Heikke is Home

Last night, local television station KPIX ran a story about dogs gone missing in the Bay Area. It may have been that broadcast or the astounding effort put in by Heikke's family and friends that got him home early this morning. But he is home.

We are powerful as a community. We know our pets belong at home with us, and we understand the pain and trauma of those around us when they are in this situation. It is our natural reaction to try to do the right thing and bring a happy ending. This is one such story.

A woman called the Lofgren home very early this morning. She knew her boyfriend had Heikke, and she was on her way to his house to pick up the dog. They arranged to meet in a neutral location, positive identification was made, and the ordeal was over.

Whether it was the newscast or some other means, this woman got the word that a puppy was away from his family, and when she made the connection, she did the right thing.

The Lofgren's left very little to chance in reaching out to find Heikke. A very abbreviated list of actions they took include:

• extensive neighborhood search
• posters everywhere (including out of the area) with a reward
  
• calling every vet in a 43 mile radius (600 of them)
  
• registered as missing with all the main shelters in the Bay Area
• reaching out to the Bernese Mountain Dog, Society Dog, Menlo Dog Owners, and San Francisco Dog Walkers affinity groups
• monitoring local flea and farmers markets

In short, they took no chances, and at least one of their efforts had the right effect.

It's a happy day for Heikke, let's now see what we can do to bring Bebe home safely.