How to Help Animals in Danger Due to Hurricane Sandy

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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.