Maybe this will make me feel better - less paralyzed.

A woman called and told me she thinks Myrtle is in her neighbor's yard. She saw a tiny, skinny black chihuahua run back there and they had seen it there for the past few days. She didn't know if the chihuahua was still there, but she would call me back.

Missing Myrtle has somehow uncovered all the tender parts of my heart. The ones that I successfully cover up all day, all week. Get up, go to work, laugh with my colleagues, go out for dinner, watch a movie – I can do all this because those parts are all wrapped up tight.

But when I miss her, when I remember that she is out there alone... nothing can be wrapped up. My nose runs, tiny hiccups of air from crying, body heavy. There is just me alone, with a wounded heart, bare and vulnerable.

All the times I've ever felt lost, alone, helpless – they seem to rise up and just wash over all of me. Myrtle has found me out.

Remember, being a child, watching Milo and Otis, or being read The Little Lost Puppy – totally immersed in emotion, never knowing if this sadness would end. 

What am I supposed to learn? What am I supposed to do now? When will this end?

An Apology to All Who have Helped Me (I've had an Oprah moment)

Photo by Miss Miniature Rhino. My dear, loving friend!

"Can I have a room that faces the cemetery?" As soon as I said it I realized how weird it sounded. The guy checking in next to me whispered to the woman checking in him, "What a view."

I drew back the blinds and could see a big portion of the cemetery. Tonight's plan could work– I set up a Facebook invite to try to get everyone I knew to stake out the areas she'd be spotted in the past. I would stay in one spot, ready for a sighting and then would run over and coax Myrtle into my arms.

But it was a Friday night and the temperature had dropped dramatically. Long, hard work weeks had taken their toll on my Find Myrtle army and one by one they called, texted, emailed to say they just couldn't make it tonight.

I sat there and felt as sorry for myself as I had ever felt. I felt helpless, alone. I was mad at myself for never getting my driver's license, something I've always wanted to do, but just never made happen. I felt disappointed. I was angry at myself. I was angry at the world for expecting me to go through this alone. And then I was angry at myself for not being the fiercely independent person I always prided myself on.

I retold this moment to my therapist who responded, "So no one helped you this weekend?"

"Some old friends did come out and help me Friday night. They rented a car and took me out for a bit. And on Saturday, in the afternoon, some other people came out to help."

She pointed out the way I had told this story and I felt ashamed. These friends – and some of them nearly strangers – had come out to help and I left them out of the story completely.

I immediately thought of a moment from Saturday. A guy came out to help, someone who does good work and spends his time very thoughtfully. Together we walked in the cold, checking the traps I put out to try to catch Myrtle. He went to a butcher and asked for the best meat for bait and brought it with him.

"I wish I had a brother. So I could make him check these traps with me all the time."

Wanting so badly to have a partner, a brother, a best friend, my mom with me every day, is not a terrible thought. His presence there just made me want some kind of constant, protector like companion in this search. However, he was right there, helping me, and I was oblivious to exactly how fortunate I was in that moment.

Do you know when you learn something about yourself and that moment just feels like it's going to change everything? It feels like there was a door right there in this room the whole time, and you've never opened it.

Oh what a sad, sad, story I was telling myself in this room. The truth, the real truth – when you take away all the layers of my very human, but very selfish inner monologue, is that I am incredibly lucky to have so many people, all different kinds of people, some friends, some complete strangers, helping me. And how incredible is it that so many people who I've met once, or never met, would take time out of their own lives, their own responsibilities, away from their own friends and families, to help me.

We are all trying to find or fix something – whether it's ourselves, our family, a cause – how absolutely generous so many have been to lend me their compassion, their time, their care and support. I see now that, I have the support of a team of big hearted, animal loving, compassionate creatures. A motley crew of gift horses.

I apologize to this crew, my Find Myrtle army, for saying "thank you" but not truly being present to thank you with my whole heart. I didn't fulling understand how lucky I was to not be in this alone. Yes, I'm alone, as many of us are in this big city, but look at all the people I have thinking about me and Myrtle, taking time to help me, donating to the Find Myrtle fund, checking in from all over the world to wish me luck. If I didn't have this, I would not be able to still be out there looking for my girl, I know that with my whole heart now.

And how crazy fortunate is it that there is a cheap hotel with a window that overlooks the cemetery my Myrtle is hiding out in. I'll take the room with the cemetery view, yes please and thank you!

