UPDATE: *********The latest news! Mandy was found by local residents! Read the news. ********** The search for a lost black flat coated retriever continues on Finn Hill. Unless you’ve been locked away with the flu, you’ve most likely seen all the signs posted with a picture of the 11-year-old Mandy. While signs are routinely posted for lost dogs and cats, this is an especially sad story because it is the latest in a series of very trying circumstances for the dog’s owner.
Mandy disappeared on January 11th following a car accident in which she and another dog were passengers. That accident, at the corner of Juanita Drive and NE 141st, involved the vehicle crashing into a gas pump and catching fire. In the ensuing confusion, Mandy escaped from the vehicle.
The owner, a resident in the Holmes Point area, is recovering from the crash but suffered an even greater loss in December. His wife, an active businesswoman, died of a sudden illness shortly after Christmas. So the loss of Mandy just adds to the grief he is already feeling.
Many people have been on the lookout for Mandy and a few sightings in the Holmes Point area have been reported. Friends caution that anyone seeing Mandy should not try to physically catch her or call her by name. Rather, if spotted, call 206-552-0304 immediately and then the owner could bring along his other dog to coax Mandy into coming to him.
A Facebook page has been set up to organize search efforts. The most recent news is posted there and updates on organized searches are described.
Volunteers interested in helping search for Mandy can contact Jim Branson at Three Retrievers Lost Pet Rescue, who is aiding in search efforts, at 206-552-0304, or by joining the Facebook community page.
Mandy was found near the place where she ran away. The information was provided by Francesca Lyman on Finn Hill.
It’s not a lost cause, yet. Kudos to you Jeff for writing this and sharing it. Actually as regular woods-goers around here, our family has been bush-wacking with our collie for Mandy with all of our neighbors.
We did call Jim at Three Retrievers for update; yesterday he said Mandy had last been seen up on the East end of Finn Hill, around 138th and 90th, or so on Sunday. So it’s still possible that Mandy, who seems very independent, may yet turn up.
Two years ago a neighbor’s dog wandered off. There were dog trackers called in, they didn’t find the dog. But posters were put out on many heavily traveled neighborhood corners. The tracking dogs did give us a clue though… they all pointed out the green belt ravine. Pepe was mostly blind, and his hearing was failing, the neighbors started searching the green belt extensively. We found him next to the creek, with his back to heavy BlackBerry bushes. It took six days, and a rope sling to pull him out. He lived until last year, and the family was elated to get him back.
Mandy was again sighted this Saturday morning up at the north end of Holmes Point Drive. I’ll try to upload a map to the Facebook page.