How Far Would You Go to Find Your Beloved Pet?

After several serious illnesses and the death of her mother,
Donna Watson, and her husband, John Ohnstad, booked a cruise to the
Bahamas.  The intent was to lay 2011 to rest and start the New Year off right.

Rather than put their beloved miniature dachshund, Rudy, in a boarding
facility, the couple decided to leave him with a trusted friend.   “The friend had owned dogs before, so we figured she could handle it.  We asked
that she secure him, either by crate or leash, every time anyone opened an
exterior door.  She was provided with everything needed to keep Rudy contained."

An hour after leaving Newark, DE, en route to their getaway,
they received a call that Rudy had escaped. They were told that while opening the back door to make certain the gate to the yard was closed, the 11 pound dog ran out.  “The sitter called Rudy.  He stood and looked at her, but didn’t come.  She then rushed to him, and the rest is history,” Watson said.  Rudy’s response was to run.  The sitter solicited three other people, all strangers to the dog, to help pursue him.  Rudy, skittish by nature, was terrified.  He ran faster and farther.  He was chased more than half a mile, across Rt. 273 in Newark, to University Plaza. 
Two cars collided in order to avoid hitting Rudy, who kept going.

John and Donna immediately turned around, forfeiting their cruise, to go home and look for their precious Rudy.  This happened on Christmas Day 2011.  They searched for approximately seven hours, frantic, and not knowing what to do. 
According to Donna, their extravagant dinner and week-long cruise, turned into chicken salad from the WaWa and anything but a vacation.

John and Donna check with animal shelters throughout the state every other day.  Every veterinarian in New Castle County, DE, has been notified. Vets and shelters across the state lines in Pennsylvania and Maryland, close to Rudy’s Hot Zone, are also kept updated. “I call and/or email the shelters and veterinarians periodically to provide them with updates; to remind them that we are still looking for Rudy;
and to provide them with new posters.  We don’t want him slipping through the cracks of a very fragmented and broken system,” Watson said.

The first four months of hanging flyers and posters, going door-to-door canvassing neighborhoods, resulted in many Rudy sightings, but the dog remained elusive.  The decision was made to hire Karin TarQwyn, a nationally known pet detective.  It was hoped that their trained tracking dogs could determine which of the many sightings were, or were not, Rudy.  TarQwyn and her associate Jordina Ghigherri came to Newark, DE on three separate occasions. Pet Detective, Mary Beth Raven and her Belgian Shepherd, Pippin joined Team Rudy in the fall of 2012.  Mary Beth and Pippin have traveled to Delaware at least once or twice a month to confirm and track sightings of Rudy. The plan was to have both pet detectives collaborate, with Mary Beth and Pippin doing most of the tracking since they lived in Baltimore, closer to Rudy’s travel area.  The pet detectives have mapped scent trails and possible travel routes.  They have provided advice on the most effective areas to put signage.  Watson continues to consult with both pet detectives as she believes that they both possess skill sets that will help Bring Rudy Home.

More than a year later, the couple continues to make finding Rudy their #1 priority.  Ohnstad, a retired Chrysler worker, works full time finding Rudy.  He mans the “Rudy Hotline” during the day, follows up on leads, and distributes flyers in recent sighting areas.  He also maintains the trail cameras and feeding stations.  Ohnstad has been known to spend the night in areas where recent sightings have been reported.

Watson continues to work as a school nurse in order to help defray the enormous costs associated with this search.  In the evenings, she and her husband,
distribute flyers, hang or replace posters, and interview witnesses.  Donna also started and manages www.facebook.com/BringRudyHome, a page that offers advice and current information about Rudy. 

Helping them are a few local people who are key members of Team Rudy.  They cook hot dogs and bacon to entice the dog; follow up on sightings; explore areas Rudy might find attractive; help circulate flyers and anything necessary to Bring Rudy Home.  Long distance team members share Facebook posts and pictures; they watch the numerous internet lost and found pet registries, just in case he gets trapped or “surrenders.”

As the search continues, Watson and Ohnstad are hopeful that they will be able to Bring Rudy Home; however, in Watson’s words, “we remain cautiously optimistic.  We also are realists; we know that each time there is a sighting; we need to respond quickly, so that it’s not the last sighting. At this point, Rudy is in ‘survival mode’, bringing him in will not be easy; he sees all humans as predators and sources of danger—even us.”  Although the search has cost the couple
thousands of dollars, they both say that they believe that Rudy is worth it at
any price.

Even though Rudy is not yet home, his loss has impacted some very positive changes for other lost and abandoned animals in Delaware.  His parents have assisted in rescuing 16 red, smooth dachshunds; returning most of them to their owners.   Two of those dachshunds were surrendered and unwanted by their previous owners; but no longer.  Max and Willie now reside with John and
Donna.  They remained in foster status for more than a year; they have now been officially adopted by them and they eagerly await the return of their older brother, Rudy.  Watson said that those moments are bittersweet.  “We are always happy to help others and we will continue to do so; we do pray that the next rescued
dachshund will be Rudy.” 

Watson has also recently been a frequent participant in the Delaware Animal Welfare Taskforce.  She continues to lobby for a statewide Delaware Lost and Found Pet Registry.  The proposed outcome of that registry is that all lost pets will be registered in one place in the entire state.  “Delaware is a small state, “Watson says."  If we create a successful registry, other states may follow our lead; just as
they did with the indoor smoking ban.” It just makes sense; one location to report lost, found and surrendered animals” said Watson, who spends at least 20 hours per week making sure that Rudy is posted on most major internet sites and Facebook pages.   Watson’s ultimate dream is that the outcome would result in all 50 states having one statewide registry that would be connected into one national registry.  Donna says, “This journey started out to be all about Rudy.  While Rudy is still our primary focus, we’ve been awakened and we are responding to the needs of many other lost animals.”  “Rudy cannot speak for himself,” Watson says, “I will be his voice for as long as necessary to help to bring him home.  What parent/pet parent wouldn’t do the same?”

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