Myrtle Still Roaming + A Tale of Her Activism

Three people spotted Myrtle wandering near Maurice Park before the holidays. One of them saw a Missing Myrtle sign and called me today. I haven't had a single REAL sighting since October! This one seems very real, it's very very close to where Myrtle was last seen, and close to where the tracking dogs were headed on their last trip out to look for her.

If you would like to help, the best thing to do would be to help me plaster the surrounding area with fliers! This is the most important thing we can do – since this sighting was weeks ago, we need to know where she might be now. She is probably still roaming! I have noticed the full color 11x17" posters get much more attention than the smaller ones I am using so I will be printing more of these. If you'd like to print some, feel free! 

While I'm here, I want to share these photos with you. Someone passed them on to me recently and I had never seen them before! Before I adopted Myrtle, who was bred in a puppymill for at least 7 years, she attended an animal rights protest with Animal Haven. What a tiny, little, hero!

A dream,

I woke up this morning and moved my feet across the bottom of the bed, waiting to touch that warm curled up chihuahua with my feet. 

"Where is she?" 

A thick world lifts from my bed. I hear the shower running. I'm awake, and she's not here. 

I want to go back. I was dreaming so deep. I saw her inside someone's house, they had the door open. I called her and she came to me. I scooped her up and ran and jumped on a bus. I held her tight and then I heard my name being called. I brought her up to the bus drivers with clipboards that sat at the front of the bus. 

"We've had a call. Miss, is that your dog?"

"Yes! This is her!", I was half excited and half pleading with them to understand. 

"Look, it's her spot!", I outlined it on her chest, and I could feel the light fur under my finger. 

"OH, this is the missing chihuahua," said the woman driver, "I have her flier right here." She flipped through a stack of papers and pulled out a Find Myrtle flier. 

"And, look, she had no teeth here on the bottom." Sleep-Myrtle didn't protest as I ran my finger over her toothless underbite.

"And, if you could just feel here...", I demonstrated by holding her under her arms and lifting her up like Simba in The Lion King. "This is what she feels like." I could feel the shape of her ribcage and the weight of her in my hands. 

They were convinced and they gave me a number to call the next day after I had her microchip checked. I mentally told myself to make that vet appointment as soon as I sat down. She needs to be checked out, too. 

I sat back down with her in my lap. She wasn't excited to be with me, she was just still. I didn't think about that in my dream, but I'm wondering about it now. 

And then, we were home. I was waking up and moved my feet across the bottom of the bed, waiting to touch that warm curled up chihuahua with my feet. 

"Where is she?" 

A thick world lifts from my bed. I hear the shower running. I'm awake, and she's not here. 

Brodie, Nash and Ruckus

Sunday morning, hours before Hurricane Sandy, I met up with Jordina, a field agent and K9 handler from Lost Pet Professionals. She was here to have here team of 3 tracking dogs, Brodie, Nash and Ruckus give us more clues about where Myrtle could be. We met near McGolrick park, where Myrtle slipped free from the hands of her dog sitter.

I brought Myrtle's tiny pink and brown winter vest (which thankfully I have never washed) and felt proud when Jordina told me this sample was perfect! "Sometimes the scent articles people bring me have been washed daily. That's harder for the dogs to pick up. This piece is perfect!" I've never felt so proud and thankful for owning a filthy little dog vest.

Jordina stuffed the little vest in a plastic baggy, "We don't even need a sample of this, we can use the whole thing." (Now owning a little purse dog was also paying off!) and she brought out Brodie, German Wirehaired pointer.

"He's brilliant.", said Jordina. "He can follow the most recent scent, even weeks and weeks after a dog's gone missing."

Read Brodie's Rescue Story

Brodie looked like he knew he was on a mission. Jordina waved the tiny vest quickly under his nose, "Find it!", she said to him. He took off, dog-jogging, down the street Myrtle was said to go down. I ran after them. We continued on over Greenpoint ave, across the bridge to Queens, and down Review St. This was the exact path the last person who saw Myrtle described. Every few blocks Jordina stopped Brodie and asked him, "Are you sure?" He would stop, look annoyed for being questioned, and then continue on his path. Brodie took a right into a lot that exited out onto some railroad tracks. 

"This makes sense!" Jordina yelled back at me. "It's quiet back here!"

Twenty minutes of jogging through the streets and down the tracks and my legs were burning. I peeled off my jacket, and made my out-of-shape self keep up.

Brodie led us to an empty lot full of debris and construction materials – it looked like a place that wasn't visited often. He bounced around an overgrown bush. This is where the scent led us. As we looked around the lot, a man unlocked a gate beside us.

"Have you seen a small black dog around here?", I asked.

"No. I'm just here to feed my cats." He pointed to three empty bowls.

"She's smart.", said Jordina. "That could be her food source. Let's go back and get Nash and see if he picks up the same scent."

On our walk back Jordina told me her story. She lost her dog Andy two years back and knew she wanted to help other people find their pets. I told her I have the exact same feeling! It was nice to be around someone who had gone through this. As we talked, I could still feel her pain and dedication to her lost Corgi. (Please take a second to follow the Bring Andy Home Facebook Page.

Read Nash's Rescue Story

Jordina prepared Nash, a rescued from a shelter in Nashville, hence his name, and looked like a beagle/spaniel mix. He gave me a few kisses when he hopped out of the car. Nash led us to the exact same spot.

"I'm still amazed by these guys.", said Jordina. And I could see why. To watch these dogs follow scents, and lead us to the same corner of this hidden lot, how incredible! I fell in love with Nash right away. I didn't think I could love dogs any more, but these rescues helping me find my Myrtle? I wanted to squeeze them!

We took Nash to a few more spots and he picked up another scent, it lead to the gate surrounding Cavalry Cemetery. Jordina suggested we take the dogs over there after testing out Ruckus.

Jordina then set Ruckus, a young Jack Russell tracking dog-in-training, and, you guessed it, he led us to the same lot.

We took the dogs to Calvary Cemetery and they each were focused on an area there, parallel to the lot. Jordina pondered the locations, "I think she's hanging around here during the day – and perhaps going over to the lot to eat at night. She's is a smart girl."

There were no other leads, so this is where our dog tracking adventure ended. Before Jordina left she must have noticed the worry on my face, "This might not make you feel too much better, but Myrtle can survive this storm. I'm sure of it. There are so many places to hide out here." It did make me feel a little better.

So what now? This day gave me hope and an area to focus on. Spending the day with Jordina and her dogs was also very comforting. Before, I had no clue where Myrtle could be. I should have called Jordina the first week Myrtle went missing.

Now I need to focus on Queens. I've started to flier and have been spending a few hours a day near that lot and in the cemetery. Putting up fliers in such a large area is not easy, so I could really use the help. If you would like to help me this weekend. Please send me an email!

I've also set up a Fundrazr campaign to help me raise enough money to place ads in all the Queens papers. This will cost me $500 for 2 weeks of ads. Here's what the ad looks like:

How to Help Animals in Danger Due to Hurricane Sandy

Please consider donating to The Humane Society's Disaster Relief Fund & the ASPCA.

Assisting animals and people in danger after Hurricane Sandy. © Jacquelyn Pyun/The HSUS

After the Storm

It is definitely possible Myrtle is still out there and had to find a spot to try to stay dry and warm last night. All I could do was think about her and feel guilty for being inside – safe and comfortable. I'm trying to not put my own worse thoughts onto what she might be going through. It, of course, doesn't help, and is probably very wrong. But sometimes you just start spiraling into a dark place and it's hard to find your way back out. 

I find I always feel better when I'm being productive, so I try to put my energy into creative ways to find her and get the word out. Lost Pet Trackers suggested new signs. They made me these big bold signs in color – going to put these up as soon as it's a bit drier out there. 

This is my new foster, Curly Jefferson. He's part of a trio that came up from Alabama. He's a real goof. He has kennel cough, which I find hilarious. Dogs coughing and sneezing = too cute. He seems to be doing well and will be available to adopt very soon! His tiny little feet, big ears, black nose and eyes remind me of Myrtle. 

Hope everyone is safe and warm. My heart goes out to the family of the lost beagle, Arthur. If you are in Manhattan please have a look at this photo and read the description and consider sharing on your social networks. 

For Our Friends the Animals

Sweet Pea Myrtle

A few scattered thoughts for those who may be checking in. Going to re-flier this weekend and have some help coming in on Sunday. I hope the weather doesn't get too bad, and if it does, that we find Myrtle by then. She could still be outside, she is very shy and I just can't imagine her letting a stranger pick her up.

Rose and I did laundry tonight and between loads we decided to walk down to wear Myrtle was last seen. I saw a woman feeding a few stray cats on the way and stopped to talk to her. She took care fo these cats, even made sure they were spayed and neutered, vaccinated and healthy. She knew all about Myrtle and said she had printed out her picture and had it up next to a Saint Francis statue on her table at home. All this love that is being sent to Myrtle and I, I do not take it for granted. I store it up to use when I need it.

