How Far Would You Go to Find Your Beloved Pet?

After several serious illnesses and the death of her
mother, Donna Watson, and her husband, John Ohnstad, booked a cruise to the
Bahamas.  The intent was to lay 2011 to rest and start the New Year off
right.

Rather than put their beloved miniature dachshund, Rudy,
in a boarding facility, the couple decided to leave him with a trusted
friend.   “The friend had owned dogs before, so we figured she could
handle it.  We asked that she secure him, either by crate or leash, every
time anyone opened an exterior door.  She was provided with everything
needed to keep Rudy contained.

An hour after leaving Newark, DE, en route to their
getaway,

they received a call that Rudy had escaped. They were told that while

opening the back door to make certain the gate to the yard was closed, the 11

pound dog ran out.  “The sitter called Rudy.  He stood and looked at

her, but didn’t come.  She then rushed to him, and the rest is history,”

Watson said.  Rudy’s response was to run.  The sitter solicited three

other people, all strangers to the dog, to help pursue him.  Rudy,

skittish by nature, was terrified.  He ran faster and farther.  He

was chased more than half a mile, across Rt. 273 in Newark, to University

Plaza.  Two cars collided in order to avoid hitting Rudy, who kept going.

John and Donna immediately turned around, forfeiting
their

cruise, to go home and look for their precious Rudy.  This happened on

Christmas Day 2011.  They searched for approximately seven hours, frantic,

and not knowing what to do. According to Donna, their extravagant dinner

and week-long cruise, turned into chicken salad from the WaWa and anything but

a vacation.

John and Donna check with animal shelters throughout the

state every other day.  Every veterinarian in New Castle County, DE, has

been notified. Vets and shelters across the state lines in Pennsylvania and

Maryland, close to Rudy’s Hot Zone, are also kept updated. “I call and/or email

the shelters and veterinarians periodically to provide them with updates; to

remind them that we are still looking for Rudy; and to provide them with new

posters.  We don’t want him slipping through the cracks of a very

fragmented and broken system,” Watson said.

The first four months of hanging flyers and posters,
going

door-to-door canvassing neighborhoods, resulted in many Rudy sightings, but the

dog remained elusive.  The decision was made to hire Karin TarQwyn, a

nationally known pet detective.  It was hoped that their trained tracking

dogs could determine which of the many sightings were, or were not, Rudy. 

TarQwyn and her associate Jordina Ghigherri came to Newark, DE on three

separate occasions. Pet Detective, Mary Beth Raven and her Belgian

Shepherd, Pippin joined Team Rudy in the fall of 2012.  Mary Beth and

Pippin have traveled to Delaware at least once or twice a month to confirm and

track sightings of Rudy. The plan was to have both pet
detectives collaborate,

with Mary Beth and Pippin doing most of the tracking since they lived in

Baltimore, closer to Rudy’s travel area.  The pet detectives have

mapped scent trails and possible travel routes.  They have provided advice

on the most effective areas to put signage.  Watson continues to consult

with both pet detectives as she believes that they both possess skill sets that

will help Bring Rudy Home.

More than a year later, the couple continues to make
finding

Rudy their #1 priority.  Ohnstad, a retired Chrysler worker, works full

time finding Rudy.  He mans the “Rudy Hotline” during the day, follows up

on leads, and distributes flyers in recent sighting areas.  He also

maintains the trail cameras and feeding stations.  Ohnstad has been known

to spend the night in areas where recent sightings have been reported.

Watson continues to work as a school nurse in order to
help

defray the enormous costs associated with this search.  In the evenings,

she and her husband, distribute flyers, hang or replace posters, and interview
witnesses.  Donna also started and manages www.facebook.com/BringRudyHome,

a page that offers advice and current information about Rudy. 

Helping them are a few local people who are key members
of

Team Rudy.  They cook hot dogs and bacon to entice the dog; follow up on

sightings; explore areas Rudy might find attractive; help circulate flyers and

anything necessary to Bring Rudy Home.  Long distance team members share

Facebook posts and pictures; they watch the numerous internet lost and found

pet registries, just in case he gets trapped or “surrenders.”

As the search continues, Watson and Ohnstad are hopeful
that

they will be able to Bring Rudy
Home; however, in Watson’s words, “we remain cautiously optimistic. We
also are realists; we know that each time there is a sighting; we need to
respond quickly, so that it’s not the last sighting. At this point, Rudy
is in ‘survival mode’, bringing him in will not be easy; he sees all humans as
predators and sources of danger—even us.”  Although the search

has cost the couple thousands of dollars, they both say that they believe that

Rudy is worth it at any price.

Even though Rudy is not yet home, his loss has impacted
some

very positive changes for other lost and abandoned animals in Delaware. 

His parents have assisted in rescuing 16 red, smooth dachshunds; returning most

of them to their owners.   Two of those dachshunds were surrendered

and unwanted by their previous owners; but no longer.  Max and Willie now

reside with John and Donna.  They remained in foster status for more
than a year; they have now been officially adopted by them and they eagerly
await the return of their older brother, Rudy.  Watson said that those moments
are bittersweet.  “We are always happy to help others and we will continue
to

do so; we do pray that the next rescued dachshund will be Rudy.” 

Watson has also recently been a frequent participant in
the

Delaware Animal Welfare Taskforce.  She continues to lobby for a statewide

Delaware Lost and Found Pet Registry.  The proposed outcome of that

registry is that all lost pets will be registered in one place in the entire

state.  “Delaware is a small state, “Watson says."  If we create

a successful registry, other states may follow our lead; just as

they did with the indoor smoking ban.” It just makes sense; one location

to report lost, found and surrendered animals” said Watson, who spends at least

20 hours per week making sure that Rudy is posted on most major internet sites

and Facebook pages.   Watson’s ultimate dream is that the outcome

would result in all 50 states having one statewide registry that would be

connected into one national registry.  Donna says, “This journey

started out to be all about Rudy.  While Rudy is still our primary focus,

we’ve been awakened and we are responding to the needs of many other lost

animals.”  “Rudy cannot speak for himself,” Watson says, “I will be his

voice for as long as necessary to help to bring him home.  What parent/pet

parent wouldn’t do the same?”

Download the movie