Tundie Still In Reston

Tundie is still being seen in Reston today, and we still want sighting calls from anyone that sees him (whether in Reston or elsewhere). We need to figure out the best place to leave food for him. So please get in touch right away if you see him.

And we've learned of a couple of other german shepherd mixes that disappeared today in the area near Chandon Dog Park in Herndon. We don't have pictures of them, and hope they are already found, but the number to call if you think you see these dogs is 703-861-5179. This is Carla, and her dogs are Kaya and Choco. Choco is a GS mixed with rottweiler and looks like a chocolate lab.

UPDATE SUNDAY EVENING

Sandy and Kristin have commented (see comments today), and they ask a lot of good questions which I'll respond to now. I expect others are having the same thoughts and questions as Sandy and Kristin.

1)  Getting food to Thunder is critical, and hopefully even more effort is being put into helping maintain or increase his body temperature right now. Hypothermia is the primary threat to his survival, after prolonged exposure to below freezing temperatures and extreme wind chill.  No question here but I have to just echo this!  The 2 things that sighters can do is report the sighting, and put down food. Tundie has a couple of times in the past few weeks hung around a location for several days, but he's always moved on.

2)  Could heating stations with heat lamps, heat pads, places to get out of the wind, (igloo and other dog houses), be set up along with feeding stations? Are there ways that food and water could be kept warm? Food that's not frozen can be more easily smelled, and more importantly helps warm body temp. Are these kind of things being done at this point?  Excellent suggestions, though Sue is a step ahead of you! She asked today for an extra dog house, which I had delivered late this afternoon, and she'd told me that it would have a heat lamp trained on it. And I dropped off a heated bird bath later this evening and emailed Sue, but I don't know as I'm writing this if it's been found and set up. Presumably it will be! At any rate, this makes two dog houses now set up around the golf course. If anyone else has a heated birdbath or any other type of heat source they can offer, please speak up!!!!

3)  Might it help if people who see Tundie are asked to note whether he is demonstrating symptoms of hypothermia, such as unusual behavior (confusion) and or decreased coordination (ie. stumbling)?  Sue gets this information from sighting calls at least some of the time, and I wholeheartedly agree that if this can always be a part of the information offered when a sighting is reported, we really need to know this.

4)  Could information be put up on this blog about the symptoms of hypothermia and what readers can do to help if they see or find Thunder in different stages of hypothermia? For instance, if he is found stumbling and confused, or comatose should a vet be called first? Or animal control? Or the same contact info already provided?  Excellent idea. If you or anyone else can do a little research on hypothermia in dogs and email it to me, it might get added to the blog a little faster. It might even be best to get it from a vet.

5)  It's been a long time now that Thunder has been sighted and tracked and food has been put out. He may freeze to death before he is captured at this rate, so it seems that more active efforts to catch him are important at this point. Right you are; more active efforts are needed to catch him. It's past time to ask for help to monitor feeding stations -- this time of people living off the golf course since Tundie seems to have been in this location for 2 days now.  If anyone reading this update can participate in feeding station monitoring, please leave a comment.  

6) What is being done to capture him when he is sighted? Are rescuers throwing tasty food bits to him, from slowly decreasing distances in addition to setting up feeding stations that may enable him to survive the wild life until he succumbs to the cold? Are nets or baited chain link kennels ready or being used? Could neighbors be encouraged to participate in setting up heat stations and close their gates if they see Thunder in their yards?  So far, most sightings have been by people that aren't aware of Thunder and his plight before seeing him, so they are taken by surprise. Some people that report sightings report that they leave food in the spot where they saw him, though it's probably a minority that know and are prepared to do this. It does seem that he retreats when attention is paid to him, when eye contact is made, when people call out to him.

So Sandy and Kristin, thanks for your comments! And Anne and Leah, thank you for your sightings that you left in your comments. They have helped us know that he is still staying put. Food and heat could keep him here until he can be trapped. Once again, anyone that can help by lending out a heat lamp or heated dog bowl (or bird bath), or can help with monitoring a few well planned feeding stations several times a day, please leave a comment.