Some of you know that Willie's registered name is Champion Boreal's On the Road Again.  Well, he lived up to that name in the past 3 weeks.  He lived up to his sister, Amber's name as well.  That is Boreal's Adventurous Journey.  He was found 4 or 5 miles away from home.  He was about 3 or 4 miles from the areas where I believe he has been spotted, but not too far off of the Chester Creek Trails.  He was not in any of the areas where I have posted flyers.  On Thursday night he decided to follow a lady from her mailbox to her mobile home (off Boniface near 34th)  and accepted her invitation to come in.  Sue said that she has lost a couple dogs over the years and it was sooo cold, she didn't want him out.  She had not seen any of the flyers and had no idea that he had been missing for so long.  On Friday, she called Animal Control and said that she had found a little collie wearing a blue collar.  The dispatcher, Jennifer, immediately knew in her heart that it was Willie!  She tried calling my home, my work, my cell - but I was staking out the Tikishla Park area and had my Tracfone with me, having misplaced my regular cell phone.  Jennifer got a hold of Elissa who was just down the road at another mobile home park waiting to see if Willie walked by (I'd had a possible lead at the Mayflower Trailer Court on Boniface.)  Elissa didn't want to get my hopes up, in case it wasn't Willie, so she waited until she knew it was him to call me.  She said "Karen, I have a little boy in my car who really wants to see his Mommy."  We ahd all decided that he was going be checked by a vet immediately when we found him, so we met in the parking lot.  My boy was back in my arms, at last.

He had a little time of seeming slightly disoriented with Elissa, but as soon as he processed who she was and that he was safe, he climbed into her arms.  When he first saw me, he wagged his tail but still seemed to be processing for a couple minutes, then he started his happy dance.  He happily kissed us all, he enthusiastically took most treats (for a while was spitting out things like milk bones, but loving jerky.)  He checked out very healthy at the vets, none the worse for the adventure. In fact, I think he may have gained a couple pounds.  He was a very healthy weight three weeks ago, but now I can barely feel his ribs.  I know at least one person who believes it was Willie she was feeding, was setting out Yummy Chummies for him, and I'm sure he was rummaging through a lot of garbage.  Probably there was a lot of bread and the like.  Definately not the well balanced quality food he gets at home, in rationed amounts.   He really needed a good brushing and a bath wouldn't hurt, but he really proved what a hearty breed the shetland sheepdog is. 

Bred to thrive independently in the harsh climate of rugged Shetland Island off the Scottish coast, Shelties can endure great hardships.  However, amazingly, Willie is right back to be a happy little cuddle bug.   By the late evening, he was madly barking when the phone rang, it was his buddy Emmie calling to celebrate the news. He slept alot and he slept hard. 

This morning, he started playing with the girls (my other dogs) as if he'd never been gone.  I took him out his afternoon to visit with some of his fans and he'll visit some more tomorrow. I am reveling in having my boy back with me.  And I am so grateful for all the wonderful people who have been sending all the positive thoughts, the prayers, the people who looked for him, who called in sightings, who put up flyers, who blogged and twittered and facebooked and did PSA's on the radio and created websites and purchased ads and researched ways to find lost pets, and constantly believed that Willie was coming home!

I don't know how to begin to express my appreciation and gratitude to so many people who have done so much for Willie and me over the past 3 weeks.  Whenever it was too much for me to handle, knowing that my boy was out there alone and so cold, I received dozens of e-mails and/or phone calls tell me to keep the faith!  I received so many wonderful suggestions of things to do bring Willie home!  So many people have been out drivng around, looking for Willie.  He is probably the most mentioned name on Facebook this past couple weeks.  More than anything else, I know that there were hundreds of people praying for Willie's safe return!  If you ever questioned the power of prayer, I hope that this convinces you.  Willie is healthy, uninjured and very happy to be home.  I think his sisters are happy he is home, too.  I know I cannot quit touching, hugging and kissing him.  He's starting to give me that "Geez, Mom, stop it" look!  But as soon as I offer him another Yummy Chummie, he lets me know it is okay if I hug him again.