Through this endeavor I have learned all about TNR - Trap, Neuter, Return with neighborhood stray cats. Great, right?

Thought I'd share a quote and a poem that was passed on to me this week. (Thank you Jessica & Melanie!)

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,  
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, 
When the funds are low and the debts are high, 
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, 
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
- Author unknown

Wish us luck this weekend – let's bring this chihuahua home!

Oh before I go, check out an interview with me that reveals some unsavory turns the search for Myrtle has taken in Brooklyn Magazine, Checking In On Myrtle, Brooklyn's Most Famous Lost Dog.

Hope, Grief, and St. Francis

For some reason, over the last few days, I've been able to perfectly imagine Myrtle here with me. I can almost smell her and feel her tiny little paws, her velvety ears, her smelly breath. I have to push these visions out of my mind in order to get through the day.

The first two weeks were filled with searching, fliering, getting the word out there, checking the shelters, vet offices, following strange leads – I didn't have time to sit and reflect on her. And now, I feel like I've almost done most of what I can do. There will always be a bare lamp post that needs a flier, but I'm exhausted.  So now, the greif is settling in. Last night a friend told me I needed to start moving on. But I only now feel like maybe I've lost her. I still have moments of hope that she'll be found, but I feel like I need to start the grieving process, just in case.  What do you do? Hang on to hope, or try to move on? How can you do both?

 chilling at the beach a few months ago

There are no new leads. I think someone has her, and may want to keep her or might just be afraid to be the one that has her. This media attention is great, but maybe it's keeping someone from turning her in, not wanting to be the "bad guy". Is that a silly thought? If anyone is keeping her safe, that's all I care about. Hopefully they see how much I love this sweet little soul and will do the right thing and give her back to me. Note: If you do have her, Animal Haven has agreed to be a safe place where you can drop her off, no questions asked.

There is a black chihuahua at the ACC named Maria – I knew she wasn't Myrtle but I went to look anyway. Such a heartbreaking experience. Poor Maria was old, grumpy, with an exposed tumor – I wished she was my dog so I could save her. Her life is definitely in jeopardy. Healthy dogs sometimes have a hard time getting out of the ACC alive. Please if you're reading this, never buy a dog again. Rescue one of these babies! (In addition, there is an american bulldog there right now, named Tony. He looks like a great new best friend for someone!) 



Thanks to everyone who continues to hope for me – many of you are still out there hanging fliers, talking to friends, sharing through social media channels. Myrtle's heros! All of you!

One last thought: My great grandmother's name was Francis, she looks creepily just like me. I've always felt a strong connection to the name and the idea of St. Francis, the patron saint of animals. I don't consider myself religious, but this whole experience has me hoping for a St. Francis. So St. Francis, please, bless all the animals, especially the tiny little chihuahuas and the pitbulls. Thank you. 

Queens, Duct Tape and Rose

New, no-nonsense fliers

What a day! Thanks to those who went out today to drum up #findmyrtle business. We fliered the hell out of Queens, saw many black cats (or was that the same one each time?) and a few black bags that pretended to be Myrtle. And every garbage man in NYC should know about missing Myrtle by Monday. 

Sorry Ma'am, haven't seen 'er. 

Pretty good day, which sounds a little weird, but today I managed to "keep my chin up". All I can do is my best, and with your help, I think I will find her. And if not, I know I did all I could, and met a lot of really great people along the way. Thank you for supporting me through this, I'll keep going as long as there's ink in the printer, coffee to be poured, neon pink duct tape, and a bit of hope.

Rose was a bit sad to not sleep in a comfy bed in a bit over a week, so I am now fostering her. 

She is a Badass Brooklyn rescue and she's gorgeous. You should adopt her. 

Thank you Emily and Caesar, Neil, Christy, Valeda, Renee, Emma, Gwendolyn, Ted & Julie, Rudha, Elisa, Johanna, Roseann, Barry (who suggested I contact Pat!), Ken - who keeps checking in with ideas, Jim "Sunnyside" Chesters and many others who I am probably rudely excluding - pardon my foggy tired brain!

Ok, already. Find Myrtle!

feral cat party zone

This week brought no leads. Wednesday night I couldn't sleep, so I biked around the industrial areas in Greenpoint and Queens and called for her. Silence. No little tip tapping paws, no bushes rustling from a big wagging tail... Rough night.

