Dakota's 4th Day and Jonah's Update

So I spotted Jonah and his fluffy head again. This time closer to my house. I'm assuming that my scent is all over the previous spot I saw and searched for him so he's avoiding that area. I did leave food out for him last night and came to see that in the morning that it was still there. :[

Went to Polk County's Animal Control to pick up a humane box trap for dogs but it couldn't fit in my car! Went home depressed. Went to search for Jonah again. His food was missing! The bowls were there but not the food! So either a raccoon ate or Jonah ate it. I'm hoping it was Jonah. My neighbors know that I'm looking for him so I doubt they'll let their dogs eat the food. So I filled the bowl again but this time bringing in the bowl closer to my house. Hopefully, he'll smell the wet food.

I also did something that might be a little extreme... I set a trail of food from that location to my house. So there's a path of wet and dry dog food leading to my front door. So I might have random animals at my front door tomorrow. We'll see! Also, the wet dog food looks like dog poo so maybe that'll upset my neighbors or maybe it'll freak them out more if their dogs start eating it. Oh my.

Well after that we were debating about renting a truck to get the humane box trap but realized the cost of renting a truck plus gas would equal about the cost of buying a humane box trap. So they we pondered over that idea for a bit. We were so close to clicking to submit button to purchase. But we just decided to put it on top of our sedan. The car has seen better days so it's fine if it gets a couple scratches.We're going to tie it down with some string and ope for the best.

If you're interested to know; you may reserve a human box trap for up to 7 days from your local animal control. I'm giving them a $50 deposit and when I return the trap I'll get my security deposit check back. :]
So I'm heading back there tomorrow. Hopefully it'll work so I can set up the trap with some stinky dog food and persuade Jonah to get in the box so that I can take him to the vet to check him out. Plus he'll need a bath.

So that's my adventure for Jonah today.

As for Dakota, she kept quiet as she watched me sew. She seemed curious by the fabric colors. She's eating more these days. But I haven't set a set schedule yet because I rather have her eat rather than worry about obedience training. She's fabulous already although she's not trained. She doesn't bark, jump, have separation anxiety, chew on things, etc. She just needs a couple days to get used to you before she comes out of her shell. I'm still waiting but I know she'll be warm and kind.

I can't wait for the day where she'll want to follow me around the house. FYI: She is adorable when she sleeps. She snores a little bit.She basically stays in her bed all day right now. She just really misses Jonah. She's not a fan of walks yet but she's not jumping off the walls due to pent up energy. She just seems happy with looking at you with those puppy dog eyes.

Where Jonah's been hiding.

tracking his paw prints

puppy paw prints

food and water

Dakota's 3rd Day

My favorite photo of Dakota

We had a photoshoot outside. Dakota still isn't fond of walks yet but she seems to like being outside a bit more.

We spotted Jonah this morning at 9:30 AM. He ran away from us twice. We came back and tried to set up an elaborate trap to get him using Dakota as an incentive and hot dogs. But he never showed up. So I went back and left a bowl of dog food + treats and water. Our next plan is that he hopefully goes back to that area once he figures out that there's food there. Then perhaps we'll get him.

We haven't given up on him. Every time we look at Dakota's puppy eyes... we see that she's missing him. Perhaps it's us humanizing her but you can just feel it in the air. We'll see better days. So I spend about 6-8 hours searching for Jonah. Seconds turn into minutes and minutes turn into hours. When you're looking for someone that you care about... it still doesn't seem like it's enough.

My body is starting to feel the affects of climbing over trees, sand pits, thorny bushes, etc. in the Florida heat. Plus the sunburn on my face is a bit obvious too. (I have sensitive skin.) But it's worth it for Jonah. Plus I got to know my neighbors a bit more every time they pass by and ask how the search is going as they walk their dogs.

On a brighter note:

I created Dakota's debut video. It has Carrie Underwood's Temporary Home song on it which I think is the best song for it. Rights of the song belong to SONY Entertainment.

 

Link to Dakota's Video

Here are some photos from her photoshoot today:

A sad day:Jonah ran away :[

Dakota... missing Jonah.

Today was such a horrible day in our house.

Jonah ran away in the morning. We searched all day. We followed his paw tracks in the sand but they disappeared when he went through the areas with a lot trees and not a lot of sand. He was last spotted him at 7:00 PM but it got dark really fast and he ran into the trees in the vacant lots which is hard to navigate through. So he's still in a 3 block radius. We wish we had street lights in that area. We sat in a car with our headlights focused on a trap we made with the cage, food, and rope that was attached to the leash. When we would pull the leash it would be able to close the cage. All we were missing was the target, Jonah. We're very hopeful. We gave out posters and our neighbors were the one to actually spot him at 7:00 PM. We posted numerous ads online.

We're going back there in the morning.

As for Dakota, she's better but missing Jonah. She's out of her cage and eating. She found her bed and is sleeping comfortably in it. She brought her toys with her. She's getting used to us.

So please have us in your thoughts as I venture back out there. I don't care if I have to go through the lots again. I hiked over dead tress, sand pits, through thorny bushes, etc. today. I'll do it all over if it means we are closer to finding him.


Here's one of the ads:
Craigslist:
https://post.craigslist.org/manage/2187512384/kgq8u

LOST Shih Tzu- Jonah - white/tan/beige puppy coat (Poinciana, FL)

Lost in Poinciana POLK County, FL

2-3 years Old
15- 20 lbs (Well fed looking)
White/ tan/ beige Puppy Coat
Shih Tzu- neutered male

Black Collar -Very Shy/Scared

Not Aggressive - Fast Runner - Very timid around humans - Not socialized - Rescued from a puppy mill

Please help bring home to his sister, Dakota. She misses him and so do we!

Lost on 1/29/11 at 8: 00 AM at home in Poinciana, FL. Near Poinciana Parkway and Lake Marion Creek.

Last spotted in a 3 block radius on Hibiscus Court at 7:00 PM 1/29/11. So we know he's still in Poinciana, FL. He just keeps running in the vacant lots where there's a lot of trees and other vegetation.

Please Contact: 407-602-8886

Jonah on the right