There were so many people that have been volunteering to help find Willie, and we can not thank you all enough for the many hours of assistance you have given us.  I am crying with happiness so I will go now.  Mike

Willie has been found around 36th and Boniface.  He is looking good, but a bit ragged.  He is being taken to Ravenwood Vet Clinic and a report on his health will be posted later.  He does not have any apparent problems, we just want to have him checked over.  The reward will be paid when they return from Ravenwood.  We are so happy.  Three weeks he has been missing through some very cold nights so this is near to being a miracle.  Posted by Mike Frost

While I was typing the earlier post, I received an email, timed at 9:32 p.m., that he was just sighted on Alexander.  The reporter had driven around for a half hour looking for him, but didn't see him again.  This is the first sighting reported this late.  But, he is being seen more!

While not conclusive, the evidence (sightings) are really making it look like Willie is in the Airport Heights/East high area.    We know for sure there is a sheltie running around in the area, but it is black and white with a very small amount of brown on his face. Most of the sightings have been of this little one.   However, we have a few sightings, particularly on E. 20th where the reporter is sure that the dog they have seen is brown or reddish.  Unfortunately, many of the sightings are reported after the sighting, even days after.  My sister, Debi, spent most of the day parked on 20th, hoping  to see Willie, but he was a no show. I  wish I could do the same thing tomorrow, but I have to work.  However, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, this will be my plan.  I really think that we have to wait for Willie to come to us.

A young (approx. 5 year old) liittle girl flagged down one of Willie's fans today on Norene.  Amazingly, the "fan" was the owner of one of Willie's sons, Honcho.  The girl said that she had played with Willie yesterday, given him some treats and that he did "circus tricks".  I stopped by while I was driving that neighborhood and spoke with her.  She told me that she was looking out the window and saw him walk by.  She confirmed that the dog she saw was brown.  She told me that she gave him food and some chew toys. 

A gentleman called me yesterday and said that his wife had seen a sheltie at 16th and Columbine at lunch time.  This is where people were seeing the black and white sheltie, so we talked about that.  He called back today to let me know that he had asked his wife if the sheltie she had seen was black and white, she told him it was reddish. 

I received a phone call yesterday from a lovely lady who said that a friend had just told her about Willie and that she was "sick" because she had seen Willie at Tikishla park on 11/5 and hadn't known to call.  She confirmed that the dog at Tikishla was brown, not black.  She and her lab will remain vigilant on their outings.  Again, proving that we live in a small community, I discovered that I knew her and her dog from a job that I worked a couple years ago.

Wow, is my house quiet without my little boy.  I really miss him.

Added a new page with suggestions for how people can help find Willie.
-jenny

I am amazed at all the e-mails and phone calls of encouragement that I am receiving!  I am gratified with all the kind thoughts, offers and acts of help, the wisdom and the suggestions.  While I find myself constantly at a loss for what to do next, I want everyone to know that this search will not end until Willie is home again.  I have always loved all my dogs with an intensity that boggles some of my non-doggy friends and acquaintances, Willie is, in many ways a very special boy.  I really don't favor one of my dogs over another, but Willie's energy and enthusiasm and love of play, make the house very quite and very lonely in his absence.  I need him back to put the life back in my life.  And I know he will be back.  I have been told so many stories over the past two weeks of dogs (and cats) being found or returning home after 2 1/2 weeks, or after 27 days or after 50 days, etc.   So, I know I cannot give up and I will not give up.  People are talking about Willie, people are seeing the flyers, people are helping to get the flyers all over Anchorage and even in the Valley, there are ads on Craigslist and in the ADN, and GCI classifies and the Press, People are talking about Willie on Facebook and blogging about him or mentioning him on their websites, the word is getting out.  And it is really important that we keep his name and picture on everyone's mind.  We need to look in yards and windows.  I was told a story yesterday about someone who was visiting a relative when she noticed a dog in a yard.  As she was out walking later on, she noticed flyers for a lost dog.  The dog living in the yard by her relative was the dog on the flyers.  She contacted the number on the flyer and they got their dog back.  It turns out that the kids had brought the dog home saying that a friend had given the dog to them and the parents accepted this.  They drove by the flyers everyday, but didn't notice or read them.  There was nothing malicious going on, but the real owners of the dog almost didn't get him back.  My sister has a friend who found a little stray dog who seemed uncared for, probably abused by his fearful behavior.  A couple days later, we noticed flyers for the missing dog and told our friend that she needed to contact them.  It turns out the owners had been on a cruise and the dog had slipped out when the housesitter came in one day.  The housesitter did not do much to look for the missing pooch.  A week or so later, when the owners came home, they were frantic to find the little guy whom they loved very, very much.  Days without food, and the dog looked uncared for, when he was really very well cared for, normally. 

