Another (very, very) near miss!

I just found an email in my spam folder from someone who sent along some pictures of a brindle dog found a couple of months ago. The sender thought it wasn't Olivia because of markings on the paws, and was right - it's not Olivia. Even though I was prepared by the comment, though, my reaction when I saw the first picture was, "Oh my God - it's Olivia!!!!" None of our other near-misses has looked so incredibly much like her as to elicit this reaction! I'm really glad the person noticed the paws because otherwise I would have been so sure we'd found her then be really, really disappointed to go get the dog only to discover she's not Olivia. (Still, my hope made me want to send back the ridiculous question, "Any chance her paws were bleached or that's white paint?" I know better, but I just really, really hoped it was Livvie.)

Here are the picture that I thought was Olivia and the one that shows it's not.

I'm posting this not because it is an actual lead, but just because this near miss was so exciting for me! Meanwhile, even though the fliers we put up on our huge search party in December didn't elicit any sightings, I'm going to try to put more up in case Livvie has been laying low but shows her sweet face again soon. Anyone want to help?

No Such Luck....

I'm really, really sorry to say that Bean, the dog at the Harford Humane Society, was not Olivia. I always like to go in person if I can, but this one was an hour and a half away. I was not able to borrow a car to get up there, so I talked to the staff person responsible for her there. As hopeful as I wanted to be, I actually didn't think it was her from the picture. First, Bean did look a lot like Olivia, but her brindle coat seemed more brown than black (whereas Olivia's is more black than brown), and - it's kind of hard to articulate, but - her face didn't quite have the same hang-dog look as Livvy's. Also, the shelter staff had estimated Bean's age to be about 5 and, if the vet's estimate of Olivia's age was right, she should only be about 3. Still, that wasn't a big enough difference to make me sure that Bean isn't Olivia.

Since none of that was dispositive, I talked to the caretaker there about some other details. The criterion I usually use to screen possible matches ruled Bean out. She has white markings but Olivia doesn't. I actually had him double-check and he said she actually has several white spots. There was one other factor that only confirmed it. Bean was becoming eligible for adoption, and the shelter staff brought her up front to the office. When I heard this, I asked about her demeanor. Apparently, Bean is friendly and well-socialized - he said he would not even describe her as shy, much less unsocialized to people.

So this potential lead ended up being a disappointment, but I'd always rather find out about all possibilities, no matter how remote. Unfortunately, we still haven't gotten any recent sightings, so please keep your eyes open, fingers/paws crossed, etc., and maybe our luck will turn around soon.

Could it be Olivia?!

Yesterday I got a call from a shelter in Harford County, Maryland - about an hour and a half (by car) away from DC - about a dog they call Bean who looks incredibly like Olivia! It may or may not actually be Olivia, but this is the first exciting lead since our big search party in December. I am going to try to drive up there and meet this dog today, and I really hope it's Livvie! Fingers crossed...