Vixen Progressing at Home

Vixen has been home with Antonia since Friday, before Labor Day. The three day weekend was a good way to start her new life! And Antonia can go home at lunch, so she did that too, most of the week. Wednesday, Vixen had a vet's visit (good!) in the morning, and she spent the afternoon at Woofs! Vixen is afraid of cars, so that one was a challenge, but in the end, she made it out alive.

Nadene and I (Nancy; we both volunteered in the search for Vixen) visited with Antonia and Vixen on Saturday afternoon. She's funny; she spends nearly all her time outside, and specifically, in the garden accross the yard from the house. It's shady and she's hidden from view there. Isn't she beautiful?

When she was there, nothing we did -- quick moves, calling out, or pointing the camera in her direction -- phased her. But when she approached the porch area, which she did to get hotdogs and liver treats from us -- she might start if you moved or got up.

But boy was she gentle when she took food from us! If she looks scary in this picture when she was about to take a liver treat from me, trust me, looks can be very deceiving. She's as gentle as a lamb.

In this picture, she was playing with a carrot before eventually eating it. It was pretty funny because it looked like an orange cigar.

She's warmed up to Antonia so she can be close to her like this. Hopefully someday, with progress, others of us can also enjoy her close to us.

All in all, she's doing well and progressing, and yet has a long way to go to feel safe. She does love the outside, and doesnt' like the inside much, so she will surely always be a flight risk. But she can also be happy, and she can learn that life doesn't have to be the way she used to know it. And Antonia is just the person to teach her that!

A GPS Collar to Come for Vixen

Vixen is perfect for a GPS collar, don't you agree? If you have any experiences with them, please share! Antonia is defintely getting one for Vixen. She also shared this about when she was out taking down signs (oh and thanks to all who have helped by taking some of the signs down!):

Last night I went to the Shirlington Dog Park and Duke Street Dog Park to take down signs. It takes a while as everyone wants to hear Vixen's story. One older gentleman at Duke Street told me he is not very techno savvy and had a friend put my number in his phone and he was always on the lookout for Vixen. Then he asked for my help to remove the number from his phone. It was really sweet.

She also provides this update about Vixen after Thursday morning's visit:

I saw Vixen last night after work. She is still very skittish. They are right when they say she is afraid of everything. One false move and she gets jumpy. This morning she was on the floor with other dogs. Ricky brought her off the floor and into her suite. I tried to get her interested in me and the treats, but she just shut down, so I asked Ricky to put her back with her buddies. At lunch Ricky will put her in her suite a half hour before I arrive. Hopefully that will work out better.

So, patience is the word! I love that the staff at Woofs is evaluating her reactions and coming up with a new plan if her reaction isn't what they hope for. They are taking such good care of her.

Progress Report

Antonia is getting over to Woofs to see Vixen every chance she gets. Here's her report after her Wednesday morning visit:

I went this morning for a visit and the staff told me she was jumping around when she saw them, so it looks like she is progressing well, even though she does still rest a lot. They did say that she was not ready to go on the dog floor yet, after all, but they took her for a walk and she seemed happy to be outside. She ate a cricket.

Our current thinking is that I will take Vixen home on Friday. Since it is a long weekend it will give us more time together before I have to leave her when I go to work.

Laura gave me some tips on how to get Vixen adjusted to her new forever home. She advised that I get her used to the house and the back garden only. Then once she is comfortable and happy there, then very, very, very slowly expand her territory.

After Antonia's lunch visit with Vixen, the plans for the weekend may be changing. As Laura advises, it may be best for Antonia and Vixen to spend more time working on training before going home. Also, the vet appointment that Antonia had set up for Friday may still be too soon for Vixen; not the vet care part, of course, but just Vixen venturing back out in to the big scary world where everything is still so uncertain, but danger seems to loom everywhere.

Stay tuned. Vixen's progress may be slow, but it will be worth the wait.

So far, so good

Vixen is at Woofs now, and Antonia is visiting her every chance she gets. Following her visit before work, Antonia reports: 

I just came in from visiting Vixen. She seemed a bit more animated this morning but still very tired. She ate a bit when I was there. Will visit her at lunch time again.

A quick and unexpected recovery!!!

Vixen was just recovered!!!!!

Antonia was getting sighting calls from people seeing Vixen at Utah dog park, in Fairlington. Laura, the owner of Woofs Dog Training Center (where Vixen spent her time as a foster), and a trainer that Vixen was also very close to responded with a companion dog from Woofs. They got her and are taking her back to the center!

Later:  Laura said she went to the area where Vixen was spotted, called out for her and she went running to Laura. She needs a bath, has some ticks and wants her to stay in a calm, familiar environment before Antonia takes her back to her place again.


Update after Antonia's visit with Vixen, at Woofs:  Vixen seemed to be OK. She was very, very, very, tired. She lost a bit of weight and was limping a bit. Her paws are sore and her pads are a litte raw. I also noticed that her nails that were quite long were worn down by half.  She was lying down resting comfortably. She fell asleep with her head in my hands. Oh, and she was given a massage by a physiotherapist (the fiance of one the Woofs trainer/managers).

They are feeding her small meals every few hours and will watch her excrement, even though worms may not show up for a few weeks. If she is up to it they will put her out on the floor with the other dogs tomorrow. I will visit her a couple of times tomorrow as well.

More Sightings Collected, More Sought

Today, more sightings, or possible sightings, were called in, and were also collected while Antonia and a couple others of us were out posting signs and talking to people. These sightings will be mapped later, so check the map tomorrow to see them plotted. (If anyone out there would like to participate in the search for Vixen, and is comfortable with Google Maps or willing to learn, please send a comment. Thanks in advance!)

One of the sightings -- in a townhouse community off Braddock Rd west of Van Dorn -- may well have been the male husky found at Seminary Towers this morning, and we think the sighting at BJ's may have been that dog, too. The sightings that we are pursing more extensively include sightings near Agudas Achim, a synogague on Valley Drive on Friday at the same time as the Parkfairfax sightings, a Saturday evening sighting on Quaker Lane on that scary stretch coming off 395N, and one that put her at Trinity Church on Cameron Mills. These sightings all make sense when considered together with each other and with the sightings reported on Friday evening.

These sightings are encouraging, and we are hoping for many more, especially if they start showing her slowing down and staying in a smaller area. We want to start putting together a plan that will lead to her capture.

If you live close to the Beverly Hills, Parkfairfax or Fairlington areas and can help with the search, please leave a comment on the blog and specify if you do not want it published for others to see. Lots of help is needed in this search!

Oh by the way -- we are in contact with the owner of one of Vixen's puppies from the litter she gave birth to after she arrived in this area. We are considering the possibility that the puppy could draw her out. We hope to get a chance to find out if that works.

Another Husky Running Around?

OK, now it looks like there is possibly another husky that has been on the roam in Alexandria, according to this Craigslist posting which was found by an AWOL Dogs volunteer. It is being checked out now, but comparing it to her pictures, the eyes look different from Vixen's eyes. So if this dog is Vixen, then obviously that's awesome. But if it's not, then sightings over the past few days may have complicated by this dog -- depending on what area of Alexandria this dog was found.

(double-click to see a larger version of this Craigslist ad)

So when reporting sightings, please do be very careful and very specific! It could be another dog!

Update - the dog posted to Craigslist this morning is not Vixen; it's a male and he is now at the shelter in Alexandria. He had an injury and it wasn't practical for the guy that found him to hold on to him while he continued to search for the owner. Here's that dog's picture on the Pet Harbor website: