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Wild Bill
climber
Ca
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Feb 22, 2007 - 12:57pm PT
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Bump for the love of a dog.
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Shirin
Social climber
Berkeley
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Feb 22, 2007 - 01:24pm PT
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I just want to thank all of you (well most of you, anyway) for your kind thoughts and your advice. Oof has been my best friend for my entire adult life, ever since she came to me 16 years ago from an unknown place, with unknown ancestry and at an unknown age (she could be much older than 17 now for all I know). We have shared countless adventures and she has always enjoyed life to the fullest. The mountains were always her favorite place and she was really excited to be there. On the way to the gorge we stopped in Tahoe and she was racing around in the snow like a young pup again.
I have been searching for her for almost a week and (until last night) I was sleeping in the lower gorge parking lot where I last saw her. I searched the table lands for several miles in every direction, and the cliffs as well as I could. I posted flyers at all the gorge entrances, various places in Bishop, the animal shelters, and put announcements in the Inyo Register and the local radio stations. She had tags on her collar and also has a microchip, so I'm hoping that if anyone does find her they will contact me. Everyone we talked to in Bishop was incredibly helpful and concerned.
At this point I think that she must be gone for good. She disappeared on top of the rim where there is absolutely no water for miles around. If she made it down to the gorge there is a possibility she might still be alive, but I think someone would have seen her by now if she was down there (she loves people). If any of you do make it to the gorge soon, please keep an eye out for any sign of her - maybe she will sneak out of the bushes and steal your sandwich when you least expect it. I will probably be back there myself as soon as it stops snowing in the mountains and the roads are clear (I had to come back to Berkeley last night because my friend had to get back to work).
I know that some people think dogs should be kept on a leash for various reasons, including keeping them safe. Oof always had a wild streak and has disappeared into the bushes many times, but this is the first time she hasn't come back. Like me, she needs to get her "fix" in the wild country every once in a while. A lot of the things I love to do are risky, and I know I would be safer if I never left the house but I would probably die of boredom. If she did die, I hope it was relatively quick and painless, and at least I know she had a brief period of ecstatic happiness running free before she went. Even if she did die a lingering, painful death, it would have been the way any wild thing dies. I would like to have been there with her to ease her pain, but maybe that is more to make myself feel better. If there is anything I do regret, it is that I didn't take her into the mountains more often so that we could have had more adventures together before she went.
Lisa
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L
climber
The City of Lost Angels
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Feb 22, 2007 - 01:25pm PT
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Wild Bill,
It's obvious you hate Crowley. That's your personal stuff and I'm sure you'll deal with that however you see fit. But I know AC on a different level than you do. He may be a lot of things, but he's not a dog hater and he's not cruel like that freak of nature gw is.
Hate him for his politics. Hate him for whatever. But don't link him with that nimnoid cause it ain't the truth. Thanks.
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L
climber
The City of Lost Angels
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Feb 22, 2007 - 01:32pm PT
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Lisa,
Until you find a body, I won't give condolences for a pup that might still be out there.
But thank you for sharing your history with Oof with us (well, like you said, most of us anyway). Just from her photos I could tell she was special--beautiful and loving. And that you loved her so much says a lot about you, too.
I'll keeping hoping she turns up somewhere and that you're reunited eventually.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Feb 22, 2007 - 01:33pm PT
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Sorry to hear about oof, Lisa. Sounds like she had a great life with a caring 'Mom'. If it makes you feel any better, it sounds like you've done all you could. Probably more than most would have done. I hope she does turn up. God bless.
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paganmonkeyboy
Trad climber
the blighted lands of hatu
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Feb 22, 2007 - 01:34pm PT
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hi lisa
sorry about oofy
excellent post, valid points...
>sympathetic interweb hug<
losing family is always tough
be well
-tom
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nita
climber
chico ca
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Feb 22, 2007 - 01:37pm PT
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I happen to know who Crowley is, and he is not gw. I used to know his sweet old dog.... Crowley can be an ass,and anstigator,
but he can also be nice. He is also not a trust-funder...he works and he adores his son.
