Real Life Images

Nothing to report as yet on any sightings from Welwyn, we are just hanging on every unknown call right now, hoping it'll be the lead we need there.

I thought I would add a note for those of you who have asked me recently if I have any video footage I can send in email.
Rather than me do that, I thought it would be a lot easier for you to look at the YouTube videos put on there some weeks ago.
If you go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1Ecg5Sjgmk&feature=related
there are a few videos on there of Jacob in different places, though I'll say here that perhaps they aren't very clear.
It may however give you a rough idea of size, colouring and gait etc.

I'll take a look in moment to see if I have any others I can add.

Good news for Ffion and Tim with perhaps fresh sightings of Sky in a familiar area.
We SO hope that it can prove to be him - boy that would be the greatest lift ever.
Good luck both, 'come on Sky, enough of that extended holiday, time to head home now'.

Jacob Houdini ?

Apologies the late posting of news.
It's been (to say the least) a crazy, and somewhat very tiring week.
That is tiring both physically, and emotionally.

Before I waffle on and bring you up to date I have to say a huge Thank You to everyone who has emailed us and sent advice and support, it's truly amazing how many of you are out there just willing Jacob to be back home.

There are also many of you who are also looking for your lost pets, and I sympathise with you all knowing the heartache it brings.
It's been a (very scary) eye opener for us as to how big a business dog knapping is, it's incredible the lengths these thieves go to to get the dog they want, so please, please make sure your dog is microchipped, and take extra care leaving them in your garden if it's easily accessible to anyone. From the stories I read, there are no lengths a thief won't go to to get the pet it wants.
So beware. You really don't want to have to go through this nightmare, take it from me.

I have to mention a lady that has a blog that reaches out to lost pets everywhere, she is doing sterling work, so please support her where you are able, and take a look at her blog in case any of the pets there are ones you might have seen in your own area.
Lesley lost 2 cats, one of which is still missing, he is Sam and is missing from the Peterbrough area. Full details him are on her site below :

http://www.foundandlostpets.blogspot.com/

Thank You................


...............Back to Jacob's plight, well we have, as you know been on the trail of someone who has been seen with a dog very much described as being Jacob, this dog in question being walked in a park over in Welwyn Garden City.
I can tell you that now, as we have waited and waited, and waited some more for him to walk this dog, but have unfortunately not been lucky to see him no matter what time of day we've been there, and we've been there some odd hours I have to say.
The lovely lady who has initially informed us of this sighting in the first place, has herself been out too, as well as our brilliant friends, who have trailed themselves around the park in all weathers, in order to try to catch a glimpse of this fella and the dog.

Jon and I have been there too, most days, and all weekends up until Saturday.
So far none of us have seen this fella, which as disheartening as it is, is pretty strange too.
We wonder now if somehow he knows we are out looking ?
That said it's hard to know if he's been out or not, it's difficult to know as it's so easy to miss people.
A lady I spoke with on Saturday just gone, had said that some of the fisherman around the park are not all as nice as they might firstly seem, so we wonder now, that as we know the fella likes fishing, that perhaps one of them we discretely gave a flyer to last weekend had tipped him off we were out in force.
Who knows ........

It's fair to say that in the past 10 days not one of the regular walkers has seen him, and we did flyer many of them in the hope that one of them would catch a glimpse. So far nothing.
We can't understand it. Even the lady who initially called is bewildered too.
We do know that this fella had been ill, we know that through someone who vaguely knows him (but not well enough to tell us where he lives etc) so that kind of covers a few days last week.
We also know from this fella that the dog is constantly wanting to go out, so it makes us wonder, does he not have garden access, does he live in a flat or apartment ?
Seems noone has seem him around, which is extremely strange, as a dog needs a walk whatever time you have, be it a 10 minute trot round the block or a 2hr trek, they need a walk surely, and Jacob I know for a fact would drive you mad being cooped up all day without a run.

After spending more time around the park at W.G.C than we have done at home this past 10 days, on Saturday we grouped together some friends and decided that we would put flyers through the doors on the estate we believe he lives on, and also we also postered the whole of the park, and the surrounding areas.
If he is a kind man, then hopefully he will give us a call, even if it's to eliminate the dog he has if it's not Jacob. We just need to know, one way or another.
Right now, it's taking the emphasis off us doing anything elsewhere.

I'm assured that the fella we want to see is the sort of man who would want to do the right thing, and we're told he would not want to deny us our dog if it was Jacob, and that does reassure me a little that he may well ring us in time.
We heard that he bought the dog from Travellers, and that it was from a place called Dale Farm.
Of course we Googled Dale Farm in Welwyn, which only came up with a Dairy Crest depot, whose manager kind of laughed at us requesting info about any Travellers working there, or having been there at all.
Then the penny sort of dropped, and we remembered back to that original Googling and that it brought up a Travellers site called Dale Farm/Crays Hill in Billericay.
This is the Travellers site that is one of the largest in the UK, and is usually in much controversy over the ownership of land etc, and makes the news quite often I am told.
I am not saying they are bad people there, but could this be where this fella had 'found' Jacob ?