Dana, a nice stranger from the internet!,  volunteered to drive Jim and I around and we found this area not far from where she was last seen – a place where someone regularly feeds feral cats. Jim and I had the exact same image of seeing her come to us, head down, tail wagging, trotting over. We both thought, "This is it. She's got to be here!" Silence again. Sometimes you just really feel like she's going to be there.

gangsta granny aka alien dog

Tomorrow, the search for Myrtle continues, but more than searching – posting fliers! It has been nearly 2 weeks, with no sightings of her after the night she went missing. I'm hoping she is safe and warm with someone who took her in as a stray, and has no idea we are frantically looking for her. It just takes one person, a friend or relative of the person who may have took her in, to see one of our signs and call!

Amazing 75 year old Clinton Diner. This man was so kind, and had been working at the diner for 25 years. 

Fliers ANYWHERE can help - you never know who might see the sign and put it together that their Aunt, friend, coworker has a new shy black chihuahua who is the sweetest little alien dog on earth!

It feels too weird to not have a dog in the house, so I'm fostering the cutest little rascal, Diaz, a Badass Brooklyn foster dog. He's keeping me company. He definitely will never measure up to my sweet Myrtle, but this is a great dog! Super mellow inside, but likes to play when we get to the park. He's not a great snuggler, sleeps at the bottom of the bed (???), but I suppose many normal dog owners would enjoy that. He also has a cute full body mullet and a raccoon mask face.

Thank you and love to Ashley, Ally, Claire, David, Rebecca, Morgan, Michelle, Jim, Dana, Liz, Jason, Rose, Bryan, Annie, Elisa, Gwendolyn, Bob & Carter, Kathleen, Emily, Starpoli & Katie Rose for supporting me this week. You have managed to put a smile on my face - and kept me moving and searching, thank you! Also thank you to those who are out there looking and thinking about Myrtle daily.

12 days of Missing Myrtle

It's been 12 days. I didn't think I would need these stickers I ordered, thought - by the time they got here Myrtle would be home safe. I hate to be wrong, especially this time.

I can't stand her not being here. This week was tough, and there have been some things that have happened that I don't want to talk about, I only want to ask – how can people take pleasure in seeing someone suffer? My heart is so far from that, that it just shakes me to my core.

I love this photo. You can't tell, but her tail was mid-furious-wag.

I think it's time to focus on Long Island City and Queens (we got a reliable call that she was seen crossing a bridge to Queens the night she went missing). With the help of a friend, I'm working on a Saturday morning search party/flier posting party. If you want to help, please log on to Facebook and comment here. The details will be shared to a smaller private group.

Note: The lot Myrtle was last spotted in seems to be some kind of parking for buses – I wonder if a trucker/driver found her in the lot and took her out of the area? Out of NY completely?

Just a big thank you to Animal Haven, ABC channel 7, Newsweek, Alyssa Milano! (crazy, right), and my friends. This is not getting easier, your love and support is appreciated and keeps me sane.

Cemeteries, bunnies, trying to stay strong.

I got a lead that myrtle ran over the bridge from Greenpoint to Queens (down Greenpoint Ave) last Saturday early, early morning (thats when she was lost). That's all I have that's real right now. Biked around that area and there are lots of spots to hide. Called her name, kept expecting to see her. Nothing. I did see an entrance to the cemetery over there and went looking for her. Nothing but two frightened bunnies who hopped out of a hiding spot. A slight moment of panic followed by cuteness and then, of course, by disappointment.

My friend Annie snapped this pic, which I swear was not planned. I'm not looking for America, but my sweet little myrtle.

I think many people give up after a few days because this part is the toughest. It's like being at the airport waiting for a loved one to get off the plane and they never do and you're left there not knowing what to do next.

I think most of you know about my love for all dogs. I have always connected deeply with them. When I was little, during a bad point in my childhood, I had a guardian, she was a doberman named cushion. We would both curl up together and nap in her dog bed - it was a wicker basket. She followed me around and seemed to see me as a puppy. I felt so safe with her.

With Myrtle, I felt like her guardian.

myrtle aka chi-chi aka squirtz aka little tiny

Must keep moving, keeping positive, even in the face of some really rough obstacles. I'm heading over to pick up a Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue pup who needs a foster mom, I hope she doesn't mind an emotional, sometimes pathetic temporary mumma. Maybe this will help me to obsess a little less, I don't think it's helping me any more right now. This could take weeks, months... and I feel like it's already been at least 30 days since she ran away, even though it's only been just over one week. I won't be able to go at this pace emotionally or physically for much longer.