Lisa still hoping you and OOF find each other.
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10b4me
Trad climber
California
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Feb 22, 2007 - 08:45pm PT
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Lisa, sounds like you did all you could. good luck
Steve
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trapeze artemis
climber
Surf City
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Feb 23, 2007 - 11:22am PT
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Here girl, come home Oofy
Lisa I hope she returns soon.
*bump*
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TopRopeGun
Trad climber
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Feb 23, 2007 - 11:48am PT
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I feel for ya, best of luck for you and the oofster.
However...it's hard to remember for us humans, but very often animals wish to be alone when it's "time". Nothing personal.
Looks like she has lived a fantastic life. Rejoice in that!
(I am only saying this because we are dealing with our 14 year old getting there)
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Standing Strong
Trad climber
offices & honkytonks
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Feb 23, 2007 - 06:10pm PT
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*bump*
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Jaybro
Social climber
The West
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Feb 23, 2007 - 07:07pm PT
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Good luck Oofy and Lisa,
Who TF cares who a crowly is?
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Shirin
Social climber
Berkeley
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Hi everyone,
I wish I had good news to report but there is still no trace of Oof and it is driving me crazy not knowing what happened to her. I went back there the end of last week and stayed through Sunday, and I thought I had done everything I could so I came back home. Previously I had considered things like hiring a helicopter to search (I was told it would be very difficult to see a black dog from a helicopter on that type of terrain), or getting a search and rescue dog to help (I found out that they are trained to search for humans only).
I finally found out about someone who has dogs specifically trained to search for lost pets, and she has agreed to come up from LA to help me. Its questionable whether the scent would remain after this length of time (its been almost 2 weeks) but there have been cases of dogs picking up a scent even after several weeks.
In order to do the search they do need a volunteer search team in addition to the dog search team. I have a few friends that will be going back to Owens with me to help, but I'm wondering if there might be any Bishop locals that would be willing to help out for a couple of hours starting at noon on Friday? Ideally they like to have a team of 10-20 people.
I know it might sound crazy and futile to do this when chances are she won't be found alive, but she has been my best friend for so long and I feel that I need to do everything I can in order to put my mind to rest. Even if it is just to find her remains, it would help me to get some closure.
If you are in the Bishop area and you think you might be able to help, please send me an email today before 5pm, or give me a call on my cell at (415)505-4139.
Thanks!
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 1, 2007 - 05:01pm PT
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Bump.
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maculated
Trad climber
San Luis Obispo, CA
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Shirin, this may sound utterly nuts, but there is a huge enclave of pet psychics in Berkeley that claim the ability to find lost pets. I know of a few people who hired them and did, indeed, find their pets.
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atchafalaya
Trad climber
California
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Not in Bishop, but, I would donate the $ for a case of beer for the search crew if it would help. Email if interested. Best of luck Shirin...
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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I'll second Atch's offer. E-mail me for a second case of beer or other necessities. Seriously.
Sorry, but I can't make it in person. Wife's got an eye doctor appointment and I'm the chaeuffer.
Good Luck!
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L
climber
The City of Lost Angels
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I'm not in Bishop either, but would be happy to pitch in for beer/eats for the search team along with atchafalaya.
Please contact me by email.
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Melissa
Gym climber
berkeley, ca
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 1, 2007 - 08:56pm PT
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Thanks for the offers! I think most of us are OK w/o the beers, but I'll let Lisa get in touch w/ you herself. With the size of our search team at present, we could get really stinkin' blind drunk on all of that...but I don't know if that would be the best thing. ;-)
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Shirin
Social climber
Berkeley
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Thanks for the offers guys! I will be more than happy to treat any volunteers to dinner along with all the beer you can drink (or wine, vodka, or whatever your drink of choice is!) We'll be doing the search with the dogs on Friday, but will still be there on Saturday searching if we haven't found her, so if you're in the area and can pitch in a couple of hours just give me a call at (415)505-4139.
Thanks again!
Lisa
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