Four Months

Today is the 27^th of September, 2010.

Today is has been four months since Riki got lost.

Today is has been 123 days, 2,952 hours, 177,120 minutes, 10,627,200 seconds since last I saw Ricochet.

Today my prayers have not been answered, but I will continue to say them.

Today I know that Riki is somewhere.

Today I know that he needs my help getting home.

Today I will do everything I can to find Ricochet.

Today I feel like I am missing a limb, my best friend, my boy.

Today I will be strong.

Today I understand that in life, we are sometimes presented with difficult times that we feel we cannot get through. If we are strong enough, we then gather forces we do not know we have. We must take courage.

Today I am thankful for the people who have joined in the effort to help bring Riki home.

Today I miss my buddy.

Today I hate the person who took him away.

Today I will search for Riki.

Today, I will not give up.

AW

Riki is Missing

Thursday, the 27th of May (2010) Ricochet went out in the morning to play and never came home.

Ricochet's home is on a farm in Lucketts VA, with every kind of farm animal around. He loves to ride horses with his people, go swimming, play fetch and chase the chickens. The farm is surrounded by woods, which Riki also loves. He is known to people on neighboring properties.

There has never been a sighting of Riki after the morning he disappeared. He is a fun, energetic, friendly dog who loves people, and it is believed that he would have gotten in the car with anyone who asked him to.  So it is easy to imagine that he was picked up the very day he disappeared. It's hard to imagine that he is out roaming the countryside, unable to find his home - except that if given a chance to escape and set out in search of his home and family, he would do. But where he would start that journey from, we don't know.

A clue that Riki is living in someone's home emerged about a month after he was gone. Read about that by clicking on "The Kane Show Call" tab, above.

With or without that information, if that's what it is, we believe that Riki is being cared for, and that someone loves him and loves having him in their life. We believe that Riki is probably happy, since he's a happy dog that makes the best of every situation. But we believe that he knows he is not at home, and that he wants to be home with his family. We feel that if given a chance to leave, he would set off on his own to find his family.

And despite the call to the Kane Show, we don't have any expectation that whoever originally contained Riki -- in a car, with a leash, in their home, or however -- did so with malice or any ill intent.

We can believe that the first person that encountered him felt that they were acting as his rescuer. Riki had on two collars and he is microchipped, but we are aware that collars can come off, and that many people still don't know to have wandering/found dogs scanned for microchips. We know that people don't like to take found dogs to the animal shelter. We understand how it is possible that someone did previously or has now come to have Riki in their custody, and we have no interest in taking any kind of action against anyone. We just want Riki back home, where he belongs.

You may see Ricochet anywhere. We don't know where he is, but we think he is with people -- people that may or may not know that Riki's family is looking for him. If you think you see him, or if you see a dog that looks like him, please get in contact with us. Or take him to a vet or shelter, and ask that the dog be scanned for a microchip.

He is our best friend and we miss him terribly!

A new round of fliers

Making new flyers to put up this weekend. hopefully someone will see the new flyers and send him home!

Would anybody be willing to flyer their area? i will provide flyers and materials. i feel the only way i will get riki back is if i make more people aware that he is a loved dog who is being searched for, not abandoned. the only way i can think to do this is to put flyers up in more areas. please, please let me know if you are willing to help bring riki home!

AW

Riki Added to the Swift Report Network

A listing of Riki was added to The Swift Report Network. Gotta keep trying to put the word out there how ever I can.

No More Help From the Police

They said that they have rollover numbers so there is no way to track the original number which seems like bull to me. I mean, what if someone called in saying they were going to kill people, they can't have an entirely anonymous caller base.

AW

Two Months

Today, it has been two months since Ricochet has been missing. Two months. It seems so surreal. It seems like just yesterday, and years ago all at the same time. I see him everywhere and in everything, but sometimes, I can’t seem to remember what he looks like. How is it that something can be so vivid, yet so hazy at the same time?

AW

Summer Camp Started Today

Today is the last day of the first week of summer camp here at the farm. Not sure I’m ready for the next six weeks. The campers keep asking about Ricochet. They keep telling me how much they miss him, “if Riki was here he would do this, if Riki was here he would do that.”. It’s exhausting.