Please say another prayer for Myrtle, hang one more flier, post one more positive comment over on Facebook. I'll need your help to keep going.

From one dog lover to another.

Myrtle has been gone for so long, with no leads. If you have her, please, just drop her off at a vet or contact me and you'll get the reward no questions asked for keeping her safe! We know anyone who might have her has got to be a dog lover too.

It's Sunday, come on Tom Colicchio! Let's #FindMyrtle!!!

Woke up alone again. Someone told me yesterday that in the 1800s, royalty would own large packs of chihuahuas that would sleep with them at night and keep them warm. I think they just knew what it's like to wake up with a sweet little chihuahua and wanted all the chihuahua snuggles they could get! (Myrtle always gets up last, sometimes as late as noon. Always makes me laugh to hear her worm her way out from under the covers and then hop down to tap dance her way into the living room and ask for breakfast.)

(Quick story, last night I bumped into the amazing Tom Colicchio and gave him a flier. I was going to a wedding and went into Manhattan when the location was in Brooklyn! Perhaps I was meant to bump into him and he will be the one that helps us Find Myrtle?)

Desperately need more fliers to get out there – hopefully someone has Myrtle safe and warm and doesn't know there's a army of #FindMyrtle heros looking for her, so we NEED them to see a flier.

Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Bushwick and beyond, it's been a week and Myrtle is FAST so she really could be anywhere. Signs on and near subways, near grocery stores, in laundromats, gyms, rec centers, churches, delis, shopping centers can also help get this search in front of the eyes of the right person.

Download and print Myrtle fliers here. 

Pick up Myrtle fliers at  Norman and N. Henry- the entrance to McGolrick park, Cafe Grumpy on Meserole, and  Site in Astoria.

If you are a business owner in Bushwick or Williamsburg and can host Find Myrtle fliers, please let me know. I will drop some off!

There was a strange sighting of a dark, small black dog running loose - and scared out in Canarsie. So if you happen to live out there, it wouldn't hurt to keep your eyes peeled and put up a few fliers!

If you are following along and are not in NYC - here's a list of things you can do to help:

• Share images of Myrtle online: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, on your blog, to your email list, etc.
• Like the Facebook Page. 
• Donate to the Find Myrtle Search Team: Giving $1k to the team who has been out every single night, all night looking for Myrtle. They are volunteering their time and have a dog training business, I would like to help them. $500 has been spent on printing fliers, $300 on ads in papers and on Facebook. $200 on taxis to false leads. Whew, this is a costly endeavor! 
• Text the story and an image to your phone contacts. 
• Pray! Send good energy! As your dogs to keep an ear to the ground, those dogs talk! :)
• MORE ways to help here: 21 Ways to Help #FindMyrtle

Here is what I have next to me when I work, how will I get back to work without this little chi to consult with? She's really good at coming up with solutions when I get stuck.

Update: Astoria Chihuahua is NOT Myrtle

I received 2 calls about a found chihuahua in Astoria that was given to a woman in a building up there. I needed to find this woman and make sure she did not take Myrtle in as her own. I think I will become an FBI agent. My team consisting of Liz, Jim and my new friend Audres, and I tracked down 2 leads and knocked on a woman's door until she answered. She did lose her chihuahua a few days ago and it was returned to her, she said. "Let me go get her." She brought the little chihuahua over and it wasn't Myrtle. She looked at lot like Myrtle, but not my baby. The woman was in tears, tell me she would pray for me.

Check out Audres and his sweet, sweet pup. He helped me track this woman down so we could make sure this wasn't Myrtle. 

I am meeting the most loving, helpful and generous people during this whole endeavor. Thank you all. Dog people, you are crazy and awesome and I love you. Thank you all who are out there on the streets fliering – I hope someone is keeping her warm and just hasn't seen a flier yet.

I suppose we should keep looking in Greenpoint, Bushwick, maybe she even made it over the bridge to Sunnyside. Fliers are going to get her found, but also, how can I get in contact with all the industrial businesses up there in North Greenpoint? I tried to call and flyer around those businesses, left some in mailboxes, tried to talk to as many people working there as possible.

***However, there is still the story of a woman who told a pet store clerk in Astoria that she found a chihuahua and might keep it. I do not know the color of that chihuahua so, not a great lead.

Let's #FindMyrtle this weekend!!!

