For the Love of Daisy – Lost Hound Fund
One of our greatest fears as Greyhound owners is having our Greyhound get lost. In many cases, the Greyhound is located quickly with the help of reported sightings, the distribution of flyers, and volunteer search parties. In some cases, a Greyhound may remain missing for an extended period of time. In these circumstances, other methods may be employed to help locate and return the Greyhound to its home. These methods often involve financial cost that may exceed the budget of the owner. Examples are paid ads, professional trackers, phone call services, or equipment such as outdoor cameras.
For the Love of Daisy
In appreciation for Southeastern Greyhound Adoption (SEGA) volunteer efforts to find Daisy, her owners, Chris and Lauren Whalen, established a lost hound fund in Daisy’s honor. They started the fund with a generous donation to allow SEGA to purchase some additional equipment to help locate Daisy and for use in helping find other lost Greyhounds in the future.
Donations made to the “For the Love of Daisy” Lost Hound Fund will be designated for expenses to help locate lost Greyhounds when extended time frames call for measures above and beyond the normal costs such as flyers and signs. Any funds remaining from the search for Daisy will be held until needed for another lost hound.
If you would like to make a contribution to the Lost Hound Fund, please click here to learn more about how you can help.
Daisy at 53 Pounds!
Daisy 53 Lbs – August 6, 2012
Hello All!
I am pleased to say that Daisy is now at 53lbs, just shy of her previous 56-59lb healthy weight range. She continues to eat and sleep well and we’ve decided to cut out the midnight snack she was used to receiving. Now she receives just a “pat on the head” after a midnight romp outside. I expect she will get bored of that soon and will sleep through the night uninterrupted.
Tail Wound
She did develop a “stud tail” this weekend quite abruptly. A vet trip today ended with her being placed on antibiotics and lots of reassurance. I’m not sure her fur will grow back there, but it will add to her other “battle scars”.
We hope you enjoy her most recent photos and as always, we thank you for your care and concern!
A special thank you to Stevie who made yummy frozen treats for Daisy and brought her a daisy-flowered fleece coat. Now Daisy can dry off in style!
Lauren Whalen
Daisy Closeup
Daisy Shows Off Her Battle Scars
Message from Daisy
Daisy at 44 lbs – Day 8
Hello from Daisy!
Well, it’s been 8 days since my dad found me and brought me home! I still wonder why it took so long for my parents to find me. They keep talking about finding “a needlenose in the haystack”. Anyways, I sure am happy to be home!
My mom took me to the vet, Dr.James Bangle. I like him except when he gave me a booster on my leptospirosis vaccine. And then I thought he was going to give me another shot but instead he put this chip in me. I think it is like a potato chip, cuz he said something about “you can’t have just one” (way to find me that is).
Dr. Bangle said I could eat all the BigMacs I want, but no bacon. I think I see a trip to McDonalds soon. He was impressed with my weight. I was 34lbs last week and now I am 44lbs! That is more than a pound a day that I have gained! It is definitely all those yummy treats people have been sending me from Texas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania…thank you so much!
My parents have been taking me for walks in the neighborhood. It kinda wears me out, so then I take a nice long nap in my kennel. That’s me in the picture, sleeping on my back with my eyes rolled back. Really, I wish my mom wouldn’t take such embarrassing pictures of me!
It’s ten o’clock at night and time for my bedtime snack. Then off to bed. Wow, this is just the best life! A full stomach, soft bed, and friends like you who care!
Love to all,
Miss Daisy
Snoozin’ – Day 8
Help Us Compile “Lessons Learned” for Finding Lost Greyhounds
Miss Daisy
Southeastern Greyhound Adoption (SEGA) has developed a “lessons learned” survey for the recent SUCCESSFUL search and recovery of SEGA greyhound, Daisy. Even if you did not physically search for Daisy, please participate in this survey as the data will be used to complete new operational procedures for lost greyhounds. The operational procedures will be shared with all greyhound organizations that would like to use them.
All the results will be compiled anonymously for the committee who will be putting together the new operational procedures.
If you have any questions regarding the survey or its purpose, contact Kathy at ksrakestraw@windstream.net.
Thank you in advance for your participation!
Kathy
There are two options for completing the survey:
- If you are a Facebook user, go to http://apps.facebook.com/my-surveys/rwxmllmi and complete the survey online.