I’m babysitting a Jack Russell for a friend of mine. He is a similar color to Riki and he has the same broken coat. The kids keep accidentally calling him Ricochet. It is difficult having the kids telling me how much they miss him. I’m trying really hard to be strong for them. I tell them that we are going to get him back. He will probably be home soon. I believe it too. Riki and I have a very special bond. He is my boy. I know that we were meant to be together, for some reason Ricochet was meant to be my dog. We are supposed to be together and I know, we will.

AW

A Holiday Without Riki

Yesterday I came up to the bay for the 4^th of July. We went to the bay, did the whole drinks, fireworks, swimming, jet ski, the whole deal. There were a bunch of kids playing on the beach, a parade of golf carts dressed up in red, white and blue. It would have been perfect, although I had a difficult time enjoying it. Everything I did made me think about Ricochet and all the fun he would be having if he was here with me. When I was swimming in the bay I could almost see him dressed up in his little blue life vest and goggles swimming along next to me. Laying in the sun, there he was rolled over on his back soaking up the rays on his belly, his little legs up in the air, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth in that silly grin he gets on his face when he is happy and relaxed. On the jet ski, he would sit in front of me, his life vest matching the blue of the skidoo. The wind would be blowing his ears back and he would keep his nose slightly up as if he smelled something. When the waves get too rough, I would wrap my left arm around his chest and he would lean into me, keeping his from end down, but lifting his butt to help me balance as he used to do on the dirt bike. He was there running, jumping, swimming and playing with the neighborhood kids, barking at the fireworks and upsetting the old ladies who would tell him to sit quietly and behave. It has become impossible to do anything without thinking about him.

AW

Riki on Dogster now

I added a dog profile for Riki on dogster.com, and now the Kane Show recording is available for anyone to listen to it. Please help spread it around!

Interview on the Kane Show

Wednesday morning i went on the Kane Show and put out an APB on Ricochet. We talked about Riki. The radio played a clip of the mans voice and suggested that if anyone recognized it to email me. the radio station, however, did not post my email address and since then I have not received any emails regarding the man on the radio. A police dectective has become involved and will do his best to help find Riki.

Tomorrow Morning on the Kane Show

Listen to the Kane show in the morning between 745 and 8:30am! I will get some air time and I get to tell people about Riki being missing.

Police Update - Not a Priority

ok, update, the police have been involved. unfortunately, a stolen dog is not their top priority. i am doing everything i can to try to find this guy. i spoke with the radio station and they told me that they don't keep phone records and they don't have caller ID. (what a joke of a radio station). so if anyone has any suggestions as to how I can find this jerk, if you know someone who works with the police or law enforcement, or any helpful suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated.

The Kane Show Call

I don’t even know how to begin to explain this day. I was driving this morning, listening to the radio because my ipod player was broken. I was listening to a radio station called HOT 99.5, The Kane Show. They were doing a segment on things people have stolen from house parties. It was pretty ridiculous. I was getting rather bored of all of it when a boy, and I call him a boy because no real man would say what this boy said, called in claiming to have stolen a dog from a house party. I was so disgusted. This boy goes on to explain how he had been at a house when he saw a dog that he thought was cute, the party was ending so he just picked the dog up and took it with him. The DJ’s were laughing and carrying on, telling this boy, “Danny” he called himself, that he was the coolest. They said they would take him out for drinks. Then the woman DJ asked him if he knew whom the dog belonged too. “Danny” said he didn’t know, but asked them if they had been in Virginia and seen all the lost dog flyers for a dog named Ricochet. He said, “Now, I own Ricochet.”. I almost crashed the car. Of course, within the hour phone calls started pouring in. Everyone was calling to tell me they heard this schmuck on the radio. I went to the Sherriff’s Department and filed a police report. They said they would put an investigator on it. This “Danny” is definitely an idiot. But, I’m glad of it. Now the police can get his phone number and find out who he is. Once we find out where he is we can go get my dog back! I’m super excited about it. I hope the investigator works quickly. I’m really hoping to get Ricochet back soon. I’m so ready for him to come home!

No Activity at the Feeding Station

Everything was as I left it last night. The food was still there. Ricochet wasn’t there. It’s an overwhelming feeling of exhausting desperation. I just want my baby back.

