It is now getting to be later in the afternoon and people are still arriving to help search for Delsin. Two phone lines were ringing pretty much non-stop. Many people called that I didn't know to tell me the steps that needed to be taken to get the word out. Some people just wanted to let me know I was in their prayers.
But despite my heart hoping with each time the phone rang that someone had spotted Delsin, that call never came. I was fully in "fix-it" mode" and utilizing the internet at every conceivable angle to get the word out further and further. Email after email came in - again will wishers and those giving advice. I had a hard time keeping up with email and phone calls. The email inbox filled to its maximum several times and I had to repeatedly delete messages to keep in open and not have emails bounce.
One of my friends had contacted Bloomington animals control almost immediately after he left the yard with a detailed description. I later in the day followed up with calling the police and giving them a full description. I asked at that point if I would be called day or night, if they found him. I was told yes.
I made contact with 3 separate animals communicators. Each said Delsin was alive and that he was actually just "out for a walk" and enjoying all the smells. They said he was not upset or scared. That eased my fears some - as I didn't like the idea he was running scared in an area he did not know. As they day wore on, each communicator kept me posted as to what they felt Delsin was saying. Sometime later in the afternoon, one of the communicators came back with "he feels 'stuck' to me - like he is in an area, like a fence? and can't get out. He can't figure out how to get out". While that could mean a lot of things, I wondered if he had gotten into or put into someones fenced yard and now couldn't leave it.
There were friends of mine that just took control of areas I couldn't do - like overseeing the searchers in the search party to keep them organized and make sure all areas were searched. Some female dogs came - to help spread their scent around so Delsin would follow it home. Everyone outside walked, walked, walked, walked. They would come inside in shifts to warm up, but then without being asked, go hit the streets again. "Missing Dog Posters" had arrived early in the afternoon - as a friend took the initiative to put together a color poster with Delsin's picture and print out 100. As people walked and drove the neighborhood, poster were put up. We ran out of posters late in the afternoon and someone went to print 100 more.
Darkness settled in, but the searchers stayed out - now with flashlights. There were other friends that couldn't join the search but took it upon themselves to get Delsin listed on Findfido.com and findtoto.com. Toto is a pay for service that does automated calling all residents within whatever radius one pays for - letting the entire neighborhood know that Delsin is lost and how to reach me. Despite him being signed up for that service on Tuesday late afternoon, the automated calls did not start until Wednesday morning. That was a disappointment with that service.
After it got dark, I started turning down other people that wanted to help search. There were already lots of people out there - walking and driving. People had starting going door to door, posters were posted all over, and the searchers stopped anyone out walking their dogs to tell them of Delsin and hand them a poster. I figured the search was pretty difficult after dark and I would need more help in the morning - and then people could come then.
The majority of people stayed outside searching until around 8ish? Despite the huge numbers of people that were looking - and that the search had begun almost immediately after his disappearance, no a single searcher or people that had been asked, had seen Delsin. It left me and the searchers perplexed and quietly very scared of the "what if's".
People sadly started leaving with the usual "we'll find him". It was agreed that someone must have him at that point. I strongly felt that someone had him - had found him wandering or he followed kids home after school and now it was after 5:00 and they didn't know who to call. We all encouraged each other by saying: In the morning people will see the posters and know who to call - you'll get a call first thing!!! Before the search fully broke up for the evening, all 3 schools in the neighborhood had posters put on everyone of their doors, so staff and student would see it when they arrived in the morning.
Someone brought pizza for me and my nephews before they left. And as a final gesture, she drove me around the neighborhood - showing me the areas that were covered, were the posters were. We drove to the police station and followed up my earlier call with a poster for them. We drove by the impound facility. Earlier, someone had put a poster on the one and only door to the Bloomington impound.
By the time everyone had left, the entire neighborhood had been covered for about 6 blocks and further in all directions. Posters were in grocery stores, school, churches, multiple parks, veterinarian offices, community center, on lamp posts, posted by dog walk areas, ice rinks..... the group had done a thorough and fantastic job.
Internet wise it had now been put on a huge amount of face book pages - and that in itself is an unbelievable way to get the word out. If there were people that didn't post it on their page, that was the exception.... because it felt like that anyone that knew of Delsin's disappearance put it on their facebook. Another person had taken the initiative and contacted the 4 major TV networks and was pushing hard to get him on the 10:00 pm news. Unfortunately none of the news station picked up the story that evening. Yet another person listed Delsin on Petfinder, did an emailing to all the Chuck and Dons Stores with a color poster to print out and place on the bulletin boards, and called a local radio station.
The last person left by 10:30 and I faced the rest of the night without my boy. Of course I needed sleep, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Back to the internet. I researched and made a list of all impounds and humane societies that I would start to call once they opened in the morning.
I had started calling vet offices during the day - those closest to where I was staying. Now I called every single 24 hour emergency clinic listed on the internet within the Minneapolis/St Paul area. I reported him missing, that they can call me 24 hours/day, and authorized any level of treatment if he came in. All that I spoke with were sincere and comforting.
I tried to call the Star Tribune with no luck, so I emailed them - 2 separate emails - trying to get them to pick up the story. I emailed and called MN public radio. I reposted on craigslist. I went over all the lists that people had sent me on what needed to be done. It was now 3 in the morning. I wished the phone would ring with someone excitedly telling me " I found your dog alive and healthy!" But the phone now remained silent in the middle of the night. I gave in....and laid on the couch. But first I made sure the yard gate was indeed left wide opened - so Delsin could come back in if he wanted to, that the attached garage was opened and the van door opened as well. Lights were left on so both Delsin as well as others would feel okay about coming back here.
Every bump I heard I was up looking outside to see if I was Delsin. It never was. I slept for about 2 hours and then up somewhere between 5-6. Onto the internet. Repost craigslist. Make more lists of what I needed to do now to find Delsin. Impounds were on the top of my list - as they are the scariest. In MN animals are legally held only 5 days before they are destroyed or sold into research. Time was ticking if Delsin was in an impound. Trouble was, that there are so many impounds and if someone had picked him up, took him out of the area before turning him into an impound - I had little time to try and figure out all the impounds and visit each one of them.
The first thing in the morning phone call that I had wished for never came. By the time 8:30 came, my heart was feeling a bit heavier.
to be continued.....
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