# Rescues in MI-Need Your Help, Please



## yorkieville (May 9, 2005)

Hi, to Everyone that has a Rescue in Michigan, or anyone that may live in Ypsilanti, MI.

Please, I need your help. I don't know why I didn't think to post here, sooner.

There is a tiny, 4 1/2# Maltese female, that went missing, 12/10. Her name is Rikki.

She was lost in Ypsilanti. 

The story is that my friend in Canada, placed Rikki with a lady in MI, on 12/8. Not 58 hours later, this woman left Rikki home alone with her 27 year old, loser, son. He said he "forgot" that she wasn't allowed outside, and she was barking & howling, so he opened the door and let her outside.

She ran from him and he chased her across a highway, and couldn't find her. 

This precious girl had never known an unhappy day in her life, until then. 

She made it through her 1st night and was spotted the next day, 12/11, by a Pastor of the Baptist church, on the handi-cap ramp of his church. He told someone he felt it was better to leave her, than to chase her off. 

The Pastor of the Methodist church saw her huddled amongst the animals in his church's Nativity.

Apparently, the son came over, and some of his family joined him in the search on 12/11, and they spotted her on the porch of the house next to the Baptist church. She ran from them, into the brush behind the church.

They did not pursue her, they just stood there.

My friend & her husband arrived from Canada, just 1 hour later.

The woman had not called her until 12/11 at 11:00 A.M.

They searched for hours, and could not find her.

The brush is too dense for a Maltese to go through without getting their hair caught, so I feel very strongly, she went along the edge and went somewhere else.

I believe someone took her inside, maybe called a Rescue.

Please, if you have received a tiny female Maltese, let me know.

My friend wants her back so badly. She feels Rikki ran because she wanted to come home, and she wants Rikki home with her.

She is blaming herself, for making the decision to place her, and I fear she is not going to make it, if she doesn't find Rikki.

She's been back down again to search. She's bought numerous dog search business contracts. There is an amber alert out on Rikki and there are flyer's everywhere.

She's beside herself. She is not functioning.

Please if anyone knows anyone in Ypsilanti, MI, tell them about Rikki.

Thank You, 
Sincerely,
Sheila


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## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

OMG they must be devistated. It's sad that that none of the people who saw her would have done a little extra to catch her and bring her in.

I once helped a neighbour chase after a little white dog,that was growling and snapping for over a mile. A friend of mine was fostering and one of her grand kids accidentally let the dog out and she took off.

I got my husband's welding gloves came over and we finally caught her.
It was in the summer,so no fear of her freezing but more a fear of coyotes and her getting caught in the brush w/ her long hair.


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## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

Try posting a lot pet advert on Craigs list too,I did that when my son's dog came up missing in Montana.


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## yorkieville (May 9, 2005)

michellerobison said:


> OMG they must be devistated. It's sad that that none of the people who saw her would have done a little extra to catch her and bring her in.
> 
> I once helped a neighbour chase after a little white dog,that was growling and snapping for over a mile. A friend of mine was fostering and one of her grand kids accidentally let the dog out and she took off.
> 
> ...


She is truly devastated. She can't eat, she can't sleep. 

The lady never told her that her son has severe ADHD. He had just come home from somewhere that Monday; homeless, jobless. 

I am so angry that those idiots just stood there.

And my friend, just keeps saying, they missed her by 1 hour. 1 hour sooner and she would have been there and had her Rikki back.

God Bless you for saving the little white dog that your friend was fostering.

I am praying that someone just as kind as you, found Rikki.

We're worried about wildlife, as well.

But I truly feel in my heart, that someone right there in the area found her and took her inside. She's so tiny, she couldn't have gotten too far away.


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## yorkieville (May 9, 2005)

michellerobison said:


> Try posting a lot pet advert on Craigs list too,I did that when my son's dog came up missing in Montana.


Yes, she has several posts on Craig's list, and we have been answering ad's, trying to find Rikki.

If the weather were just a little warmer, my husband and I could take our travel trailer to MI, and spend a few weeks, just talking to people. But, sadly, it wasn't built for this cold weather.


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## maltlovereileen (Jan 19, 2009)

How very very sad.... am saying big prayers that little Rikki is found safe and sound and brought back to a safe home


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## yorkieville (May 9, 2005)

maltlovereileen said:


> How very very sad.... am saying big prayers that little Rikki is found safe and sound and brought back to a safe home


It is so sad, and it should never have happened. 