AW

A Lead

Had a lead today. I spoke with someone who believed Ricochet to be running around in the woods two towns away from mine. I spent all day driving around, walking through the woods, trespassing on farm property. I kept calling for him. I left piles of food at a few places. I left some pieces of the clothing I was wearing there too. I thought if he found the food and smelled my clothes he would stay with it until I could get back to check tomorrow morning. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay there all night and sleep in the woods. What if Riki finds the food and I’m not there waiting for him? What if he thinks I wont come back and he leaves? It’s 0400 in the morning right now, I had to come home, supposed to go to bed for a few hours. I think I will get back up and go check the food there.

AW

More Dreams

Last night I had a dream, a long and elaborate dream. The beginning isn’t really important, but there seemed to be some type of terrorist action. There were terrorists hiding in the sewage systems. The police came with tracking dogs who found the bad guys. But, the important part is this, towards the end, I talked a police woman into using her tracking dog to try to find Ricochet. We walked all around looking for him when the rescue dog started digging at the ground. The dog dug up an upside down wheelbarrow that had been underground. The police lady started to turn it over and I saw Riki’s tail poking out of the back of it. I started to cey, but she screamed, “He’s alive!”. I turned back around and together we threw the wheelbarrow over. Ricochet was lying on his side, breathing heavily. He was skinny, but he was alright. I picked him up and hugged him. He kissed me. It was the best feeling in the world, I hugged him so tight. I told him how much I love him, how much I had missed him. I was so happy to have found him. I was telling him again how much I love him, when I woke up. I miss him so much, sometimes I feel like I can’t breathe. Never has waking up been so hard.

AW

The Search Continues

Had a birthday a few days ago. Don’t feel any different. I’ve been spending easily twelve hours a day looking for Riki in the woods, driving around knocking on doors looking for Riki, making and putting up posters for Riki. Riki, Riki, Riki. I am tired, but can’t sleep. I miss him so much it hurts.

AW

Song for Riki

Today I find myself singing a song that I sang to Ricochet when he was a puppy. I don’t know why it’s stuck in my head, but it seems to be. So, I will share with you the version that I sing to Riki.

“You’re the song that the trees sing when the wind blow,
you’re a flower, you’re a river, you’re a rainbow.
I loved you the first time I saw you, and
I always will love you, Riki.”

Day 10

I had a dream last night that Riki came home. I was so happy; I could have danced naked in the streets. Then I woke up and remembered that he is not home. He is not lying in bed with me right now. He is missing. Day 10. It is seeming less and less likely that he is with someone who intends on giving him back. People keep asking me, “what is he dead?”. Now, what kind of a question is that, what if he is dead? I sit here and I can feel Riki. I can try to clear my head and just be. I do not feel like my Ricochet is dead. Riki and I have such a strong connection. If he was dead, I would know. In my heart, I know that he is not. I would know. I held him when he was a day old; he was deaf and blind. I held him. I was holding him when he opened his eyes. Riki is the miracle puppy that at 10 weeks old slid down the ice into a stream in 18-degree weather when we were fixing fences in the horse field. I jumped in and he swam to me and we got out of the stream together. They said he was too small, it was too cold, he was in shock, he wouldn’t survive, but he did. Ricochet is a survivor and I will not give up on him. Not today, not any day.

AW

Day 6

Visited 12 vets today and yesterday. Gave them flyers. They said they would keep them up until I called and said he was back. I really hope they do. I contacted Jack Russell Rescues in twenty states. Can’t hurt, right?

Also, today, I had a call this morning from a person who said they saw Riki running around on a road right near my house. I spent about an two hours over there looking for him. Even took Rebecca’s car off roading down a path that maybe he had gone down. I didn’t find anything, so I went home. Got another call a couple hours later, same thing. Same dog, same place. I went over and again couldn’t find anything. Later that evening I was just sitting down for the first time when I got three calls in a row. Boom, one right after the other; “ I see your dog”, “I see your dog”, “I can’t catch your dog, but he is here.” I went flying over there so fast. Drove around for a while when I saw eyes in the road. It was dark out and I could see the reflection from the eyes. I got out and called the dog, he was nervous and ran away. After spending some time speaking Jack Russell to him I got him to come to me and I put a leash on him. He, obviously, wasn’t my Riki, but he was someone’s dog. I called around and found his owner. Got him reunited, they had been missing him all day. I was happy to send him home. His name is Rudy. I’m glad Rudy found his way home, I just can’t help but be jealous that he was Rudy and not Riki. I miss him so much it hurts.