He apparently said that he 'got' him from a 'Dale Farm', so perhaps he was working nearby in Billericay, met up with travellers in the local pub, and got asked about the dog ?
Apparently it was chained up at a Travellers site, and that the Travellers said "So do you want it then or not, we can't do nothing with it, we've tried"
I daren't think what that means, but if this fella saw this dog chained up, and took pity upon it enough to hand over £100, and drive off with it, well in my eyes he can't be all bad can he.
Really, if it does turn out to be Jacob, then he did us a huge favour didn't he.

If he is reading this, and is worried, all we want to say to him is this.
"We just want to know if the dog you have is ours. Nothing more, nothing less. It's that simple. We aren't looking for any trouble, getting the police involved etc, we just want Jacob back if it's him, and the monies paid out by you will be suitably reimbursed.
We don't need any contact even. Just leave him with someone, a rescue centre - a friend of yours even, and let us know where to find him. Even a photo of him to 07828 671550 would be a good way for us to see if it's Jacob or not.
A local vet would be a good start if not, as Jacob is microchipped so they will see we are his legal owners. I hope you will do the right thing, for everyone's peace of mind, and to make this nightmare be over for us. Pure and simple, we just want our dog back, not any trouble that you might feel could come with that".

So, as you can see, there really is not much else for me to tell you, even though there is much going on, for the most part so far without result sadly.

We have now, as I said earlier, postered the park and surrounding area so that the public can do the work for us.
We will stay away for a while now, and take a step back to let things evolve naturally if they are going to.

We really hope that something good can come of the hours we've spent over there, the work we've left behind to do that.
Our emotions are running high right now, waiting to know if he's there, or whether the dog is Jacob or not. One way or another we will find out.
It's hard to move on from this until we know for sure. It's like mental torture as for a second there we felt we had him in our sights, but as time moves on the tunnel of light just keeps getting darker and darker........
Someone must know something surely, and I hope that they will step forward and tell us any information they know regardless of how irrelevant they feel it is.
The posters and the flyers have to do some of the work for us now.
We just have to wait and be patient ................ again.

All good things, come to those that wait.....apparently

Ahhh such a tired boy in this photo
When he's that tired, we always joke that he's got the 'hoody's on', as his eyes just drop like stones and he curls up like a cat, and looks so lovely - !

Again, can I start my blog by Thanking everyone for their support, for both logistical and physical help these past few days, you all astound us as to your willingness to help. THANK YOU !

Well, the past few days have passed us by in a whirlwind of rushing about and travelling to and from the place where he was seen with this man last week.

We've spent countless hours wandering about this place in the sheer hope that one of us would come across this fella and be able to see what dog he had acquired.

So far though, no luck, despite 5 of us being out at all times of the day and night.

It's utterly frustrating, but we know we have to be patient, and as they say all good things come to those who wait.

Well, blimey, I think we've waited long enough Thank You very much.

Reward time for good behaviour if you please.

The curiosity of wanting to know if this dog is Jacob is making us ill, we are both feeling crappy these past few days.

I think that unbeknown to you at the time, the stress levels rising and the anxious feelings you have, and I suspect coupled with lack of sleep, eventually, well it's going to catch up and take it's toll. Right now I feel I could curl up and just sleep and cry !

As much as we try to stay strong, just sometimes I feel like I want to have the most awful outburst, and shout and scream outloud "WHY US" ! Hell maybe one day I will !

I know for a fact that we have put far too much emphasis on hoping this can be Jakey, and for everyone involved it's hard too, including the lady who told us about him in the 1st place - it must be worrying for her as she knows how desperate we are for it to be Jacob - of course we are excited, but also we are not naive enough to think that it could also not be him, and for that noone would be to blame.

This lovely lady who helped us, and was kind enough to come forward in the very 1st place (whereby some would have just turned a blind eye) is seriously unwell too, and bless her heart she's been out and about, hour upon hour trying to locate this fella and dog.

So, I really should stop feeling so sorry for myself, buck up my ideas and carry on.

Another good vibe we have in the pipeline is that we might be able to get some tv coverage, which in itself would be fantastic to highlight both Jacob's being missing but also Sky, Ffion and Tim's lovely Lab.

It's an angle we hope to 'sell' to the media, and we just hope that if we can locate both of our boys, none of that will be needed.

Poor Ffion and Tim were welcomed back into the arms of the UK after 2 relaxing weeks in Japan and New Zealand, by their phones ringing off the hook with sightings of black labs, mostly ones which unfortunately were not Sky.

I really feel for them, they are tired, jetlagged, and having to carry out their stressful jobs 12 hrs after stepping foot back onto UK soil.

I hope something good comes from all the calls you two.

You can see their blog to locate their missing Lab here http://skyisstillmissing.blogspot.com/

Thinking aloud about our current search, I think that maybe this 'search for man and dog' scenario will take a week, maybe two before it's concluded with one of us seeing the fella and said dog, and I pray more than anything that it's concludes with us taking home another gingery passenger.

Between us all we'll continue the search, we'll not give up for a moment.

Come home soon Jakey boy, to your fresh duvets, drinks from taps, and lots of love and cuddles from your family.

The beginning of the end of a nightmare ?????

Hunting high and low

I wanted to add this photo as it occurred to me today that we have never showed a photo of the top of Jacob's head.
The 2 'diamonds/paint splodges' on the top of his head are quite distinguishable, so it's good to show them clearly here, just in case it helps.

I think firstly I have to make my apologies for the lack of posts in the last 5 days.

It's been very hard not to bring you up to date, but the news we have to update this blog with should always be so that you can know what we have done and by doing that, ultimately what we achieved from it.

Firstly at the start of the week, we had information given to us that suggested that Jacob was with the local hunts people/terriermen.

I now those of you have followed us in Jacob's search will know that we have had calls before to the same tune, but this time we had a little more credible information, and some that had some weight to them in their suggestion. I can't be more specific at this point as I have to make consideration that perhaps, just perhaps, whoever has our boy could well be reading this just as you are now.

I just can't risk too much detail as it could well perhaps endanger his life, the very thing we fear most.

I don't think it would ever come to that, and forgive me for sounding so dramatic, but it's difficult (and as much a I want to share everything) I have to be careful this week to not take on specifics.

Please therefore forgive me for that. I will of course, once this is all explored and fully investigated tell you what has been going on. Hopefully it will be good news, we so, so hope so.

So, back to the beginning of the week, and on a bright Monday morning we found ourselves driving round all the local (and not so local) hunt kennels, just to satisfy ourselves that Jacob was not there, or being held by them accidentally, or for whatever purpose intended.

I have always maintained they had no reason to keep our dog.

They have their own breeding programmes and on the travels around we met some of those involved who did explain that breeding a dog like Jacob, a HPR, to a hound, it was not guaranteed that any puppies resulting to be born, would have that naturally occurring instinct as their own hounds would have. It would be therefore deemed too risky, and I for one would accept that as fair reason for them to not have him.

All the same we were offered at one of the local hunts, a look around which we did, and although the rest we visited seemed somewhat nervous at our arrival, they were happy to talk to us about Jacob, and took our posters stating they'd call if they saw him.

We couldn't ask for more than that really under the circumstances.

After all I am sure they get saboteur's arriving on their doorsteps, and that would account for their nervous approach and standoffish behaviour.

We made sure that we postered the areas on route too, so that was another 100 or so posters were put out even further afield.

Driving along at lunchtime, I think we had a call from the teenager who called with her sweet apology some 24hrs earlier.

Obviously thinking a little more than before, she decided she'd withhold her number this time (police say this is actually still reversible so good to know for the future should we need to trace any calls)

I am not sure (and won't apologise if it's not her as once bitten and all that)....but she put on the same accent a I remembered from before, and then as soon as she waited for me to answer, my silence obviously annoyed her, as it materialised that she had, and was playing up to her teenage audience (how very grown up she was!) and they proceeded to 'egg' her on to "put her on speaker phone" and loudly shouted out "we've got you do-o-og" whereby I rang off.

Idiots.

I am sure I was never so cruel as a teenager.

Monday evening was rounded off nicely for us by another text, a different number this time, and simply said "we just saw your dog".

Oh happy days...just what you need before bedtime.

Stupid as it is, it affects you, I can't explain why, but it does. I am sure whoever wrote that would take joy in reading me write that, but I think all that's gone on this week, it has helped us lick our wounds and move on with our heads held high.

Wednesday evening this week came a huge (possible) breakthrough. I had a call from a lovely lady who had said she had taken regular daily walks in a park about an hour from us, had been doing these walks for a long time (won't mention the place for reasons that will become apparent) and had obviously come to meet regular dog walkers in that time.

She had met a guy that used to have a dog until a few months ago, and sadly that dog had died, and hence he hadn't been going for walks any more......

Until last week.

He had acquired a new dog, he had bought for £100 from travellers.

The description this lady has given matches Jacob in almost every way possible, and of course would make sense why he has not been seen locally for almost 8 weeks.

He could have been passed pillar to post and eventually ended up in the hands of this man, and as much as I am pleased/relieved he is perhaps with, what seems to be from information we have, a caring person, we are absolutely out of our minds with worry about getting him back.

The lady who offered us this vital information (I won't name her here) told us times he was seen walking the dog in question, and where abouts he walked it.

She kindly looked at this blog and said that the top photo (as was) of Jacob in the hay bag, really looked like the dog she'd seen.

She mentioned his silky soft ears, his ginger colouring (very orange) and his freckles.

This coupled with the height issues etc.

She even said the man who had said dog, mentioned how when he lit a fire, he was so close to it he was almost in it ! (anyone knowing Jacob knows how he adores fires, and lies as close as he can without physically being burnt alive!)

I felt physically sick after I heard all of this, my heart felt like we had a chance again.

It was a fantastic feeling after such awful, awful weeks.

The description she gave to us and the mannerisms felt so close to Jacob that when she was describing him, I could almost feel and touch him. It is without doubt the closest thing we've ever had. We both felt sick with anticipation when we spoke to this lady that evening, and came away desperate to know more.......is it him, IS IT HIM.

The lady said she would walk the same time as she had seen him that day, as the man with the dog said he'd be around about that time.

She would take a photo and text it to us from her phone.

We Thanked her and agreed we'd wait for that to come.

It would be a long night ahead.

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, he didn't turn up at the park that day (Thursday), and as desperate as we were, we had to wait for her to let us know when he did.

She texted us to not worry, and that sometimes he'd go about 3pm, so we waited anxiously all day, but again no show.

I don't know if Tiva our eldest Spin senses all of what's going on here, but yesterday she became very ill, off her food, sick, and very depressed.

Anyone that knows us well, knows that poor Tiva, being the eldest Spin has seen in the last 2 years, 4 of her doggie mates die (3 in 4 months) or (as of now) 1 go off not to come back.

It's taken some calming and reassurance that going into the car or another dog going out of the door, and her being left home, doesn't mean they aren't coming back for good.

She is a sensitive soul is Tiva, a dog in a million just like her litter Brother Ollie our epileptic.

We saw Tiva decline over Thursday and eventually passing lots of blood, so we had to rush her to the vets, who prescribed her as having a high temperature of 104, and possibly a gastro bug of sorts.

She was given a huge injection of antibiotics intravenously, pre-biotic paste to bring home and more pill form antibiotics.

We decided (against better judgement possibly!) she would stay in our bedroom so we could keep an eye on her, but my goodness, it was like sharing a bed with a kicking hippo !

On the bed, in the bed, out of the bed, and start all over again......awhhhhh

She snored then moaned, and i'd rub her tummy, and then prop myself up on one arm rubbing her tummy over and over as she moaned, me trying not to fall asleep

I woke like i'd done a 10hr flight - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz !

Today we went over to this park ourselves, and had help from 2 lovely friends who live pretty closely. Between us we had a wander round one side and us the other.

We finally came home all of us, after not seeing any dog vaguely familiar after a few hours walking.

I don't think he had been there.

The lady texted us afterwards to say her dog walking friends had seen him much earlier than we had been there, so we'd missed him.

Damn it !

So, again we have to wait for this lady to be able to show us a photo, or ring us with more information having spoken to the man with the dog.

We hope to get over the this place at some point tomorrow, so we can resume the search, we can't rest knowing this dog exists as a possibility as being ours.

We need this nightmare to be over, and over soon.

It's taking it's toll on us, especially after this week, it's been absolutely awful to say the least.

The call on Wednesday evening brought us so much hope, hope were scared of wishing into, but we can't help it. We need that optimism to keep us sane.

It's the photo we need really, we dream of it being our boy more than anything we've ever wished for. We feel so close, so very close.

We are not trying to raise our hopes too much, we of course could be heading for an almighty fall, we know that.

One way or another we need to see this dog ourselves and rule it out, or bring home Jacob.

We'll keep you posted as to the findings of course.

Once we know either way, things will become much clearer and obviously slightly less cryptic. We desperately wanted to flyer all the people at the park today, many fisherman probably could hold clues, but we shall wait, but soon we'll put up posters, but we can't do that just yet.

We don't want to scare this man off for fear of what he could do with Jacob if he feels hunted.

I am sure he'll be reasonable, i'm told by the lady who called he's a nice chap, so fingers crossed if it is Jacob that we can work things out easily, he is ours after all.

Fingers/toes and paws all crossed for a photo tomorrow.

Panic over

This photo reminded me how lovely natured and what a clown Jacob is.
We'd moved some hay and put it into a rubble bag, only to look around 10 minutes later to find he'd made his very own nest and lay quite happily in it, legs tucked in tight, very comfy indeed !

Out of the quiet that was yesterday came the shock call from the mobile phone number we have desperately been trying to trace, and that was in the hands of the Essex Police, and a few other people helping us track down the caller to ensure she/they didn't have Jacob.

At 6.23pm last night, just as we were finishing working in the garden Jon's mobile rang and he immediately noticed the number.

Answering the phone he was greeted by a youngish sounding girl, maybe 15 years of age who proceeded to say that she had spoken to me last week, and was very sorry for all the trouble she had caused by not answering and not texting us back.

Poor Jon was in shock, he was very angry and did well to control his emotions knowing that this girl had rang us claiming to have Jacob, deliberately cut us off, turned off her mobile and then not another word. This girl went on and said she thought she had seen Jacob in Debden near her home there, and that the next day she saw the dog in question again only this time with someone being walked. It wasn't Jacob after all, it was a villagers dog.

Jon questioned her about the dog she saw, and they agreed it definitely was not him. More over he told her that she had caused an utter furore with her actions, lots of stress and worry for us as we thought she had him, and quite frankly could have been anywhere for all we knew.

She continued to apologise, and I think Jon almost felt sorry for her as this joke of hers (and possibly her friends) had somewhat seriously backfired on them bigtime. He said that she should now call Paul Webb at Essex Police and tell him what she had told us.

So in a 4 minute phone call, the answer to who the person was on the end of that call last Monday was answered.

I don't know whether we were relieved or disappointed not to be moving further ahead, maybe getting a call saying he's been dropped of at so and so, and we'd be bringing him home. Most of all I guess we are just over the moon that we've solved the mystery and can stop worrying ourselves half to death who this lady (or as it materialises, girl) was, and why she had evaded us for almost a week. Silly, stupid girl, she should feel utterly ashamed.

Other than that we've been inundated with kindness as far as the tracing of that caller, we've had calls from people who don't know us from Adam, and who felt they would help us in one way or another with help and advice as to how to go about tracing the call, or by them doing it for us. THANK YOU to you all for your utter kindness, it goes without saying that we are grateful for taking the time and effort to call us.

So, after a huge sigh, where do we go from here ?

Well, we'll dust ourselves off and pick ourselves up and carry on again in a new direction. Moving the search further afield would be a good idea, and we need to start to tackle making people in larger cities around the UK aware that we have a missing dog. If they hadn't read the national newspaper coverage back on the 9th February, well they would be none the wiser that he was missing so we need to readdress this in a big way, and try to get TV coverage and or more national press coverage.

We need to target a much wider audience somehow, I just need to work out how !

If there's nothing else there's HOPE

First off I have to Thank everyone for their kind wishes and hopes for the phone call drama.
We have had no luck so far tracing this ladies mobile, but have 'people in high places' who are doing their best to find out and offer us a location at the very least.
There are so many people willing to raise the profile for us, we've had such kindness these past few weeks what with companies displaying Jacob's poster at Crufts, and now companies sending his appeal to their customers.
One lady Sam emailed yesterday and said she would send to 2000 people, another Dave, to 900 people, it's just amazing how people rally to offer us help.
The dog loving public are a nation like no other.

Tim, you made me think after reading you comment, you are right and I hadn't began to perhps peice it all together like you had, and it may well be there's another angle to that call after all.

To be honest, I have all sorts of possible scenario's playing out in my head, have done for the past few days, and isn't it always the middle of the night when they are at there most vivid !
I have this vision of a gang of people, they are keeping Jacob, and this one woman had seen the beautiful, gentle side to Jacob as he lay shaking and frightened in a corner somewhere.
Consequently she decided to throw us an olive branch in finding him, but got caught out.

I know, I know, all very dramatic, and somewhat far fetched, but there's just something about that call that niggles us, something that makes us need to know it was a hoax.
Apparently people who get great joy out of hoaxing for whatever the reason don't give out readily their mobile number. It kind of dampens the flames they like to ignite.
Kills their joy at knowing that the person at the other end of the phone can't reach them, they become the all important unreachable. They know the worry, hurt and desperation playing out, and live on enjoying that vision in their minds.
Quite frankly they are bloody sick, no other word for them, they need serious help.

Apart from that, we've had a call back from the lady from Broxted, having asked her Son to view the blog and the website http://www.adoredpaws.com/ to see more photo's of Jacob, he thinks it isn't him. Damn it ! Just as we had high hopes again after such a long pause, it's dampened.
Never mind, as this lady rightly pointed out, it doesn't mean it's not definitely him, they just don't think so.
Stranger things have happened, and after all, it was dark.
We will have to wait and see if the dog they saw re-appears and they are allowed a good look at him. I guess only then can we categorically say it wasn't Jacob and move on.

Someone asked me the other day if I thought Jacob was dead, having sadly perished earlier on in the bad weather.
I wasn't shocked to be asked this as some people do ask, and as much as it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, i'm glad of their honesty if that's what they are thinking.
All I can say is that I really don't know. Jon and I aren't naive enough to think that this isn't a possibility, of course we'd be stupid to think that would not/could not have been why he hasn't been seen for 6-7 weeks.
There is a possibility this is what occurred, but how will we know until someone finds his body (if it's identifiable) I just don't know.
I guess knowing Jacob, he is a fighter, he is a savvy, cheeky chap with an incredible intelligence other breeds can only dream of.
He isn't frightened of people, or dogs, and if that weather had been coming in, I would like to feel that rather than him suddenly having gone feral in a matter of days, and been skulking about like a fox darting from being spotted, he would have been doing what 'Jacob's' do and making himself known.
It's why Jon and I wonder if he was picked up very early on.It kind of makes sense really.
The snow came about 10 days after he went missing, so there was plenty of time for him to be suddenly found to be in the wrong hands.
I always said in the snow that he would be spotted if he was out there to be seen surely, but nothing materialised, it's not to say he wasn't 'holed up' knowing it really was the safest thing to do, but believe me, we spent more than a few nights cooped up in Chez Explorer, and every day and night for 3 weeks, driving and walking around when most folks were cosied up by a roaring fire.
I am sure the repetition would have given us a glimpse ?
Who knows !
Right time, wrong place - all plays a part in this nightmare I am sure.

Saying that we then of course question how someone would suddenly find him, pick him up, and it be the wrong person.....I mean what's the chances of that happening.
Well according to Doglosts stories, and others i've had emailed, pretty high actually.

The thing about this whole Jacob missing scenario is we just don't know where he is, if he is alive still, if he's out in the fields somewhere local, or far away from home.
Is he sitting enjoying cake on someones sofa being loved and cared for (and not wanted to be given back) or is he in some remote rescue centre somewhere, chip not working and ready for rehome (oh blimey, please no)

I just don't know. I wish I did, I really do.
The only one thing I do know for sure and that's one thing is keeping us going right now and that's a four letter word ........HOPE.

Visit to the dark side

Strange two days here.....

From the silence comes the mania......

Monday saw us get a call from a European sounding woman who started to say "Hello, I have your dog, Jacob the Italiano Bracco" shocked and excited I replied "oh really", to which she continued "Yes I think so" - just as I was replying to her, the phone crackled and went dead. Tried ringing the mobile number she called on back - straight to the answerphone (T-Mobile) Oh damn it I thought - bad signal area no doubt, so consequently sat with phone in hand for 30 mins thinking she was running after him, trying to get him for us.

An hour passed, still going onto answerphone, that's was okay, she was probably by now with him at the vets, maybe he was hurt.

2 hrs went by, where could she be ? Maybe her battery was flat ?
Still going to answerphone.

Next morning after a sleepless night (and still trying the mobile at silly o'clock) Jon rang the phone 7am, only for it to ring 8 times and then someone abort it to answerphone. Damn it.

Was this our 1st hoaxer as Jon had predicted 5 minutes after the very first call ?

All day, between the 6 Jacob detectives we rang, including the police, who are now in the process of tracing the call to locate the caller to take action. I even texted the mobile to say, if you have our boy, please let him go to somewhere where you can tell us to pick him up, or if it's about the reward, no questions asked.

Also are you someone who did this as a joke, if so just text to say. We won't bother you again.

What a day :-( MANIC ! Guess if this was our first hoaxer, we just weren't ready for how how it would hit us, and I have to say here, how the hell can someone think it would be funny I will never know. I won't swear here, but they are callous beyond words.

If it is a hoaxer, they might need to change their number, as I seem to have become very addicted to that number for some reason, it could be nice to have to ring it over and over (and over)....I too enjoy a good 'laugh' you see !

Last night about 8pm a lady from Broxted called to say her son was walking their Boxer and Dog De Bordeaux, in a field behind their house and where their horses were in the paddock.

They were confronted by a dog that went bouncing in to her dogs, and also then was annoying her horses. Of course Jon's reaction was that Jacob was very friendly, and would never try to annoy anyone, but then we have to remember, he's (if it is him) been out there 2 months now, and maybe not quite so 'Jacob-like' anymore. It suddenly occurred to us that should we get him back, we might have some difficult issues to contend with in order to return him to his 'Jacobness'.
The dog her son saw was in between the 2 breeds they have, so size would be about right, he was orange and white, and mostly white on the chest. All good descriptions of Jacob.
He went around them, and then off towards Thaxted direction.
We went storming over there, walked the fields behind this ladies house, and then the others directly opposite and around the area, we were out there til late, but saw nothing at all.

It was a lovely night as it's a full moon, and was like someone left a lightbulb on, quite good to see. Especially for me, i'm someone who literally goes blind in the dark and will trip over my own feet !

We'll go back there in an hour to resume the search and speak with the lady at her house for more details if she's in.
It could be Jacob, who knows, maybe the 'hoax' Monday was a call to 'suss' us out, maybe they got scared after all the calls yesterday, and now the police are involved, we have to follow this all up - just because it could be him.
We have to leave no stone unturned in our search for our boy, if it's him, and he's been out for almost 2 months in the depths of winter, he deserves to be found doesn't he.

Calm after the storm

When I found this photo to put on the blog this morning it made me smile.
Just because I remember taking it like it was yesterday. Jacob had found a bunch of fake Gerbera's I was throwing away and took great delight at throwing them around the living room floor, catching them and whooping and singing with delight as he paraded round like he'd got a t-bone !
He is so funny sometimes, the silliest things with him turn into huge hilarity for everyone else and he just can't see what the fuss is all about, or why it's oh so funny for us !
He is the clown here, goofy as they come.
Of course it's photo's like these that are constant reminders of what it is that's missing from our home, and what encourages us to carry on to find and bring him back so we can enjoy the same again.

Seeing Jacob's Sister Diva at Crufts also brought home to us how much we missed him.
Diva looks very much like her Brother and seeing her made me crumble.
I was sorry to do that so early on, and more especially as I had promised I would hold it together, but well, Diva just threw me off course !
I was glad to shed a little emotion though, I think it really helped to be able to do that quietly with Cathy and Diva.

As per usual, Crufts went by in a haze of craziness.
The PD's were there in force, handing out flyers, postering them onto walls where we could, hoping they'd remain there for all to see. I was happy to hear that they were still there yesterday on the final day. Thanks to Donna and Jane for adding more flyers to the benches after everyone else had gone home. I think with the audience that Crufts brings - we pretty much covered every angle there that we could possibly cover.
Now comes the hard bit, we have to wait, maybe some time for the penny to drop that someone has seen him, maybe with someone, maybe out in a field, near a road, being walked, maybe they remember something, anything that we can put together and finally find that all important missing piece of this jigsaw.

We were pleased to see more posters on stalls than we expected. Some were quite obscured by their own stand paraphernalia (how dare they lol !) but some most prominently displayed, and some even pride of place. Thanks to Dog Theft Action especially, and John Paul Pet stall holders who even had his poster in a crystal frame right next to their till. It's because of people like them who helped that we might find some information comes our way.
As for us PD's, if there was a blank wall, we postered it ! Some were swiftly removed by staff, whilst others in differing halls were kindly left.
I guess we just have to remember, not all staff there are dog lovers just because it's a dog show, and of course there are some who are just 'job's worths ! Shame on them !
Most people were willing to help, and most people we gave flyers to took them and walked away reading them.
It was lovely to manage to meet up with the ever helpful Geraldine (Cove-Print), who we had our beautiful Rosie from some 10 years ago now. To see 'Geezer' strutting his stuff still was a lovely moment, what a handsome boy he is, and very much had the 'kind' look about him that made us love his Sister so.

It's now a wait and see game again, time to allow people to read the flyers they probably chucked into pockets or bags at the show -
I know I haven't had time to read anything I brought back yet.....
So, we just have to remain patient, but pro-active.

Good to read Tim and Ffion managed to make it to Tokyo, and now onto NZ without too many airport staff casualties resulting in the fight for Ffion to be dragged onto the flight ! ;-)
Enjoy your break you two, I am sure you need it, and it'll do you the world of good.
The Sky PD's (pet detectives!) will continue their hard work in your absence I am sure of that.

Us, well we'll carry on too, one day at a time and armed with enough ideas and stamina, we will all now be thinking of what to do next, what action plan we can take to keep the Jacob home campaign fires firmly alight.

New campaign

After the activity of the weekend, and the lack of anything else as far as sightings go, i've been putting on my pro-active head in order to get the publicity machine back in full swing.

Knowing that we have Crufts coming up, and how much we are looking forward to seeing all of our friends (and fur friends), it suddenly dawned on me that there is an opportunity to be had there. A real audience to be told that our dog is still missing.An opportunity not to be overlooked.

So, hot chocolate at the ready, and wrist poised, I went to the website for Crufts, clicked on the exhibitors page, and hall by hall emailed every single stall holder, from Arden Grange to Pet Boutiques.

I think all in all I sent nearly 420 emails, and had an astonishing response from then emailing me back, telling me how very sorry they were that Jacob was missing and that "yes absolutely" they would display his poster on their stand. RESULT !

Fantastic ! My aching wrist, and headache for sitting emailing straight for 6 hrs was very much worth it !

On the back of those emails I can only hope that coupled with the missing posters on many stands, and our joint effort in offering out flyers to every single person we meet, I just hope more than anything that someone sees the information about Jacob and remembers something.

A neighbour who mysteriously has a new dog but is cagey about it's origins?

A dog someone has seem roaming about in their area many times (wherever that be),

someone acting suspiciously with a uncooperative or perhaps frightened dog,

just something that could lead to us seeing our lovely boy come home.

I am sure that someone knows something. I don't believe that a dog can mysteriously not have been seen, not for almost 5 weeks straight without anyone knowing something.

Please tell me that this world hasn't become so hostile and uncaring that the general public would rather walk away from a dog seen wandering than calling someone, anyone, to make them aware of it perhaps being lost or in danger.

This quiet, this awful quiet always sets our minds wandering.

The luxurious allowance of deep thought and contemplation isn't something we relish.

The mind can play out many 'what if's', and can (if allowed) end up making us just so distraught with those scenario's racing through our minds, that is can be difficult to not think the worse has happened to him.

We of course aren't naive enough to not know that this is a possibility, but then so is the fact that either he's out in there on a huge adventure, or he's with someone being fed cake and digestives whilst perched on a comfy sofa. I just want that to be our comfy sofa !