Thank you so much for praying for Rikki. I'm more grateful than I can put into words.


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## maltlovereileen (Jan 19, 2009)

I guess the rescue never asked if they had a fenced in yard either? Hopefully, they will find her. But it's also a good reminder why it's so important to do home checks - there are a lot of people out there who will 'omit' certain relevant information that may make the difference in whether a home would be a safe environment for a placement or not. If you actually go lay eyeballs on the place a foster pup will possibly be living, red flags could pop up that will help you make the best decision. Not to revisit this situation which is tragic and I'm sure your friend is devasted, but hopefully, no more placements of this group's rescues will happen without home checks. Impossible to do when you are placing so far away. I think that's why so many rescue groups will say that they don't adopt out of their immediate area (because they can't see what the dog's living situation will be like).

Please keep us posted on sweet little Rikki...so small to be out there in the elements.  I sure hope someone spotted that tiny little angel and took her in. Did she have any tags/microchip? If so, I would also alert any vets and check with area shelters.


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## missiek (Jan 2, 2010)

Oh no! I will say a prayer for Rikki that she is found and returned to your friend.


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## socalyte (Nov 15, 2010)

OMG I will be praying for the poor little fluff to get rescued-- I can't believe anyone would just leave a pup that is obviously lost and not take them in for food and shelter. That boggles my mind. 

Whenever I see a stray dog I always take them in and search for the owner. I once saw a beautiful shepherd scavenging for food and I brought him in and fed him, then called the number on the tag. Turns out he jumped out of the truck of a guy who was watching him for a friend. He'd jumped out at least a mile away two days prior, and how he found his way to my street I have no idea. 

Please let us know when she gets found!


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## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

Me too I take in strays when I find them.I couldn't chase them away, I'm always thinking they were lost and scared. My son's dog jumped out of his semi in the middle of the Montana wilderness,talking coyotes,wolves,bears,you name it. Below zero temps and tons of show. She turned up safe in a shelter and it took us over a week to get her back,but we did. This happened over Thanksgiving week end.

Read thread http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/59-...grandpuppy-lost-prayers-i-posted-piccies.html

Always hope trust me,always hope. Truly there is always hope. I even posted about her on Facebook!


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## yorkieville (May 9, 2005)

maltlovereileen said:


> I guess the rescue never asked if they had a fenced in yard either? Hopefully, they will find her. But it's also a good reminder why it's so important to do home checks - there are a lot of people out there who will 'omit' certain relevant information that may make the difference in whether a home would be a safe environment for a placement or not. If you actually go lay eyeballs on the place a foster pup will possibly be living, red flags could pop up that will help you make the best decision. Not to revisit this situation which is tragic and I'm sure your friend is devasted, but hopefully, no more placements of this group's rescues will happen without home checks. Impossible to do when you are placing so far away. I think that's why so many rescue groups will say that they don't adopt out of their immediate area (because they can't see what the dog's living situation will be like).
> 
> Please keep us posted on sweet little Rikki...so small to be out there in the elements.  I sure hope someone spotted that tiny little angel and took her in. Did she have any tags/microchip? If so, I would also alert any vets and check with area shelters.


 
It wasn't a Rescue that had placed her. It was my friend, that had placed her with someone she truly cared about and knew to be a very good Mom. She's known the lady for years, they've been back & forth to each others homes.

She wasn't chipped, and I don't know if the new owner had tags on her, but my friend has alerted every Vet in the area, has an amber alert out on her, and and has paid for numerous companies that search for lost dogs.

I truly feel that someone found her. And I was hoping maybe they turned her over to a Rescue, or if they kept her, maybe someone in MI was a member here, and might have possibly heard about it, seen the flyer's, the amber alert.


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## yorkieville (May 9, 2005)

michellerobison said:


> Me too I take in strays when I find them.I couldn't chase them away, I'm always thinking they were lost and scared. My son's dog jumped out of his semi in the middle of the Montana wilderness,talking coyotes,wolves,bears,you name it. Below zero temps and tons of show. She turned up safe in a shelter and it took us over a week to get her back,but we did. This happened over Thanksgiving week end.
> 
> Read thread http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/59-...grandpuppy-lost-prayers-i-posted-piccies.html
> 
> Always hope trust me,always hope. Truly there is always hope. I even posted about her on Facebook!


 
Oh, Michelle, I cried through that entire thread, and at the end, my tears were tears of joy!

Thank you so much for posting the link.

I truly do have hope.

I attend mass every morning, and I put Rikki in the Lord's hands. 

I believe she is alive, and it is just a matter of word getting out, that she has a Mommy & Daddy that are in such grief, and and in such pain, over making the decision to place her, and all they want in the world is to have her back home with them.

I would give anything to be able to find Rikki and put in her in my friends arms.


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## yorkieville (May 9, 2005)

missiek said:


> Oh no! I will say a prayer for Rikki that she is found and returned to your friend.


Oh, thank you so very much for your prayers!

I truly believe it will be prayers that will bring Rikki back home

My friend is so heartsick, that I am worried about her, as much as I am, Rikki.

She is one of the best people I know, has the most compassionate heart.

She really struggled with giving Rikki up, but she felt Rikki would save this lady's life. It was a huge sacrifice on her part, and for it to turn out this way, is more than unfair to Rikki and to her.


So, I continue to spread the word, answer ads, and most of all, pray, and ask God for a mirace in this the season of the miracle of His birth.


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## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

yorkieville said:


> Oh, Michelle, I cried through that entire thread, and at the end, my tears were tears of joy!
> 
> Thank you so much for posting the link.
> 
> ...


 
Don't be too hard on the lady who had her,maybe she couldn't predict that her son would do that if he wasn't a permanent resident in her home.

When Sadie got lost,I googled the area,it's like something out of a western ,dense woods and all the critters you think are in them. I thought 
But w/ prayers and hope and SM holding my hand via Pms and posts,we got her back.

We don't have a genced in yard and we live in a rural area ,out in the country w/ coyotes and eagles. I put mine on a leash ,most of the time. Soemtimes I let them play but we're always out w/ them,they can get excited by rabbits and all sorts of critters and take off.

We're here. Keep us posted

Yipsilanti is about an hour and a half from us. Need help looking? I'll come and help.


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## yorkieville (May 9, 2005)

michellerobison said:


> Don't be too hard on the lady who had her,maybe she couldn't predict that her son would do that if he wasn't a permanent resident in her home.
> 
> When Sadie got lost,I googled the area,it's like something out of a western ,dense woods and all the critters you think are in them. I thought
> But w/ prayers and hope and SM holding my hand via Pms and posts,we got her back.
> ...


I'm trying hard, not to be upset with him, because it takes away my focus on finding Rikki and helping to keep my friend going. And you're right, thelday couldn't have known her sonwould just open the door and let her go outside. 

Yes, this is a dense area, too, but he chased her across a highway, into a less rural area, and there are two church's where she was spotted the 2nd day, and there are business's and homes, etc.

So, he may have actually saved her life. I don't know. Just wish he hadn't chased her. 

My husband & I don't have a fenced yard, either. We live 15 minutes outside of the city, and we always keep our girls on 4' leads. We have coyote and falcons, too. We don't take any chances with our babies.

Thanks for being here.

A group of people that live there, search daily.

Mostly right now, we are just trying to spread the word, in case someone has found her, etc.

God Bless you for offering to help search.

I truly pray, that someone as kind as you, has found her.


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## socalyte (Nov 15, 2010)

Is there a local newspaper or local news station that might take an interest? It's a good human interest story that might be appealing to a news outlet. It wouldn't hurt to try!


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## yorkieville (May 9, 2005)

socalyte said:


> Is there a local newspaper or local news station that might take an interest? It's a good human interest story that might be appealing to a news outlet. It wouldn't hurt to try!


My friend contacted the local TV station and never got a reply.

I'll suggest the newspaper and the radio station. 

Thank you so much for the ideas.

I just know that Rikki is out there, somewhere with someone, that just hasn't heard that she is so dearly loved and missed.

Or, I fear they know, and don't want to give her up. Maybe they don't understand that it is Rikki's feeling that have to come first.


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## michellerobison (Dec 17, 2009)

yorkieville said:


> My friend contacted the local TV station and never got a reply.
> 
> I'll suggest the newspaper and the radio station.
> 
> ...


 
I'd try the station again,bug them until they respond. I'm sure they'd do a human interest story on her. Hopefully someone will see it and say something if a friend,neighbour or relative had found a fluffy white dog recently.


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## yorkieville (May 9, 2005)

michellerobison said:


> I'd try the station again,bug them until they respond. I'm sure they'd do a human interest story on her. Hopefully someone will see it and say something if a friend,neighbour or relative had found a fluffy white dog recently.


I think we are going to bug them again, the TV station, the radio station, and the newpaper.


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