It is quite possible that someone has Willie and thinks that he is better off with them.  After two weeks on his own, he may seem unloved.  We need to find him and disabuse them of this misconception, if that is the case. 

So, thank you to everyone for all you have done and all you are doing.  Please keep spreading the word and please keep looking of him and help him come home.

New phone number to receive Willie Sighting calls.
Updated site and flyer.
New number is 229-9534 - a cell so calls are received immediately.
-jenny

Thank you Alaska Book of Good Deals for helping us get the word out about Willie.

I thought that I was going to have some awesome news this evening, but things did not pan out.  Seems that we are at about the same place as we've been since the beginning.  A gentleman who lives in The Village complex east of Bragaw between Reka and 20th called Animal Control yesterday to report that some girls in the complex had been keeping a dog in their car(s) for the last couple nights.  My sister went to his condo and, I guess, he wasn't totally coherent but she gathered that the young girls lived in the side of the complex nearest East High and the vehicles involved are a red Explorer and a red Pontiac, maybe a Grand Am.  So we staked out the area and kept driviing through the complex for the next 8 hours.  I drove through the complex at 4:30 this morning and again at 7:30 and my sister drove through on her way to work.  We did find a red Grand Am, but when they left this morning there was a man and some kids, not "young ladies" and there was no sign of Willie.  We spoke with a lot of people in the complex, some of whom have seen a sheltie running loose in the complex over the last couple weeks and some of whom are absolutely sure that the one they've seen is "multicolored" not black and white.However, neither of my sisters nor our friend Mike (Willie's breeder) nor I ever saw a sheltie anywhere in the complex.  I spent most of today at the complex and still saw nothing and no phone calls with sightings.   I don't know if this is a good lead or not.

I spoke with April, the animal communicator, again today.  She said that Willie is still in the park, or rather that he still comes back to the park most of the time to sleep.  He showed her a tunnel type thing that he sleeps in.  It appears to be part of children's playground equipment.  There are a whole lot of parks in Anchorage with playgrounds with slides that are tubular, I don't know if that is what he is showing her or not.   She said that he goes into residential areas to find food, sometimes stuff like trash, but he said that some people put out food for him.  He also said that soemtimes he sleeps on a porch, because it is warmer.  This might be one of the places where he is getting food.  She said he is considering letting someone help him.  Hopefully it will be someone who has seen our flyers or Craigslist ads or Julia O'Malley's blog, etc.  And if not, hopefully someone who is keeping their eyes out for Willie will see him.  But, at least he'll be wram and fed.

Thinking of the sightings around East High, I started putting up flyers in Nunaka Valley tonight.  There is a direct path from E. 20th through Russian Jack Park under Boniface into Nunaka Valley.  If Willie is still running free and is the one spotted in the last couple weeks around the Village, than he could also be visiting the homes in Nunaka Valley to find food. That is really the only neighborhood near me that I had not already hit.  Well, that and on base.  I tried calling the security posts at Elmendorf and was transferred to the base police.  The gal who answered was quite rude and wouldn't even let me explain or give the time frame that I was looking at.  She just said that they had no reports of that (a loose dog, I guess).  However, I asked Animal Control today, and Jessie said that base security brings stray dogs caught on base to them.  Also, Jessie said that she will put up flyers on base for me.  So, thatwill get the last neighborhood covered. 

