03/13/2024
3/11/24 7:21PM
Another month has passed. Another month with no word. Well, that’s not true. I have had two disturbing calls; one that called me three times with the extortion model (as I call it)) – where they say “we have your dog, give us money” – the next one was an obvious adolescent male, who barked for a full 2 minutes then started meowing. Little did this kid know that the caller id came up and I tracked the phone owner down. Turns out, the phone did belong to a kid (not the kid who made the call) - phone owner kid had left his phone at his friends house. Caller was the friend. Phone owners’ Mom is an attorney; that’s how I tracked her down. Suffice to say that the kids’ friends parents got reamed, and the young man, who left his phone at his friends, wrote me a wonderful note, apologizing and hoping that we find Rain.
Not so fun, fun fact: Did you know that the only thing that comes up when you scan for a microchip is just the number. No ownership information or indication that a dog is lost or stolen. To get this information, it takes several more steps. We had hoped that if she was taken to a vet, she was scanned and it was flagged that she was lost and possibly stolen. What we have learned from our beloved family vets is that if someone was an existing client of the practice, that might bring a new dog in, and say that they got it from their cousin, or their sisters best friends hairdresser, or they bring in a dog in they say that they taking care of it, or some other good story (we know how people can spin things), yes, the vet would scan for a chip (for their records); however they would not likely take the extra steps needed to verify ownership and if the chip was flagged as lost/stolen.
Our family vets have promised to do better about scanning and verifiying, and never in a million years would have guessed that this new dog brought to their clinic could possibly be lost or stolen.
We are not making any accsusations as to the vets; it's a failure of the system of how the chips work.
We are currently working on a system for the US that will have more information available on the chip and provide for two way verification with the various registries. This mimics some of the European systems.
Please share this with your vets; and ask, that for every dog that is not a regular member of a practice family, that the chip is scanned and verified with the registry. Say this, because you know of a dog that is missing, that could be with someone who is not her owner, and whos family want her home so very badly. It is our fear that if someone does have her, they believe that she was dumped, or otherwise not wanted, and that is not true at all.
On July 20, 2023, Rain disappeared from 502 Plymouth Road, Gwynedd Valley, PA 19002 at approximately 5am.
Rain is so missed by Maria, Joey and the kids. They cry daily and pray for her return. I miss her immensely; I got to know her when I came back to take care of the dogs the summer before. I got to meet and spend time with a very special soul, who looked me in the eye every day and grabbed a piece of my heart in those two weeks. I cannot imagine the pain that my sister and family are experiencing, with their lifetime of experiences with her and the loss and the hole that is in their minds, their souls, and their bodies with her not being there.
What do you say to kids who ask:
- Is she safe?
- Is she hurt?
- Is she being abused?
- Do they love her like we do?
Most of all, the kids want her back, because no one can love her and take care of her and nourish and keep her soul the way this family can. Rain is their family. Always and forever. She needs to come home be with her kids, to her Dad, and to her Mama who's heart has been shattered into so many pieces that cannot be counted.
Please – if you know anything – call me. If you think you know anything – call me. Hide your caller-id if you must. I answer every call. If you know something we don't - please call.
What if this was you and your dog? Wouldn't you want some kind of closure? Wouldn't you want the truth?
Don't be on the wrong side of the truth. Because the truth will set you free.
Sue Smith
(951) 287-8997
We will never surrender
We will never give up
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2/11/24 11:26AM PDT
Well, 10 more days have passed. 10 more days with no answers.
On July 20, 2023, Rain disappeared from 502 Plymouth Road, Gwynedd Valley, PA 19002 at approximately 5am. No one has seen anything. I refuse to believe that there isn't one person who has seen something. Anything.
While you sit with your phones, watching the game, please take a minute and share this post.
Someone has to know. Just call me. Sue Smith - (951) 287-8997
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2/1/24 7:29PM PST
6.4 months
28 weeks
196 days
282,240 minutes
16,934,400 seconds
That’s how long Rain has been gone.
Since *anyone* has seen her.
Rain disappeared from 502 Plymouth Road, Gwynedd Valley, PA 19002 at approximately 5am. There has been only one sighting. One.
It boggles the mind that a 120 pound, 27”tall BIG BROWN DOG just vanishes.
Rain could be anywhere.
If you live in the state of PA/NJ/NY - please take the flyer and give it to your vet. Ask that they post it in their clinic. Ask them to be on the lookout for her.
We will never surrender
We will never give up
***PLEASE SHARE***
——
1/18/24 11:27PM PST
Happy 5th Birthday Rain !!!
It has been 181 days since your Mama and family saw you last.
Wherever you are, know you are loved and missed by so many ❤️
We will never give up
We will never surrender
—-
We are not giving up; we just want the truth…
Rain – GCH EIN STARKER LOWE RAIN V. BAUTZEN went missing from 502 Plymouth Road, Gwynedd Valley, PA 19002 on 7/20/23 at approximately 5am. There has only been one sighting, that morning.
Rain is microchipped (since the age of 8 weeks) and her chip is registered with Home Again, AKC Reunite and Pet Key. Here is a summary of what has been done so far:
1. Posted her through PAWBOOST, Lost My Doggie, Petco Love,
2. FIND TOTO – paid service to make phone calls to people within 10-mile radius of where she was lost. This yielded nothing.
3. Over 50 Facebook groups (which are within 250 miles of PA)
4. Engaged lost pet finding/tracking group – Chester Montgomery County Lost Pet Search
5. Called, emailed, all vets within a 30-mile radius of where she was lost.
6. Purchased mailing list for veterinarians for the state of PA. We have made a number of email blasts.
7. Called, emailed, spay/neuter clinics, dog sitters/walkers, grooming shops, boarding kennels, horse training and boarding barns, pet crematory facilities within a 50-mile radius.
8. Made and distributed flyers, posters and lawn signs, within a 20-mile radius of where she was lost.
9. Spoke to neighbors within a 5-mile radius of where she was lost, spoke to commuters at train station next to where she was lost.
10. Walked the streets, woods, parks where she was lost for several days after she went missing.
11. Called radio stations in PA to see if they would do a quick “special interest” segment on one of their live broadcasts.
12. Attempted to engage with the major TV networks (ABC/CBS/NBC) to feature Rain and our search efforts on their “community interest/special interest” segments, with no results.
We were optimistic that Cecily Tynan (ABC) would respond, as she is a dog lover. However, none of the networks, nor Cecily, responded.
If anyone knows anything, please call me at (951) 287-8997. I can be reached via email at [email protected] or [email protected].
Rain needs to come home. One way or another.
