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Someone REALLY loves their dog!
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07-02-2021, 09:51 AM
Emmy has been found!! Thank y’all SO much for your faith, love, support and patience!
Will be removing signs in the area in the coming days! Much love from Emmy and me!  
07-02-2021, 07:14 PM
I'm very happy to hear this good news! I'd be a complete mess if Siegfried the Chunkhund went missing. OWGP's diligence and persistence are an example for us all.
07-02-2021, 09:52 PM
(07-02-2021, 09:51 AM)ohwegotpups Wrote: Emmy has been found!! Thank y’all SO much for your faith, love, support and patience!And I heard she was found in Hilo transfer station - she never came to HPP. I'm sooooo happy for you!  Sistersue 
07-03-2021, 12:43 AM
It warms my heart to hear a success story like this with a lost pet! Congratz!! Yup lots REALLY love their dog!
07-03-2021, 09:35 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-03-2021, 09:41 AM by ohwegotpups.)
The amount of community LOVE is AMAZING! The posts on FB have definitely reached thousands and the amount of sheer love and joy is a true phenomenon. Simply in awe and humbled.
I wanted to elaborate on a timeline of events for efforts in Emmy's recovery. I know it can be confusing to some about the efforts put forth in HPP when she was lost and ultimately found in Hilo. If only Emmy could share her adventure....then we might really know where she travelled, but until then, if interested, here's some details over the 11 day ordeal. On Sunday, June 20th- Therapy dog training class at Queen Lilioukalani, normally 10:00-12:00pm; Emmy got spooked from getting tangled up with another dog, both with retractable leashes, and while untangling, the handle of the leash got loose, recoiled right into Emmy causing her to run away in fear or at least from the scary monster thing chasing/attached to her. This was about 11:30 am. About 12pm, same day (and unbeknownst to us at the time) Emmy is inside the Hilo mall, TJMaxx, and general Prince Kuhio/Walmart area. She was seen by many, many people, including crossing the highway. She was not able to be caught, had lost the retractable handle but still had her collar and part of the leash string, and was leaving bloody paw prints all over the place as described by the manager of TJMaxx. Mall security said she was last seen running towards Walmart. Later on Sunday, June 20th- 6pm- Go back out to Queen Lilioukalani Park, Reed's Bay, Golf Course area to ask/show people fliers of Emmy. We ask people to take a picture and share on social media, in particular with our Hilo friends. At the time, I had no social media presence. Many kind strangers oblige, are loving and concerned, happy to help. Day 1: Monday, June 21st- I create a FB account and quickly work (alongside my friends on FB who quickly helped on Sunday via the social media front while we were looking) to get Emmy out there as much as possible, asking for ANY sightings. Frantically put up 100 fliers in Hilo areas where she was last seen and a few friends help us canvas the mall, Panaewa homelands, QL Park, and general Railroad area. Day 2: Tuesday, June 22nd- Someone messages me on FB late Monday evening saying she saw Emmy in her driveway off of 18th/Kaloli or HPP area. I have to wait eagerly until Tuesday before I am able to extract more details and a "very sure it was her" confirmation from our friend. I believed her and I have no reason not to. She described her well, mannerisms and everything plus I generally want to trust people in what they say. Day 3: Wednesday, June 23rd- After a pretty sure sighting and just general advice from others who had experienced a lost dog situation, we reasonably assume Emmy is trying to make it home from Hilo to lower Hawaiian Beaches. It is most likely/possible Railroad rather than the highway. Dogs do have an ability orient and Emmy in theory would know to head east and along/towards the water. I also make fliers to put up in Pahoa area, about 50-8x11 fliers, while waiting for another sighting or found... Day 4: Thursday, June 24th- I realize I need bigger, more apparent Emmy posters. People we talked to while canvasing everyday in HPP, most had never heard of Emmy despite what we felt was a good social media push. I make 50 neon/bright colored posters of Emmy with a picture printed on 11x17 paper, the largest size UPS can print. A friend also text me to say her neighbor, after seeing the posters in HPP, realized she thought she saw Emmy on 24th/Kaloli. I was never able to confirm directly but my friend sounded pretty sure and again, it just kinda sounded like Emmy from what was described. Day 5: Friday, June 25th- Someone calls me at 10:30am to say that Emmy is on Kaloli right now, running toward the highway between about 20-23. He had seen my posters. He said he was absolutely positive it was Emmy, so much so he turned around to try and see more/help, also noticing brake lights going off as she is running thru a busy street. He said once he was able to turn around and look, she was gone. She had ducked into a side street and not hit on the side of the road. We immediately head out with 3 separate vehicles to canvas methodically in the area, Shower and Paradise side of the mid Kaloli streets. Around this same time another person with a nearly identical story contacts me on FB, this time adding the detail about the collar/leash. We felt pretty good we were in the right area. Later this night, a woman calls to tell me that she only just saw the post after getting off work but that she leaves HPP around 3am for her job and that morning had also "positively" seen Emmy running from about 13-15th streets on Kaloli, near the mailboxes. I spent the night in my car at my friend's house on 24th just in case Emmy came back to the area. We left scents of us and our dogs in her yard, hoping to lure her, so I slept in the car/cruised Kaloli in the very early morning hours hoping to find