From there, I guess I have to widen my search farther and farther from home.  I still want to cover more of the Chester Creek trails.  I still need to hit the Campbell Creek area south of the University Lake area, the area between University Lake and Goose Lake, and everything West of Davenport Field (Lake Otis ballfields.)  I feel so conflicted.  Sometimes I think I need to just sit in one of the areas of sightings to see if he wanders by adn other times I think I need to be covering more areas putting up flyers. 

I've had a lot of people giving me encouragement and telling me not to give up.  I won't give up, believe me.  It's just that most of the time, I don't know what to do.  I'm afraid of being one place and missing him in another.  However, I've had a lot of people telling me about how they had a dog missing for 2 1/2 weeks, for 21 days, for 27 days, etc.  But they were found and well.  As long as everyone keeps praying and keeps looking, he'll come home. 

I am starting to lose it!  I just don't know where to look, what to do.  Is he still running loose, scrounging for food and water, afraid of people as the animal communicator, April says.  Or did some one pick him up and decide to keep him.  If the latter, where did they take him?  Is he still in East Anchorage?  Is he even in Anchorage?  I am about to purchase my third box of sheet protectors which means that I put up more than 400 flyers, yet we have only had two plausible hits off the flyers.  One saying that he was only 6 houses away from me 24 hours after he went missing which differs from what April says.  The other saw him a week later, in a very plausible area.  But covering the area and staking out the area for the last few days, nothing more. I'm getting sooo much support and unbelievable help, but with all the eyes we have looking, no one is sighting him.  I need my Willie home, but don't know what to do.

Thank You to all the wonderful people who have been helping us search for Willie. A special thanks to the Boy Scout Troop who braved the snow yesterday to spread the word! You are all fabulous!

Willie still hasn't come home, but we have received several promising leads over the past two days. Remember, we are offering a REWARD for any information that leads to Willie's return! Even if you saw him a few days ago, that information would help us narrow down our search area.

Our focus remains in Mountain View, particularly Lion's View Park, but Willie could be anywhere at this point. We believe he is still out there, either wandering or in someone's home. If you have Willie, please at least let us know he is safe! Obviously we want our beautiful boy home again, but it would be some relief to know he is safe and warm somewhere.

PLEASE print a flier and post it in a high traffic area! If we all put up ONE flier, Willie will be home in no time!

Day 12 missing - We had been focusing on the area west of Bragaw and North of Northern Lights since I received multiple comments and hits on the flyers of a sheltie wandering in that area.  However, many comments over the last couple of days were that this was a black and white sheltie.  Willie is Mahogany sable.  Also, people were saying that the dog has been around "on and off throughout the summer."  Then one wonderful volunteer wandering the neighborhood yesterday saw the sheltie, it was black and white and wearing a jacket.  I drove to the homes of two eye witnesses, who believe that they saw brown on the dog.  But, I no longer have the confidence I did on Monday that this is Willie.  There is a trap set, baited with food, a blanket that I cuddle with and I borrowed a bitch in heat yesterday and walked her from Tikishla Park to the trap and then had her do a whole bunch of sits and downs on the blanket. 

When I got home to find out that my voicemail was full and I had missed some calls, there was one call from a lady in North Mtn. View who saw Willie a couple days ago.  This is the most reasonable sighting yet.  It only puts Willie across one busy street from my home (Mtn. View drive.) Puts him near parks and lots of alleyways with trashcans and even homeless camps with trash to scavenge.  She is absolutely certain that it is Willie.  She thought he had "short legs" because she is used to full sized collies and he was so short in comparison. Her kids are off school today and she is sending them out to spread the word.  My younger sister is out driving and I will be leaving work soon to do some looking and put up flyers over a long lunch.  I couldn't put up flyers last night, because it was soooo cold, the duct tape wouldn't even stick to itself.  I feel very sure that we're getting closer now.  We just need to get a whole lot of exposure in North Mountain View so that people know he is missed and needs to come home!

