DRAWING HER IN QUIETLY; SHE IS IN SURVIVAL MODE
8/13 DAY TWO; DO NOT SEARCH OR CALL OUT--SHE COULD BE PUSHED OUT OF THE AREA BY STRANGE FOLKS--TEXT 617-983-0096 IF SIGHTINGS
WORKING WITH CENTRAL VERMONT CANINE RECOVERY
STILL OUT THERE; THERMAL DRONE UNSUCCESSFUL
NO SIGHTINGS. UNLIKELY THAT SHE IS "WANDERING" COMPLETELY UNSEEN.
PLEASE CHECK IN BARNS, UNDER PORCHES--SHE MAY BE HURT AND HIDING.
PLEASE KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR "BIG WHITE DOG FOR SALE"
STILL MISSING--DOES NOT HAVE A HISTORY OF WANDERING--LIKELY INJURED
8/12 MORNING: MISSING--DO NOT APPROACH--WILL NOT COME TO A STRANGER
Call 617 997 7284 or 617 983 0096 with sighting
Solstice, 4 year old spayed female Great Pyrenees, 85 pounds
Works on Wright Way, Westminster West
Left pasture where the fence was down under a fallen branch, possibly around 2:30am when she was heard alerting to a predator.
Orange plastic buckle collar with green herbal insecticide pod holder
Westminster dog tag #238
VT/NH Veterinary rabies tags
No chip
Have called Windham County Sheriff Animal Control, Windham Humane Society, all veterinary clinics in the area, and posted on every lost pet Vermont fb page I can find.