- If you do not use Facebook, copy and paste the questions into an email, type your responses, and email them to ksrakestraw@windstream.net.
Survey Questions
- Are you a member of Southeastern Greyhound Club or a volunteer with Southeastern Greyhound Adoption? (Yes, No, I don’t know)
- How did you hear about the search for Daisy, the lost greyhound?
- What ideas did you have or suggest in the search for Daisy? (even if you posted them somewhere during the search, please put them down here)
- Did you post/cross post about the search for Daisy?
- If you posted/cross posted about the search for Daisy, where did you post/cross post about the search?
- Did you use the Finding Miss Daisy blog (FindingMissDaisy.wordpress.com)? (Yes or No)
- If you used the FindingMissDaisy blog, what did you think of it?
- If you used the FindingMissDaisy blog, what would you have liked to see on the blog that was not?
- If you helped in any way with the search for Daisy, what tools or services did you use in the search for Daisy?
- If you helped in any way with the search for Daisy, who did you coordinate your search activities with/through?
- What did you think worked well during the search for Daisy?
- What did not work well during the search for Daisy?
- What suggestions do you have for future lost hound searches?
- What role, if any, would you like to have in future lost hound searches?
- Did you go to Athens/Watkinsville and actually help search for Daisy?
- If you went to Athens/Watkinsville to search for Daisy, how many times?
- If you went to Athens/Watkinsville to search for Daisy, what times of the day did you go?
- If you went to Athens/Watkinsville to search for Daisy, on average how long did you search each time you went?
- If you went to Athens/Watkinsville to search for Daisy, what tools or resources did you use during your actual search for Daisy?
- If you went to Athens/Watkinsville to search for Daisy what tool or resources (if any) did you use while on the ground walking?
- If you went to Athens/Watkinsville to search for Daisy what tool or resources (if any) did you use while distributing flyers?
- If you went to Athens/Watkinsville to search for Daisy what tool or resources (if any) did you use while speaking with neighbors and or local businesses?
- If you went to Athens/Watkinsville to search for Daisy what tool or resources (if any) did you use in getting in touch with local vets and or community outreach groups?
- If you went to Athens/Watkinsville to search for Daisy what tool or resources (if any) did you use in contacting local schools & universities?
The Incredible Journey of Daisy – An Oconee Greyhound Lost and Found
Click here to read a great article that summarizes Daisy’s story in the Oconee Patch.
Monday AM Update: Daisy continues her recovery
Daisy and Chris
Good Morning All!
What a different weekend this one was compared to the 3 previous weekends! This weekend was all about relaxing at home! I am happy to say Daisy is now sleeping through the night, no more crying in her sleep (that had been heartbreaking).
We have started her physical rehabilitation by going for a short 10 minute walk last evening. She was happy to be on her leash and walking with her constant companion Penny (our 15 lb mutt). Daisy used to have such muscular thighs and I’m hoping she can restore her previous physique. Dasiy is very much in a recuperation stage of her recovery, sleeping many more hours than previously. I expect that will change once her energy returns.
Daisy continues to eat well. We have changed to slightly larger meals every 4 hours and again Daisy has had no digestive issues. We did take the suggestion of feeding her Kraft macaroni and cheese and she ate it all. I made her lots of bacon as well, thinking both the fat and protein are good for her. The trick of grilling bacon in the streets for her did not bring her home, but grilling bacon for her at home will hopefully keep her home!
We have a follow up appointment with her veterinarian on Friday and hope to have bloodwork done at that time.
I have made thank you flyers that I am posting in strategic areas so that the people who might want to know that Daisy is safe will read them. I have given thank you daisy bouquets to Cindy on Grace Lane who allowed us to put the live trap on her property and to Barb on Simonton Bridge who allowed us to sit for days in her backyard by the pond where I had seen Daisy. Both were pleased to hear of Daisy’s return.
Well wishes have come from near and far. We have heard from folks whose greyhounds have survived similar ordeals and have ultimately thrived and their reassurance are appreciated.
I have attached Daisy’s most recent photo with Chris and already she really does look better! Plus, I had to share her most “unladylike” pose with you as well. She is a nut!
greytfully,
Lauren
The Silly Girl!
Saturday AM Update: Daisy is doing well!
Daisy resting at home – Day 3
Hi all!