I'll talk in my next post about the goings on for today.   But I just got call from a lady in Mountain View, on Peterkin who saw Willie a couple days ago.  She called Animal Control but, if they made it out there, they did not pick him up.  She saw my flyer today (I live on the border of Mtn. View) and called.  She did not know what a Sheltie is, she thought he was a collie but was deformed in that he was so small.  She is going to keep an eye out and send her kids out looking.  I am heading out  to put up flyers in North Mtn. View.  Pray!

Elissa spent the entire day and evening driving around the target zone.  Debi, Mike (Willie's breeder and "Dad"), and I spent the afternoon until dark walking around the trails and/or streets in the target zone.  I got a lot more flyers up.  But, best of all, is the gentleman mentioned at the end of the last post.  His name is Brad and has been seeing Willie for the last 5 days or so.  He is very actively involved in the search.  We have set a trap from the Shetland Sheepdog Club in his driveway.  It is baited with one of my cuddle blankets with my smells all over it and some food.  Brad has been handing out information cards with Willie's information to everyone walking by and is talking him up big time.  I did run into a couple people who said that the sheltie that has been around is black and white, but we ran into far more who look at the picture and say "oh yeah, that is him."  As we drive around in circles through the neighborhood, I feel like we could be just missing him.  Since the snow has shown us pawprints, I think my next strategy is going to be to just park at one of the spots where he seems to be coming out of the park and let him come to me.  I'm going out in the wee dark hours of the morning, but I have to go in to work in the morning (I cannot afford to lose my job), Elissa will relieve me.  Debi is off tomorrow too, so she'll relieve Elissa and then I'll go back out as soon as I can.  It may take a couple days this way, but if the trap doesn't get him, I do believe that we'll see him this way.  Mike, also, has a co-worker who lives in this community and he and his wife, in addition to searching with their two dogs, have offered to be run out the second we hear of a sighting, since they are closer than we are.  Oh, how I need to wrap my little guy up in my arms!

At about 10 am today, Monday, Elissa received a call on her cell phone from a lady who was shoveling her driveway and had just seen a sheltie (we'll call him Willie) walking down 19th and turning North on Columbine.  I was there in less than 10 minutes and Elissa and I spent 3 hours driving between Bragaw and the greenbelt to the west and Northern Lights North to DeBarr.  I went on foot back behind the houses through the greenbelt and back and forth to Tikishla Park, calling and calling.  From the footpath where 20th ends there were a small dog's prints wandering up and down driveways, and no corresponding human prints.  They went up about close to Norene and then turned around and came back to the next street (right across from Serendipity) and turned in toward Alexander.  I lost them there.  I had to return to work to pick up my flyers which I left at my desk when I flew out and to finish a report for my boss so that I can relax and take my time finding Willie.  Elissa got a call from a gentleman who was clearing another man's driveway and they got to talking.  The homeowner said that he sees the sheltie every day early in the morning and again around 3 p.m.  So, we are going to camp out in that area this afternoon.  I have dog food, blankets, T-shirts, etc.  He may be almost home!

I was out hanging flyers earlier this afternoon, thinking I was going to head towards the Chester Trails (between East Chester and West Chester) since I could hit a lot of parks along that route.  I was getting near East High something compelled me to turn West on 20th and hang fliers along 20th.  Where 20th ends (at Rosemary?) a walking trail starts.  1 put up fliers there and as I was walking back to my van, a car drove up and the lovely couple inside said "That little dog has been running all around 17th!" and pointed down Rosemary.  I was too excited to ask when was the last time they saw him, but ran back to my van and followed them toward 17th.  I parked at the west end of 17th and my husky mix, Susie, and I walked east on 17th calling Willie.  There was another walking trail where I had parked, so Susie and I followed it to a park - with a softball field, trees and lots of the backs of houses.  A -gentleman playing fetch with his dog told me that he had seen a sheltie a few days ago, he thinks it may have been last weekend, in the park.  But he was too skittish and could not be caught.  He will be keeping an eye out.  I only had a couple posters left and had to get more supplies, so I wnet back to my car and put up the last of the flyers.  As i was putting up the last one, a lady drove by and said that a my dog had been handing out at Tikishla Park, at least up to last Monday.  However, she said that a man there said that he had brought the same dog to "the pound" a couple months ago.  That would not be Willie, but it could be a case of mistaken idenity, too.  So, as soon as my printer is done working on the 50 flyers I'm printing, I'm heading out that way.  So, folks who live in Airport Heights, PLEASE keep looking.  If this is Willie, he is being very skittish so just give us a call if you have a sighting,  229-9534 or 230-3978 or 360-6940.  AND THANK YOU!