Please, if you aren't in NYC, keep sharing online – you never know who you could reach, a friend of a friend of a friend who knows someone who got a new black Chihuahua, a news reporter, an editor, maybe Myrtle has started tweeting? Who knows! Keep trying.

If you are in NYC, here's what you can do to help. This is a big city, I really need your help!

I have made a list of places that need fliering this weekend – please check it out and let me know if you have fliered any of these places/areas. You can request access to this Google doc, email me, or just leave it in the comments below.

On this list: churches, grocery stores, large shopping plazas, parks, bars, libraries, brunch spots, gyms, ALL SUBWAY STOPS. (If you want to help populate this list with places, that would be great email me!!)  Trying to think of places that have a lot of traffic over the weekend. I hope we can get a flier in front of someone who took her in, thinking she was a stray.

If you do not have a printer you can pick fliers up at Norman and N. Henry- the entrance to McGolrick park, Cafe Grumpy on Meserole, Eva's Play Pups at N. 11th and Site in Astoria. The fliers won't be there until noon today (Saturday) but here are the PDF versions, if you want to print your own. The small fliers are great for handing out to groups of people!

I want to keep us focused on all the neighborhoods surrounding Greenpoint – however, I think it's worth it to put fliers up in any neighborhood. Please update the list or email me if you do flier! (I would like to find a way to thank you when Myrtle is found!)

If you have heard or seen anything about a lost or FOUND chihuahua in Astoria, please let me know. If we can figure out if this was a black chihuahua the woman in Astoria found, that would really help.

Latest Update & Myrtle Smiling

Today was really hard. She ran away at 12:30am last Saturday morning, so in a few hours it will be one full week. (For those who are new to the #FindMyrtle team, I was away in Canada and Myrtle got out of her collar after been scared by a loud noise and ran – this was near McGolrick Park in Greenpoint.) When I have put up fliers and talked to people for 8 hours and have nothing in return and no phone calls, no leads, that's when I just turn into a pile of tears. The only thing that helps is when I see that someone else has shared the info about Myrtle or is out there doing something to help. The 2 things that really helped me today.

Thanks for the photo, Andrea!

Last night Astoria residents put food out for Myrtle, in case she was hungry. Someone told me there was a line of bowls of food and fliers out there.

The Gothamist picked up Myrtle's story! (I'm not reading the comments, I can only imagine how much people are hating me over there for owning a dog that is small.)

The latest news is this: a woman went into a pet shop in Astoria and said she had a chihuahua at home that she found and wanted to keep it. The woman at the pet shop advised her to take it to a vet or shelter  so they could see if the dog had a microchip. There was no chihuahua turned into the vets nearby – and there really is no shelter in Astoria.  The pet shop where this woman was seen is near Steinway and Broadway. She was described as short and chubby with long brown hair and an 8 year old daughter. Full story that includes a psychic premonition.

I have had 2 other people in Astoria say they heard about a loose chihuahua running around, so maybe it was her.  I don't know, but I have nothing else to go on, so I spent all day putting fliers all over Astoria.

Halloween is coming and I keep thinking about myrtle prancing around in her dragon wings as Daenerys' black baby dragon. Is she captured in the house of the undying?! 

I ordered stickers, since I keep going back to places I spent hours fliering and see that they are all torn down. Thanks to Nicole Licht for designing most of these flyers and graphics!! <3 Stickers won't arrive until Tuesday, so let's hope I don't need them.

I also keep thinking about how happy Myrtle is after she eats – she comes over and snuggles and kisses me and then passes right out, cuddled into me. Or sometimes she has one of her smiling fits – which I can never capture on camera and happened to get a video of the day before I left for Winnipeg. (Ignore my dog lady voices.)

So tonight I will put a game plan together, for those who want to help this weekend. Please check back in or follow the Facebook Page for updates. We need to do something that can reach people who aren't online or seeing the posters. If you have ideas, let me know in the comments below. If you want to implement any of these ideas, also let me know!

Astoria, the Pet Psychic and my god Myrtle is still on the lam!!

lovely graphic by nicole licht

I received a call this morning from a woman who said kids in her building found a little black chihuahua and were going to turn it in to a vet or shelter. She then saw a flyer for Myrtle and called me to let me know. This woman lives all the way out in Astoria! She said the kids went to school and she had no more information. I jetted over to her building to look for Myrtle and to flyer there while I wanted for the kids to come home.

Yesterday I talked with a pet psychic, who read me for free. She said Myrtle was with someone, someone who might want to keep her. She said to look out for the pet store with puppies in big glass windows, "You know the kind with the white shredded paper in the window?" Those were her exact words. She said this was a key place.