Day 5

Today I did the Amber Alert thing for Ricochet. They called 500 of my neighbors. That should bring him home. I filed lost reports by phone with 11 animal shelters. I’ve had a couple of possible something’s today. There was a person from Raspberry Falls who said she thought she saw him running free in the neighborhood. I rushed right over there and spent about an hour calling around. I ran into a woman who said she her Bijon had gotten out and been running around in the same place the woman called and said she had seen Riki. He doesn’t look like a Bijon at all… Also a lady called me from Maryland. She had recently found a Jack and thought that maybe she had Riki. She emailed me a picture of the dog she had. He was cute, but all white. Definitely not Ricochet. I drove to Middletown, MD because a pizza deliveryman said he had seen a Jack Russell running around in a cul-de-sac. It wasn’t Riki, it was a little girl dog with a collar on. So many lost dogs, where is my Ricochet?

AW

Day 3

Today is the end of the third day that Ricochet has been missing. He went off with Freckles Thursday morning around 0800. I was out in the barn and didn’t notice that they had wandered off into the woods together. I was worried about them. I walked down the driveway a bit and called them. Freckles came back later without Riki. When Freckles came home is when I really started to stress out about him. I walked through the woods looking for him, I called a lot, drove up and down the roads, but I didn’t find anything. I was upset I didn’t find him walking up the driveway, on his way home. I was glad I didn’t find him on the side of the road though… I went to bed really late, thinking he would be home in the morning. When I woke up and he wasn’t back I got really concerned. Since then, I put up over 150 posters in Maryland and Virginia. I handed out around 100 postcard flyers and put more in mailboxes. I talked to a lot of the neighbors, put him on websites and gone to shelters. The search and rescue lady did come out. She was super friendly. Laura Totis is her name. She came out with her German Shepherd and tracked him for a while. We ended up near the main road by Mr. Jenkins’s house. He said he had seen the dogs there Thursday morning. He said he had given them a snack and then they were playing in the front yard. His daughter who lives across the street said the same thing. Laura Totis tracked Riki to the main road ad then lost his scent. She said she is pretty certain that he was picked up and that I needed to flyer more. I have flyered since then. Now, I think that the person who has him either hasn’t seen the flyers and maybe he lost hic collars; or they don’t care that he has two collars on and has seen his posters but doesn’t want to give him back. I don’t really know, but he shouldn’t be gone this long. I do know that he has to come home; he just has to. There isn’t really any other option. I think about him every second of the day. I have been nauseous for three days now. I can’t eat, I can’t sleep without him and when I nod off for a minute, I wake up wondering why he isn’t in bed with me. Every jingle I hear is his collar, every dog I hear bark is him, I see him everywhere, he consumes my thoughts. Every time I drive past one of the Lost Dog posters with his picture on it, I can feel my heart break. I don’t even feel like a real person, I find myself doing things and wondering when I started doing it. I drive home from somewhere and don’t remember doing it. It’s like my body is doing things by routine and my mind isn’t aware of what is going on. I see him every time I close my eyes. I’ve even tried praying. It’s all too much; he’s in every little thing I touch. It’s all too real; he’s in every little thing I feel. The problem is, I’m trying to be strong but I don’t know how much longer I can be without him.

AW

Day 2

Riki has been missing for two days now. I have gone to visit three of the local shelters to look around and see if he was there. Of course, he wasn’t. I knew he wasn’t going to be there because he has a microchip and if he had been at a shelter they would have scanned him and found his chip. I registered him as lost with HomeAgain and they sent out flyers to all the local vets and shelters. I have made sets of posters and flyered for him up and down all the major roads. I put an ad in the Leesburg Today and the Loudoun Times in the classified section. I’m hoping to come up with the money to put a picture and blurb in the Washington Post. Audrey started posting on CraigsList, she says people near her don’t really read the paper, but the every college kid gets on CraigsList. I made postcard sized handouts and put about 500 out in mailboxes plus gave them to everyone I talked to about him. I also got the number of a lady who does search and rescue for lost pets. I have called her about coming out to look for him.  Hopefully she will come and her dog can lead me right to the backyard that he is in.

AW