My sister, Elissa, and I have just spent  afew hours getting flyers up and talking to people in the trailer parks off Boniface, all up and down Turpin and the surrounding neighborhoodsand along part of DeBarr.  I'[m printing up more flyers and will head out again.  No sightings, but keeping the faith.  The postal worker in my neighborhood said she'll keep her eye out in yards and such, too. 

A couple of friends had a sheltie go missing a while back and after no sighting for a few days, turned to an animal communicator.   Since I have had interesting interactions with an animal communicator in the past and know of others who have, I had an appointment last night with, April, who helped bring Echo home.  I know that some people are skeptical, but with no valid sightings in a week, I am willing to try anything!  April connected with Willie and he told her that he is very lost and scared and that his feet hurt.  He believes that he is very far from home and wants nothing more than to get home.  Based on information he relayed to April, I think he has been traveling in circles and is likely within a few miles of home.  He said that he is at a big field that has a wooded area on one side and houses with fences on the other.  He told her that he is staying out of sight because he is scared and only comes out at night to look for garbage to eat.  He, also, said that he does see a lot of people walking with dogs, but hides from them.  April told him that he needs to let people see him so that they can tell me where he is and I can come get him.  She told him to stay where he is so that he doesn't get more lost.  He says that he crossed a lot of small streets but only one big street with a lot of cars.  I cannot think of a place that fits this description, but realize that there are many interpretations that different people can make about a place looks and what the path you have traveled looks like, let alone looking at it from a small dog's perspective.  The most important thing is getting the word out and getting flyers up everywhere!  So, thank you to everyone who is doing this with me!  Let's get him home before the snow flies!

Thanks to my wonderful friend, Karen W., Willie is getting radio exposure!  I know he's coming home!

Well, if it was Willie at University Lake, he didn't come to my call.  The person who put the notice on Craigslist about the small, tan and white dog who look like an "American Eskimo type" looked at Willie's headshot and said that the dog she saw was not a sheltie.  She said it was fluffy and caramelly colored.  Well, shelties are fluffy dogs and I could consider one the color tints to be caramel.  So, I've added another photo that shows more of my little guy. 

So, he was might have been spotted near East High (Bragaw and 20th) on Sunday by two different people and, maybe at University Lake Dog Park on Tuesday.  Do you think he might be taking himself to Animal Control?  Just be safe my little boy.

 Debi and I are on our way to check out a possible sighting at University Lake.

A reward fund has been established - see 'Chip-In'.

I just received my first and only phone call about Willie.  I live on the inside of a cul-de-sac and a lady on the corner of the cul-de-sac said that she saw Willie on her lawn yesterday around 6:30 PM barking at her dog in her window.   A while later a teenage girl brought him to his neighbor's door and asked if Willie was her dog.  Neither of them had seen my posters.  My neighbor thought that Willie lived a block over and told the young girl this.
So, I know that he was right close to home just 21 hours ago.  I was out driving the neighborhood at that time.  My timing has never been very good.  But, I'm going door-to-door right now.  Please continue with your prayers and, if you know anyone who lives on Capricorn and 4th Ave., please ask them if they have seen him!

A utility meter reader left my gate open on Friday, October 30 and Willie got loose. Please help me find him, he is my baby and I miss him terribly!

He is sable and white (brown and white with some black) and a very sweet boy. He looks like a small collie (lassie).

Lost in the area of Scorpio and 4th Ave/ St Laurencia and 6th ave. (near Boniface Parkway and near Wonder Park Elementary)229-9534

Call Karen at 229-9534 or e-mail her here Karen Hill
or Lisa at 230-3978.