A friend and Myrtle hero started a list of all the vets and pet stores in Brooklyn and Queens and have been calling, visiting, faxing, emailing them all (along with her help!). I know most of these pet stores and none sell puppies or have puppies in the window.

While waiting for the kids to come back home I pulled up my google maps and started heading to all the vets and pet stores in Astoria.  The first corner I went to, I pulled out my Myrtle flyer and started to tape it up when I saw right next to it, was .. a Myrtle flyer! I started to cry. How generous and kind people can be. I needed this reminder in my life. I'm grateful for all who are helping and sharing. Even if it turns me into a blubbering fool in public.

I continued walking down Steinway I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a pet store that wasn't on Google maps or listed anywhere online.

The Discount Pet Shop on Steinway (near Broadway)  P.S. Rescue 4 life!!!!

My heart jumped – I darted across the street and went inside. I was greeted by a wall of puppies, on sweet little baby brown chihuahua stared at me and wagged its tail. I told the woman working there about my search for my lost black chihuahua. Her eyes grew and she said, "Yes! A woman came in here. She was in on Monday I think. She said she had found a chihuahua and didn't know what to do with it." 

"Really?!" I told her about the pet psychic. I pleaded with her to give me all the info she had. 

"She was short, a spanish woman with long brown hair. She had a little girl with her about 8 years old. I told her to take the dog to the vet around the corner, so they could scan her for a microchip. She said she might just keep the dog."

The woman didn't have the chihuahua with her, so we don't know if this was Myrtle. Any lead is good right now. Waiting for any kind of information is painful. This was giving me something to do. 

Before I left the woman said to me, "You know. I went to a psychic over the summer. She said I would meet the love of my life this year. I told her she was crazy, that I was married already. And guess what, as of a few weeks ago, I'm divorced."

"Let's both hope we find what we're looking for." I told her. 

I went to all the vets in that area and none have seen Myrtle. No chihuahua has been turned in. I suspect someone has Myrtle and they are holding on to her. They love her, she is lovable. 

I just wish I knew for sure – I could deal with that. I could deal with knowing she was safe, warm and being loved. Not knowing if she is out in the cold at night, that is what hurts so much. 

Day 5. A dark, dreary intersection.

Yesterday was 1,000 hours long, even though I couldn't get myself out of bed until 1pm. Norma came over with spanish flyers and made me get up. Just as she arrived I got a call from someone in Bushwick who spotted a loose black chihuahua on their block. We ran over there, knocked on all the doors in the building but no sign of her - I sat on the stoop of the building waiting to see Myrtle come out and run to me. No such luck, an hour or so later a woman living in the building arrived home and it turns out she does have a black chihuahua who she lets run off leash on her block.

Not Myrtle.  ;(

While in the neighborhood a bunch of kids said they saw a little black chihuahua run through the park a few days ago. Could it have been Myrtle? Thanks for all those who are flyering Bushwick just in case it was her. 

Staff from Animal Haven (thank you!!!) came out to pick me up in Bushwick and we decided to go look for myrtle near the feral cat hotel in Greenpoint. Maybe she was hanging out around there? We did find a man stealing a car, a woman in a dark corner who had been, "Hanging out there for hours." and many feral cats. Strange night.

In the middle of this got a call from Channel 7 Eyewitness news. They wanted to come out and do a story on our hunt for Myrtle. I met them at the park and shared the story with them. While around there I put out some cans of cat food, just in case she was still in Greenpoint, and hungry.

Got a call from someone out in Canarsie saying they just saw the news and 10 minutes before spotted a lose black chihuahua twice in their neighborhood. Johnny, a fellow Badass, picked me up and drove me out there. We looked for her until 3am.

I stood at the intersection where she may have been spotted, 105th and L, and everything was dreary, wet and rainy. I looked down each dark street. At that moment all of this felt impossible. She could be anywhere. Cold, hungry, scared. My heart felt so heavy.

This morning has been hard. Thank you for everyone who is still tweeting, posting to facebook, sharing in creative ways. Thank you to friends who are reaching out with kind words, every one of them makes a difference. All I could think to do is put together a big list of ways to help, so here it is, 21 Ways You Can Help #FindMyrtle. Please consider crossing a couple off, and sharing.

Hug your pets. Tighten their collars. Make sure they are microchipped (Myrtle was, thankfully, hope it helps.)