After getting over the enormous joy at having Daisy home and the enormous shock at her appearance, we have settled down into a routine. Surprisingly, Daisy acts as if nothing has changed. She knows where all of her beds are, where all the toys are, where the gecko that lives in our garden wall is, where the chipmunk that lives in our down on spout is, where the treats on the shelf are….Our first greyhound never “roached” but Daisy loves to. So you can imagine what a 34lb greyhound on her back looks like!
Of course, she is terribly hungry and her teeth clatter together in anticipation of food. She is being fed every 2 hours from 6am to midnite. (meanwhile our 15lb mutt feels entitled to frequent meals too). She has had no diarrhea and has kept all food in her tummy without trouble. We bought Blue Buffalo puppyfood without gluten because of its high kcal and high protein content. We also have the Natural Balance “sausages” that are high in protein and bought a vitamin/energy puppy paste that we put in her food as well. The probiotics should help her while on all these antibiotics and the organic greek yogurt should help too! We have given her cooked hamburger and cooked eggs and rice. She eats everything offered. And I am pleased to say, she remembers her manners and does not counter surf like she did when we first adopted her. After just 48 hours, her face doesn’t seem quite as shriveled and hollowed.
The past 2 nights, Daisy has whined and cried in her sleep. I think she is having bad dreams. We just reassure her and remind her that she is home. She settles back down quickly. The first night she was too weak to climb our stairs to go to bed (both dogs sleep in our bedroom) and Chris has been carrying her up. Today, she took the stairs up herself.
I am still finding dead ticks on her, I don’t know how many hundreds she had on her. She has many many abrasions on her and open wounds and swollen pawpads and swollen “elbows”. I have a sodium sulfacetamide and sulfur cleanser that we will use in her bath later today. She continues to favor the hip where she presumably was hit by the car, but is not limping. My vet has a water tank for aqua therapy/rehab that I hope she can start in about a week.
The Oconee Enterprise (newspaper) and the Oconee patch have interviewed us with promises of articles. I have left my contact numbers for the editor of Athens patch. Everywhere we go and see the “Daisy flyers” we take them down and tell her story. The news of Daisy’s return has begun to spread throughout the community. We all need to hear wonderful news in the midst of all the horrific news we hear on tv/radio/newspapers.
I will keep you, her greyter greyhound family, updated in her progress. I remain profoundly thankful and pleased to be a member of this greyhound family.
Lauren
Daisy Resting at Home Day 3
Update on Daisy from Lauren :-)
My prayers answered, my heart humbled, my soul rejoices….to all of you who have loved a dog enough to give Daisy your time, effort, prayers, advice, resources, I thank you. I am inspired by your faith that Daisy could and would survive and that we could and would find her!
As Chris was placing food on the Bob Godfrey property, he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. Instead of rushing over, making eye contact or any sudden movement, he walked away. Then he started talking softly to her. He circled around her. He opened his back pack and doggie treats to make lots of familiar sounds. When he finally did glance over at her, she simply lifted her head up and then flopped down. She was so weak! Chris slowly approached her, put a leash on her, then carried her to the car. Off to the vet they went, where she was given antibiotics for the ticks, deworming, and plucked off too many ticks to count. It appears that she has an injury to her left hind leg, perhaps where she had been hit by the car. She has many abrasions and weighs 34 lbs (previously 56lbs). I have never seen a thinner dog…..
She came home and recognized Penny (our 15lb mutt) her home, her back yard. She has had a bath and is enjoying the indoors.
She is sleeping in her kennel, with her new toys, and there is a collective sigh of relief all across Georgia!
I know she will need nutritional support and suggestions for rehabilitation are appreciated. You all are amazing!
“All is well, with my soul”
Lauren
DAISY HAS BEEN FOUND!!!
Chris (owner) found her laying in the woods. He has taken her to the vet.
Words cannot express how overjoyed we are! Please let her be okay!
Need for Searchers Today
Update from Lauren:
There are more pink flyers in the plastic box along with a more targeted map and a list of street names that need flyers.
We are putting a feeding station at 120 Greyfriars where she has been seen twice by Tom. Chris has talked to Tom in detail about the sightings and we feel confident it is Daisy.
My heartfelt thanks to all who searched and handed out flyers and prayed today!
Lauren
Lauren’s home address: 1501 Hickory Hill Drive, Watkinsville, GA 30677
Finding Miss Daisy 