BOSUN WAS FOUND!!!!!

We just heard that Bosun walked out of the bushes and straight for his adopter, who was armed with a hot dog in her hand. He is safe and back home.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Words cannot express how grateful we all are for all of the wonderful individuals who came to the rescue, and helped to get Bosun home safely.

We could still use help picking up the flyers from the neighborhood and stores where they were left - there's hundreds out there! This is a quick and easy, and happy, job. We need to be good guardians of the neighborhood Bosun visited.

3 Sightings Sunday

We had two sightings this morning, both around 10:30am, near each other; and both in the woodsy area along Walter Reed between King St and Wakefield. We have a feeding station at one of those locations.

Then another sighting that occurred at 3:30pm today was called in about 7:30pm (thanks to fliering!) This was on Buchanan St in the wooded area at the end -- other side of Fairlington from where the fire station/395 is.

These sightings will be added to the sighting map.

Fliering Monday   Thanks to volunteers that were out today, much of the fliering has been done (and they are working!)  But there are still areas that could use a few more, and we'd like to expand the fliering outside of the immediate sighting areas including to the many businesses in the. For anyone that is able to flier on Monday (or beyond), a supply of the fliers has been left in a box on S 28th St, just past King St, and right next to the tennis courts. This will be noted on the map.

Commuters   For those who commute through this area with 15 minutes to give:  you may be able to generate sightings if you can make a slow sweep through the area where Bosun has been seen. View the map before you set out, each time since the sighting area may change. For now, this will have you exiting off 395 and winding through Fairlington, among other places.

What to do if you see Bosun  DO NOT chase or call out to him. DO note exactly where you are, and call us immediately and we will have first responders investigate the sighting. Mark the spot in some way if you can, so that if you have to leave, others can tell where you were (e.g., tie a large piece of ribbon on a tree). The numbers to call are as follows:  Mary Ann at 571-271-6974, or 202-228-1451 if no answer; and Arlington County Animal Control at 703-931-9241; report this as an animal emergency. (They know that Bosun is at large, and will help us but they need to be called for a specific sighting to send someone.)

Help needed today

The needs for today in the search for Bosun are fliering, fliering, and more fliering. Please contact Amy at (703)509-9891 if you can help.

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This photo was taken at home; it shows Bosun's size and body, and it shows his braided collar and tag that he was wearing when he left. (If future versions of the flier need to be printed, this might be a good picture to include in it.) Click on the photo to see a larger version of the image.

Tracking Report

Sam and Salsa came out for several hours, and picked up a lot of good strong scent – including some that was along the major road that is 395. The track lasted into the afternoon. As a result of the track and the sightings, we determined that the best place for a feeding station is under the deck of a house, right where the scent was the strongest and where Sam thinks that Bosun has been hunkering down. The house is a duplex; the one homeowner that was home would not agree to it, and the other one called later when he arrived home, and gave permission. The feeding (and scent) station should be set up by Bosun’s mom later this evening.

So the plan is to – hopefully – keep Bosun in the area by supplying him with food, and if we are successful at this, we will eventually put a trap (2 are on standby) where the feeding station is. But with one of the two homeowners not being agreeable to the setup, we don’t expect it to go down just like this. More likely, he was do a little moving around, and with luck, we’ll find another good area for a feeding station – one that could support a trap. Given that he has not gone to his mom, who has seen him, he’s running scared and will need a trap to contain him.

For now, the needs in the field are: more fliering to spread the word, so that we can get more sightings – or better yet, someone could corral him; and we need volunteers in the area where the sightings have been to help monitor the feeding station. If we are not able to check it twice a day, it’s no feeding station, and it won’t keep him in the area. Can you help??

The track has been mapped:

Click here to see the full size map

Sighting Saturday Morning!

Bosun was seen at 10:30am on the corner of King St and Hampton Dr - by his mom who was out searching for him! This was not her first sighting of him since he escaped. He's still very close to his point of escape.

Sam and Salsa, with Pure Gold Pet Trackers, is out with Bosun's adopter and some volunteers. There will be a report on the track as soon as we get it.

Sighting Friday Afternoon

Sighting at 1:30pm - Park Center near Walter Reed and Beauregard, at 4300 Ford Ave. in the Shirlington/Fairlington area. In general, this is near King Street and 395.

The person who spotted Bosun mentioned a little wooded area behind The Point at Park Center.

Some ways to help in the search

We're happy to have so many people available to help! But we also want to be careful that we aren't bringing so many people into the area, searching for him, that we might drive Bosun away from where he was spotted - or into traffic!

If you see him, remain calm, and call your sighting in to his mom at 571-271-6974! Here are some additional ways to help with our search efforts:

HANG POSTERS!!! This is the best way of spreading the word.

DONATE! We are all volunteers using our own money to help with this search effort. Consider donating to help cover the cost of our search.

BRING SUPPLIES! We need posters, staple guns/thumb tacks, treats, canned cat food, flashlights, and anything else that could be useful during the search.

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Bosun is Lost!

Bosun (formerly Blacky, to FOHA volunteers) was being transported home from dog day care, and got loose from the transport van. This occurred on Thursday, November 12th, around 6:30pm, near Abingdon Elementary School in Arlington.

Bosun looks like a black lab, but is smaller than a purebred. He is very friendly, but a tad shy with new people. Right now, he is surely scared.

Please call 571-271-6974 or 703-851-3217 if spotted, and also email us in addition to calling so that we can post the updates and sightings on this blog: foha.doglover@cox.net