her. Day 6: Saturday, June 26th- Continue early morning canvasing, set up a sign holding of "Have you seen me?" at 29th/Kaloli, hoping to catch eyes of commuters doing a Saturday Hilo trip. Continue looking in the area that afternoon/evening, updating social media, etc. Day 7: Sunday, June 27th- A week later, incredibly exhausted and starting to be demoralized. No sightings in two days. Decide to rest mostly and not go out other than take a walk through HPP on foot with one dog, while my husband canvased in the car. I have a hybrid with a unique sound, Emmy definitely recognizes it. Day 8: Monday, June 28th- I go out early to look for Emmy on Kaloli again, but mostly want to set up sign holding at top of Kaloli to catch the morning Hilo commute. Holding my "Have you seen me?" sign from 6-8am. One man stops to say that he thinks his daughter saw Emmy yesterday, Sunday, on 19th and Paradise. He takes my number and promises to have his daughter call me. I should have taken his info because I never heard back. I didn't take this as possible sighting necessarily, but it was something. If Emmy had decided to finally start moving in the right direction, mid Paradise made sense, plus we were also trying to leave scents on Railroad mostly but also Beach road. With this, I also decided I need more posters on Paradise/Makuu side, better posters with improved picture/profile, and better view of my number/info. I finish buying all the neon posterboard in Pahoa, Keaau, and Hilo (least bought out Longs and Target) Day 9: Tuesday, June 29th- I finish making nearly 60 more posters with an improved picture and information. Continue updating social media, etc. Day 10: Wednesday, June 30th- Continue searching HPP while leaving scents, dirty clothes, etc. all along RR from Kaloli to Makuu. Put up as many posters as possible on Paradise before going to sign wave at the top of Paradise from 4-6pm wanting to catch the homebound HPP traffic. THIS is when I get the call from angel/hero Patrick. He was one of the people we originally asked at Reed's Bay on Sunday, June 20th. He was calling from the Hilo Dump saying "Your dog is here, I see her right here. It's definitely her, she looks fuzzy, old and has a black leash around her collar, looks just like the dog in your picture." At the time, I was hesitant to think he's seeing the right dog. We had had many well-intentioned look alikes or false alarms, plus in my thinking, Emmy should be heading home to Pahoa, not turning back to Hilo and if she had only ever been sighted in HPP since her first escape day.... I thanked him kindly but continued my HPP sign holding. Day 11: Thursday, July 1- I couldn't shake the Hilo call/possibility. What if we were wrong? What if Emmy went back? What if Emmy was still in HPP? What if Emmy was dead or hit by a car? SOOO many questions, SO tired, and SO heartbroken. I actually didn't get dressed, head out, post on social media or do anything until noon that day because I was just so tired of everything, physical and emotional exhaustion. But my husband was right and we head into Hilo to not only check the transfer station, but put up posters in Hilo. After all, HPP is well aware at this point that Emmy is missing. Some Hilo signs couldn't hurt.... About 3pm we make it to the Hilo Dump. I had never been there. I had no idea it was so big. We look, we call, we look and call again, we talk to the workers, leave fliers with them but no one has seen Emmy. I had texted Patrick earlier asking him to call me back with more details now that I was there and had no idea how big the place was, maybe help give us a better idea where to look. After nearly an hour, we start to leave. My husband still calling for her, I had pretty much given up again. Even more heartbroken than before, I ask him to stop calling for her because "she's not coming out or even here." And JUST LIKE THAT, he slams the brakes, parks the car in mid-street, gets out and yells "Emmy!" I have no idea what he just saw but I jump out too and immediately see her behind the car. She is terrified and about to run away from us. We are calling for her but it wasn't until a few tries and ducking down that she finally recognized us and came running to us. It was the most surreal moment of my entire life. Not just because we found Emmy, but because of everything, the perfect alignment of everything leading up to this moment and the fact that she came out right as we quit calling and right as we were leaving... I will never ever be the same again. Whether Emmy never left Hilo or travelled to HPP and then went back to Hilo, we will never know. Some have suggested she was transported, but I just don't think that very likely given how impossible she was to catch on several confirmed occasions. If you want my opinion, we think Emmy made it as far as Kaloli/HPP via Railroad and was lost in the area for several days, confused, before deciding to head back to Hilo and circle back to areas she had at least been before (Makaala and QL Park frequent and familiar places) But again, who really knows besides Emmy? So, again, forgive the length of post, just wanted to try and bring light to the series of events and choices that were a part of the Emmy search journey. We followed every reasonable lead faithfully and with the help of MANY people, she was found. If it were not for EVERYONE sharing her story, seeing her pictures, searching for her, keeping an eye out, she'd just be another scared and skiddish dog surviving for however long they could without help or detection until they were either rescued or dead. The entire story is a web of small miracles that resulted in a final miracle. Point is, guardian angels are out there and miracles happen. Thank you again for your love and interest in Emmy. She's as extraordinary as her story.
07-03-2021, 10:30 AM
That's quite a story! Thanks for taking the time to share it with us and so glad Emmy's back with you.
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