Quite frankly, we'd much rather be out there, hot on a fresh lead, driving round an area, hoping, really hoping this will very much be 'J' day.

I'm hopeful the 'Cruft's campaign' can realise some information for us. I'm excited at the prospect.

I have to mention Ffion and Tim, as they head off to New Zealand for a few weeks, we can only hope that now that you have dared to step out of the comfort zone, that boy of yours will decide it's party over, time for warm log fires, and snuggly blankets 'Thank You very much'.

I do so hope that come a few weeks down the line, the souvenir Sky brings back from his travels will be just himself :-)

Have a wonderful trip guys, you so deserve it.

Mistaken Identity 3

Stop Press ! -

I should have said in my blog last night that the Beagle was actualy owned by a nearby house, and was not in need of us rescuing it !
Just for those that asked lol !
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It's been a frustrating weekend here in Essex.


Yesterday (Saturday) we had a call whilst we were out towards Newmarket postering, a man had left a message on Jon's mobile stating he was certain he had seen Jacob whilst he was out running near Farnham, Bishops Stortford way.


Unfortunately due to the rubbish signal, Jon's mobile went straight to voicemail, so we only knew about the call, some 5 minutes after it was received. DAMN !


Tried to call this chappy back, but to no avail.


Sensibly he had left us exacting instructions as to where he was when he had seen the dog in question, so we downed our staple gun, and hot footed it to Bishops Stortford, trying more times than was acceptable to get this guy on his mobile to confirm what he saw, and to start the usual interrogation of height, colour, ear length, and tail etc etc ........





It took us some 30 minutes to get to Bishops Stortford and by this time we'd rallied a few friends on 'standby', just in case they were needed.
Finally, and hour after the initial call the man called back. Phew !


Jon's interrogation was in force, no the dog was most definitely not a greyhound (wow!) he had long floppy ears (double wow!), and was very much orange and white, certainly not brindle (heart palpitations!)


So....armed with what seemed to be the best description ever, and the man having only been some 20 yards away from the dog in question, we set out, armed with the info and determined that this would be 'J' day, and and end to this ongoing nightmare.


Off on foot, we all search through one side of the area, split up and for an hour wandered around, calling his name and whistling. Nothing.


We re-grouped, and then some of us set over the road and around a small wooded area, where Jon went on ahead at speed like a man possessed, only to have an intense 'feeling' that there had been, or was dog in the area.


He went on in front of us all, and around the dip in the woods, almost like a huge den, he saw a head.....orange and white, floppy ears, and then it went back out of view. OMG !
His heart racing, he stood, quietly, still, careful not to scare whoever it was.


A few minutes later, the dog re-appeared, this time in full, a Beagle came wandering out, oblivious, wagging it's tail happy to see him, as if to say "nice to meet you, but what's the welcome party for ?"


DEEP SIGH......It wasn't Jacob :-(



Mobiles at the ready we called everyone, and so we all made our way back to the cars, down and disheartened. Damn it !


Still, at least we managed to rule that out rather quickly.
If we hadn't have just stumbled across the dog then, we'd most probably have been out all night and today, as the description was too good to overlook.


He did have it pretty much right though. The dog was orange and white (and brown) floppy ears, and I guess to the untrained eye could be mistaken for our boy.
What a kind man he was to have run home, then get in his car and drive to a poster for the number to call us.
If there were hundreds out there like him, things may well be different right now.
Thanks Chris.



Poor Jon, his heart must have been beating SO fast having sighted that Beagle.


His words to me in the car as we quietly drive home, heads low, was how he just wanted to turn that Beagle into Jacob, it was not fair it wasn't him. He felt nothing short of being mentally mugged. I think i'll always remember us driving home, holding hands across the handbrake, me desperately trying not to cry every time he tightened his hold as if to silently say "don't worry, we'll get him" without actually saying one single word.....

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Sunday, well today we've been following some information given to us from Grace and her Mum, two lovely, caring and very giving people who are trying to locate Jacob for us.
They have given so much to the search, just as Joanne has, and between them all they continue to offer us hope, strength and support just when we are at our lowest ebb.
We can't Thank them enough.


Right now having been over towards Haverhill, and Steeple Bumpstead postering, we hope that if he is out towards that way, he can be spotted now, and those spotting him can know he is missing. Farmers are out ploughing, kids are out playing football with Dad's, Mum's driving to Sainsbury's....people are out and about -
Seems as much as we concern ourselves about people not knowing about Jacob's missing status, for the most part, each person we've handed flyers to or stopped on their walks already know.


I think if someone saw him, hopefully we'll eventually get to know.
It may be a week, or maybe even three weeks later, but hopefully we'll get to know.
We just need that ONE fresh sighting, or call to say someone knows where he's at.


We live in hope that the posters, and publicity will bring our gorgeous boy home.


It just HAS to.