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Sal's Updates On Moka
Updated 01/16/97 12:30 PM CST |
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Sal's Updates On Moka
Updated 01/16/97 12:30 PM CST |
Moka is home, safe and well.
This is the story of the time she was gone, as told by her owner.
I NEED YOUR HELP!!!
December 8, 1997About 2PM this afternoon Marita's car was stolen (this might have been a pro job-they didn't set off the alarm) from a Scranton, PA mall parking lot. My first show dog, my favorite, "Moka" was crated in the back!! To say the leastwe are terribly worried. The car was a 96 white Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. I realize this is a waste of space for those of you outside the area but it is the quickest way I can ask the local people to help. I have attached a photo (I apologize to the digest people). I'm hoping that Moka will find her way back to me. Perhaps she will be released somewhere outside the area. If you can contact your local shelters and put them on the lookout. She has no collar or tags but she does have a tattoo (AKC registration #) on her right inner thigh. I have offered a $500.00 reward for her safe return.
Keep a good thought for her. TIA
Sal & Marita
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update #1
December 9, 1997There are some leads. It turns out the thieves used Marita's cell phone shortly after the theft and called a cell phone in Brooklyn, NY. They also received a call from the same phone in NY. Both calls were picked up in a "cell" between the mall where the car was taken and NY. It looks like that is where the car was headed. Most of the experts have told me that car thieves usually drop the animals that they find in the vehicles. This has me very worried because she isn't street wise in the least. I was able to get the story on the TV news last night complete with a picture and a patient of mine who is a reporter got the story on the FRONT page of this mornings' newspaper. We placed fliers with her picture in many different areas of the community. We have contacted all the area shelters as well as the area vets and we have contracted with PET FINDERS. They will get the information to all the shelters within a 60 miles radius and when told about the lead in NY they added all of the shelters in NY, Long Island and New Jersey.
Words cannot express my gratitude for all the warm thoughts and the efforts that Samfans has put forth to help us find our little girl. We sincerely appreciate what you are doing to help us.
Keep those good thoughts coming,
Regards,
Sal & Marita Lawrence
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update #2
December 10, 1997>OK, so I checked, and a 96 Jeep Gr Ch Limited has a 23 gal gas tank, and > gets "about" 20 MPG on the highway, V8 or V6. So that's 460 miles, if the> tank was just topped off. The trip to Brooklyn is around 130 miles and less > than 2 1/2 hours at 65 mph. > > They may not have needed to stop. > > The most probable route is Scranton through Stroudsburg, to Jersey City and > through the Holland Tunnel to Brooklyn. > > Sal, how much gas was in the car? > And if they did have to stop, where is gas cheaper, PA or Jersey? >>
The tank was 3/4s full. They wouldn't have had to stop. My best guess is that they traveled I-81 to I-380 & then either I-84 or I-80. Marita & I rode the rural part of this trip, I-380, on the off chance they dumped Moka (crate & all) on the side of the road. We came up emtpy. Driving in the beginings of a miserable snowstorm was not a lot of fun. I have faxed the flier with her picture to all the places that were given to me along the way. Hopefully we are right on target. We have heard nothing so far about Moka. A few supposed local sightings but they didn't to pan out. Our local newspaper ran the story in both the morning & evening papers. Absolutely everywhere I go people are coming up to me and asking if there is any news. If she was still in this area, someone would have found her. I'm pretty sure she is in NJ or in NY. Marita is doing a little better but far from good. On a brighter note. There is progress on the hunt for the thieves. If/when they make an arrest, perhaps we will have a shot at pinpointing where she is. I have tried to thank each of you for your help, prayers & good wishes. I'm sure I have missed more that a few. Please excuse my lapse of manners and accept our heartfelt thankyou now. I am trying to get a story into the NY Times or NY Daily News, hoping someone will have seen her. If anyone has any "pull" please help me.
Once again our warmest thanks,
Sal & Marita Lawrence
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Update #3
December 11, 1997There was a Sam sighting in the area just west of Philadelphia, I spoke with the person but it sounds like it was a big male with obvious redish fur on his front legs. Too many things against it, Moka isn't that big, doesn't lick her legs and the last time I checked, she didn't have anything between her legs. The person was going to try to find the animal to confirm that it was a male.I have been e-mailing the flier to as many shelters that have fax machines in the areas of PA, NJ & NY. I did get a call from the local PBS station this afternoon that they are running their annual beg for money fundraiser (aka Membership Drive) tonight and they wanted to publicize the info and the picture. This is great because it extends into NJ & NY as well. Would the Samfans that live in NJ, NY & PA check their local papers for found Sammy ads. Some people might use this technique to advertize a found dog. Also if someone could find the #'s of the local papers in the area, I would like to run a lost dog ad in each of them.
Please keep those good thoughts coming,
Sal & Marita Lawrence
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Addendum to Update #3
December 11, 1997what colour is the crate? Or is it a wireone?
The crate was a Furruri 450.....gery on top & maroon on the bottom.
Sal
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update #4 (day # 3 & 1/2)
December 11, 1997It's been a busy, draining evening. I canceled my evening office hours to concentrate on sending out as much info as I could. The local PBS station aired Moka's story and picture at least 8 times and it generated at least 6 calls. They were from PA. Leighton (60 miles S), Huntsville (20 miles SW), Woodland Park
(100 miles W), Reading (100 miles S), & Mayfield (15 miles N). It's conceivable that the thieves called NY (west) but traveled south instead. I also had a call from a woman from East Whiteland (20 miles west of Philadelphia). They were all sightings, no shelters, no one actually picked up the dogs they saw. I would appreciate it if someone in these areas can contact the shelters, check the newspapers, call the radio stations (especially talk radio shows). Please feel free to give the stations my name & phone # (717) 343-2929 so they can verify info if they desire to do so. What follows is what I have been sending to the various tv & radio stations along with Moka's picture. If you need a photo let me know, I don't want to clog the digest with trash. Dear Sirs,
My wife & I have suffered a tragedy and we need HELP. Would you please consider doing a story to help us recover our precious lost Samoyed? You have my heartfelt thanks for even taking the time to read this. I would bemost grateful if you are able to help.
Salvatore A. Lawrence (717) 343-2929 (717) 842-0799
The details follow:
About 2 PM, 12/8/97, my wife's car was stolen from a Scranton, NE Pennsylvania mall parking lot. The car was a 96 white Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, locked and with a security system on. There was a blue Samoyed licence plate on the front and a special issue National Greyhound Organization tag (PA licence # GH00470) on the rear. In all likelyhood the thieves didn't know that our cherished pet, "Moka", was asleep in the back in a crate. Moka is an all white, 50 pound, 7 yo neutered purebred Samoyed female that needs medication. To say the least we are heartbroken & terribly worried. The evidence (cell records) suggests that the thieves have traveled east or south. The experts tell me that most often the dogs are simply put out of the car. Perhaps she has been released somewhere in the area. She has no collar or tags but she does have a tattoo (AKC registration #) on her right inner thigh. We are offering a $500.00 reward for her safe return. We know she is somewhere, just aching to come home again.
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update # 5
December 12, 1997Four days now and not a single solid lead. Last night the airing of her picture & story on PBS brought a number of calls.....so far they were all the wrong dogs. A pet store bitch in a Luzerne county shelter (20 miles south).This one had my hopes very high only to leave them shattered in pieces on the rocks. Another that was too far away to be probable. Two others that turned out to be males. A fouth that has been labeled as an american eskimo, I'm still waiting for more info, perhaps the person doesn't know what he has. I have faxed a flier to all the shelters that were posted. She seems to have vanished. Still no sign of the car, nor have any arrests been made.
A very very depressed,
Sal
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Addemdum to Update #5
December 12, 1997Moka's tattoo, her AKC number, is now registered with the NDA so if her number is reported to them we'll have her. (Their records show that no one has called with this number yet)
Sal Lawrence
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update # 6
December 13, 1997First & formost let me say that you are all one hell of a wonderful bunch of people. Marita & I are already indebted to you and WHEN Moka is returned, we will owe you our souls! (of course Lucifer may have something to say about this :))
We haven't gotten her back yet. We have chased a few leads but they were nothing. I have increased the reward to $1,000. Someone must need some extraspending money for Christmas. I've put SAMOYED LOST ads in the classified sections of the NY Daily News, The Philadelphia Inquirer, & the Middletown, NY paper. I will add others on Monday. The ads won't start till Tuesday. Thank God for her tattoo. It should limit the BS calls. The UPS idea is great and I'll snail mail fliers to the bunch that was posted in the AM. Is there anyway we can engage the Boyscouts to paper fliers in the hundreds of small towns between NY & Scranton?
I've stopped feeling sorry for myself. My thinking is clearer (good thing for my patients, huh!?). And I'm confident that we are doing everything that canbe done and I have my 500 Samfans friends to thank for this.
Sal
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update #7
December 15, 1997Yet again I must say thank you to all of you for how wonderful you have been! No word as yet and it is now 7 days. Our regional PBS station continued to air the story & show Moka's picture last nite but it produced nothing. We have placed LOST SAMOYED ads in 5 additional papers today. We also snail-mailedover 200 individual fliers to the shelters (in case the faxes are poor) and to regional vets & vet hospitals in NY NJ PA & CT. (about 150 places). I doubt that traveling the expected (guessed) routes would be productive. There is something that might help though, especially at this time of the year. We MUST poster the malls with fliers. Everybody is shopping! Even if we don't find the person who has her, we might find their neighbor who could use a 1,000 bucks. We will hit the Crossings Mall in Tannersville tomorrow. There are lots of big malls in the search area.
The Allentown mall would be a great one, even King of Prussia. What others are between NY & Scranton. These places attract enormous numbers of people fromall over! Help me to identify them and let me know if you can get the fliers posted there. If you need fliers, e-mail me your address and the number you want, and I will overnite them to you. Another thought would be teachers. They could (operative word) reach a hugh resource of children. How can we reach them as a group?
Sal Lawrence (717) 343-2929
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update #8 - Important This Time
December 16, 1997I had calls from two people today, one was a rescue person in NJ, this was not Moka. The other call was from Barbara Nord, a woman who has SEEN two Sammiesin the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter (516) 785-5220. She has told me that she is not allowed to physically interact with the dogs and that the people that run the shelter would not call regardless if they had the info about Moka. I will call them in the morning and see if the reward will persuade them to check for the tattoo. Is there someone that would be able to go to the shelter to check on the tattoo if I cannot get them to do so? If not, I will drive out there tomorrow. Hopefully not on a wild goose chase.
Sal
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Addendum to Update #8 - Washout
December 17, 1997Well I called the Hempstead shelter and I was told by a rather pleasant woman, named Regina, that the two Sams were both males not females. So much for the long trip. I asked if they check for tattoos & chips and she assured me that they do this for all of their animals. She already had the information that I faxed to them a few days ago. I also called the Pomona Park Kennel. It wastheir fourth call already. So much for Pomona.
Sal
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update #9
DateI must have a black cloud the size of RI over me at present. Yesterday morning I was letting dogs out and after 20 minutes I called Ivory & Q and nothing. I wondered what tree they were digging under, so I get my boots and went out in the snow (in my robe) and start looking. Nothing. I get to the front yard and THERE IS A 50 FOOT SECTION OF THE FENCE THAT HAS BEEN DESTROYED. Some (probably drunk) driver of a Fiero GT (he lost his emblem and with many other pieces of his car) had taken out the fence and never stopped to tell me. I live on a side road off a heavily traveled highway. Naturally I thought the worst. To make a long story short, It took 20 minutes but I found Q a half mile away and when I got back to the house with him, Ivory was in the driveway wondering where I was. I know now that I won't live past 50 because this episode took another 20 years off my life.
Back to Moka. Yes, I was on TV last night. WBRE (NE PA) picked up the story on the AP wire and came out to interview me (Marita has stage fright). They were wonderful, too bad their broadcast is only local. They played up the use of the internet and the doubling of the reward. Damn it was really nice of them to do this. I've had maybe a call or two in the last couple of days. They weren't Moka. "Eddie", the middleman from NY, called Thursday night and wanted to arrange for "the doc to get his pup back". He told me the guys who have her want to get her back to me. I told him to get me the tattoo number and call me back never expecting to hear from him again. Lo & behold he called Friday and (you won't believe this) says, "Well Doc I have good news &bad news. The good news is that the dog is okay. The bad news is that the guys that have her had the tattoo REMOVED because they were going to sell her "At this point I asked Eddie exactly what kind of a moron he thought I was. "Eddie" actually believed that I was going to send him money and they would then drop the dog off at a shelter. I told the moron that there was only one way an exchange would happen and that was face to face in a public place. "Eddie" said he'd get back to me. Somehow I doubt it. The other news was the call that a white dog had been killed on the Merrick Pkwy (NY into CT). This was Tuesday. No way to confirm it was or wasn't Moka, my instincts say it wasn't. I'm still hopeful that she will come back. My best guess (hope) is that she has been picked up by a caring family that doesn't realize a dog without a collar could still have identification on them. At some point they will see the tattoo or hear about a lost Sam with a tattoo and she will come back. That is if the kids aren't in love with her by then. Sorry to have been so verbose. Marita & I are thrilled with the support that Samfans has shown. We sincerely appreciate all that has been done on Moka's behalf. Keep a good thought. I'm unsure of what else can be done at this point. One thing I would ask those of you in the surrounding communities is to check with your local shelters every few days. It simply isn't physically possible for us to do so.
Warmest Wishes to all Samfans & all their white fuzzies.
Sal & Marita
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update #10 -There are some leads....
December 20, 1997The story on the AP wire has been "picked up" by a number of PA newspapers. Some have even run her photo. I'm still hoping that the story will be picked up by the papers in NY & NJ. So far this has been the broadest publicity that has been achieved and it has produced some results. Another local TV station also came to interview me today and ran the story on the 6 PM news and will do so again on the 11 PM. Believe it or not, according to them, we are offering a $100,000 reward for her return!!! I have called them & corrected this error. I've had a least 6 calls today with sightings. No one actually picked up any of the dogs they saw. Some were downright silly....."I saw a dog just like yours in a pickup truck" or then there was "we saw a beautiful Sammy coming out of a Petcetera with a man". However there were a few that are worth following up on. A woman called that she saw a loose, well cared for Sam (one week ago) in the parking lot of a Hill dept store in South Williamsport (80 miles west) I contacted the shelters and came up empty. There was a sighting from Hazelton (40 miles south) and I have #'s of 2 shelters to call tomorrow. Hopefully they will be open on Sunday. There was an interesting call from a man in Sunbury (70 miles SW) who said he saw a well taken care of Sam wandering in a rural area. He claims that no one owns a dog like this in his neck of the woods. He will go looking for it tomorrow. For some reason this raised the hackles on my neck. I think it's because it made me realize that she could still be wandering around ever after 12 days. Not a pleasant thought. If there is anyone in these areas that could contact the authorities, please let me know. Marita & I sincerely appreciate all that has been done to try to get Moka back. Please keep a good thought for our little girl.
Sal
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update #11 -
December 23, 1997The AP story and the newspapers that picked it up continue to generate calls.Another communicator called me last night that she believes Moka is in the Pottsville or Bloomsburg area, wandering loose. This is to the south (50 miles) of where she was taken. I also received a call from someone that said she took a dog like mine to the Carbon County Canine. That was all of the message and my answering service screwed up her phone number so I haven't been able to call her and find out where in Carbon county. I can't find any shelters or animal control officers in that area. Eddie, the extortionist, still hasn't given up. He called three times yesterday and we were going to meet and then came the "okay doc it's all set but the guys who have Moka want some money up front". I told Eddie that hell would freeze over before he see a dime of the reward without Moka being in my hands. Conversation over. While I'd like to believe Eddie really has Moka, my brain tells me this is nothing more than a scam and I have to stop letting it get to me.
Sal Lawrence
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update #12 -
December 23, 1997Well I guess you can see from Debbie posts that the Carbon County, Pottsville, Bloomsburg leads all fizzled out. I've had more calls today but they were dead ends also. I did speak to a reporter at the Williamsport Gazette and I'mcertain they were going to do a follow up story in their paper. I also spoke on THREE seperate occasions to a reporter for the Philadelphia Enquirer. They are going to run the story in tomorrow's paper. From all the questions he asked it could be half a page! We'll see. I have also faxed a picture and information to one of the NY TV stations. This one I'm not quite sure about yet. Mira was able to contact PETSMART and they have agreed to place a flier in each of their stores. They faxed the numbers to me tonight and I will do this in the AM. We are also sending, via s-mail, fliers to over 400 shelters in NJ, NY & PA. Some will be duplicate but they include everyone we could find. For reasons that I won't go into, I have a feeling that we may be in for a break.
Marita & I want to take a moment to say thank you to all of you. Your support has been wonderful. We are undeserving of this outpouring of kindness. Ihope that we never have to return the favor but you know that we will be there for each of you should the need arise. Here's wishing all of you and your white fuzzies a Joyous Holiday Season & a Very Happy New Year.
Sal & Marita
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update #14 -
December 26, 1997I'm sad to say that Christmas has come & gone & Moka isn't home yet. As before, I want to thank all of you for your wonderful support. The media coverage was extraordinary but at this point I am asking that we stop the effort with the TV stations. They sound pissed off to the point that they wouldn't run the story even if it was President Bill's new dog. Marita & I mailed 430 fliers to every shelter that we could identify in NY, NJ, & PA. I faxed a flier to all 44 Petsmart's in NY, PA, MD, & NJ to be posted in their stores. We will send 1000 fliers to the NJ Vet association as they have agreed to include the flier in their next newsletter. What I would like to do now is to concentrate an effort on reaching all the Vets in PA & NY in the same way. Perhaps their associations will give me a set of their mailing labels. If not, I will simply search Big Yellow, identify each individual as we did with the shelters, and send them that way. As I mentioned last time, I have reason to hope that I may be able to narrow the search to a particular area. I hope this will happen soon but it may not happen at all. Only time will tell. Marita & I hope that Santa was good to all of you and your fuzzies. You know that our warmest thoughts are with all of you.
Sal & Marita
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update #15 -
December 26, 1997It was a quiet (sad) day with only one useless call and then a ray of hope. At 8 PM, I received a call that a wandering Sammy was found in Waverly, a community about 20 miles north of the mall where Moka disappeared. The callersaid she was friendly & dirty & wouldn't allow the people (whose party the she had just crashed) to roll her over to check for a tattoo. I wanted it to be Moka so badly there were tears in my eyes. I raced to the home where she was but it wasn't her. Instead I found another purebred Sammy bitch. Chubby, dirty, strong, young and very friendly. I've taken her home with me and we will clean her up and check for tattoos or chips in the AM. She was wearing a brand new purple & pink braided collar, perhaps a Christmas present. We'll try to reunite her with her humans as quickly as we can. I can only hope that Moka is being treated with equal care & concern..... wherever she is.
Sal
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update #16
December 27, 1997I've received a call from Save-our-Strays in Brooklyn. The person I spoke with said they received a call (caller didn't leave name) saying that Moka had been released in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn. This is near the Verranzano (sp) Bridge. The caller had the info that was on the flier, no more, no less. It's unclear if this is a crank or real. Is there someone that can check the shelters in that area and perhaps post fliers in the Bay Ridge area? Please let me know.
Sal
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update #17
December 30, 1997It's been 22 days since Moka disappeared. Lots of leads on white dogs but none have been our little girl. We mailed 588 fliers today.....to the Brooklyn vets, pet stores, groomers, you name it. We also mailed fliers to all the shelters that we could identify in Maryland. There was a sighting of a frightened wandering Sam in the Glen Burnie area a few days ago. The shelters that I called there are quick to put down animals. They check for chips but not tattoos (too much risk). Hopefully if she is there they will get a flier in time. The woman that called saw the flier that we faxed to Petsmart. They posted it as they had promised. We also overnighted 1000 fliers to the NY Vet association who said they would put them in their newletters. We have 1000 labels coming from the NY Vet Association and we will mail fliers to them as soon as we are able. We are still working on the PA sector. That's all for now. If I'm depressing (or boring) the list with these updates, let me know and I stop. Marita & I wish you all a HEALTHY HAPPY NEW YEAR. We only ask that you keep a good thought for Moka.
Warmest Regards,
Sal & Marita Lawrence
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update #18
January 3, 1998Marita & I do appreciate all the words of support & encouragement that we havereceived. Thanks to you all. It has been quite a difficult 26 days.
The labels from the NY Vet Association arrived yesterday. Did you know that it takes 6 quarters of football and one 2 hr movie to stuff, stamp & label1027 envelopes. They will be mailed tomorrow, bringing the total of snailmail fliers to over 4000.
The calls have slowed to a trickle. We chase each one with the hope that it will be her only to be disappointed. At this point we need some luck. Hopefully the loving, caring family (wishful thinking) that has her will bring her to a vet after the holidays and the tattoo will be found or she will be recognized from a flier. We just have to wait & see if this happens. As a matter of practicality, we have done all that can reasonably be done and only time will tell if it was enough.
Don't forget to hug your Sams tonight,
Sal & Marita
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update #19
January 12, 1998I don't have much to say. The NY TV news spots that Mira set up were a wonderful opportunity and we were hopeful that they would get Moka home. As hard as it is to believe they generated a grand total of ONE (useless) call. I continue to get calls, some from people who saw a white dog, some to ask what they can do to help. I track down the ones that hold promise but they have all been dead ends.
At this point there realistically isn't much thatcan be done. Marita & I cannot continue to think about this 24 hours a day. The pain that it has caused has been enormous and we must start to heal.
The list has been wonderfully supportive but there are only two things that will truly ease our pain, Moka's return or time. Perhaps the thousands of fliersthat are still out there will produce results yet or maybe the police will catch the thieves and we'll have a better idea as to where to look. There are certain individuals on the list that deserve sainthood for the time and effort that they devoted. Especially to them and to all of you, Marita & I say thank you and ask that you keep a good thought for Moka.
Sal & Marita Lawrence
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update #20 - She's home and safe!
January 16, 1998After almost SIX weeks, Moka is home safe & sound. The Readers Digest version is that I got a call at 2 AM this morning from the police that she had been found and was at the 94th precinct in Brooklyn. They were able to make out only part of her tattoo but it was enough. I got there at 4:30 AM and we are home now. Her recovery is attributed to the diligence of NYPD's finest and a flier that was sent to the 94th by someone from NH, Ginger I think. In actuality, her return was because of Samfans. Marita & I owe all of you a debt of gratitude.
The War & Peace version goes like this.......What I never told the list was that I had called the same number that the thieves called just after they stole the Jeep. I spoke with the person the police described as a 20 year old polish/russian wise guy wanna-be that was a known car thief on parole. I had a total of 5 conversations with Ardrze and each time he claimed to know nothing since he was out of the business but he promised he would try to find out who it was that called him. I would suggest that none of you play poker with Ardrze. He is a terribly good (and cold) liar. It turns out that he had kept Moka all along and he had no intention of returning her. As for all the speculation and the communicators, she was never released, never harmed, not in Syracuse or Bloomsburg or Pomona or on the Canadian border, she was in Brooklyn the whole time. They overfed her and she gained about 8 or 9 pounds.
Other than needing a bath (not desperately), she seems to be in good shape. It turns out that the 94th precinct police are on a first name basis with Ardrze.
They happened to be watching him last night when they saw him in an unregistered car with very out-of-state plates. They stopped him, he and a famous polish hockey player (at least that's the name the other guy gave to the police) tried to run away on foot and were caught. When they returned to the vehicle Moka's head popped up in the front seat. They recognized this wasn't a run of the mill street dog and with the help of the flier and their contact with the Dickson City police they called me. See above. I will appear before a grand jury on Tuesday so they can indict Andrze for his crimes. At this point, it may not be possible to actually hang the car theft on him because there still is no car. Would you believe the little slimeball asked the police to call his mother so she could come and pick up "his" dog. She was at the station and she saw Moka as I walked her into another room. When she saw her, mom's face brightened up and she called Moka by whatever name they had given her. It was very odd. I wasn't allowed to say anything to her. Too bad, I would have relished the opportunity.
It's over, finally....... Now I can go and have a hair transplant to replace all that fell out in the last month and a half. As always we sincerely appreciate all of the help and support that the members of the list provided.
Thank you seems like such an inadequate word for what we are feeling but thanks to all of you.
Sal, Marita and, of course, Moka.
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