I so wish I had good news to tell you. Little lost dog Bert was found dead at Fort Funston Saturday morning. We are all terribly heartbroken, as I know we felt we would find him in time. I know that's how I felt.

A couple walking their dogs found Bert on the dunes above the water fountain and the top of the bunkers. He had probably been dead for at least a week.  At this point, we don't know if Bert left Fort Funston and returned, or he was there all the time and despite repeated searches of that area, he was not to be found.

 A small dog alone in a park area, especially over night,  is in great danger from hawks, owls, coyotes to name just a few. Of course we will never know exactly what happened to Bert and that is also difficult to deal with.

Bert was not a fearful little dog and was used to being with his group of dogs off-leash at Fort Funston. How he became lost, what spooked him or why he suddenly wasn't with his group, no one knows. It happened that fast.

The search began immediately and as many of you know, continued for over two weeks until we got the terrible news Saturday morning. The effort to find Bert included flyers, a search dog, car magnets, email alerts, his own Facebook page, Twitter--any and everything we could think of to help find and bring Bert home.

I'd like to thank everyone who donated to GDR on behalf of the search for Bert and who gave us encouragement to continue searching. We were determined not to give up on him, and we didn't. To donate to Bert's fund go to: http://gratefuldogsrescue.org/DonationsToGratefulDogsRescue

We will never forget Bert. All of us involved in dog rescue will continue helping abandoned dogs find their forever homes. And that is how we will honor the memory of Bert.  

Jean Kind

When Bert first went missing, Grateful Dogs Rescue used the services of The Social Pet whose search dog Dino was adopted through Grateful Dogs Rescue.

Dino was able to track Bert from Fort Funston to South San Francisco, an area where his first foster family lives. But this is not an inexpensive process. To donate to Bert's Search fund, click on the DONATE  link below.

Jackie of The Social Pet is a certified missing animal response technician (MAR tech) certified through Missing Pet Partnership Her dog, Dino, is a scent specific trained tracking dog. This means he can follow the scent of a specific animal. He has trained specifically in urban and suburban environments, so following an animal anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area is what he is comfortable with. In addition, Dino has had a few cases where he was challenged to follow the scent of the pet he is tracking even through large cow and goat herds. At first he was hesitant, but he figured a way through his feelings to follow the track on the other side.

Shelley Frost of SF Examiner has joined the effort to spread the word about the search for Bert in South San Francisco. Read the full story at http://www.examiner.com/article/missing-foster-dog-needs-medical-attention?cid=rss  

 

Missing foster dog needs medical attention

Over a week ago, tiny Bert disappeared while getting some exercise at Fort Funston. Bert had been living in a Grateful Dog Rescue foster home while waiting to be adopted into a permanent home. But what makes Bert's disappearance most urgent is his dependency on medication.

Bert has Addison's Disease, a condition that can cause severe weakness and in some cases, low blood pressure and coma. Medication is given daily to prevent Bert from succumbing to the disease.

During this past week, Grateful Dog Rescue has received numerous reports of Bert sightings: Martin Elementary school in South San Francisco; Chestnut Avenue and Grand Avenue. He has also been tracked as far south as San Bruno Avenue near 101 South - more than 12 miles from Fort Funston.

Grateful Dog Rescue cautions that Bert is scared and may be difficult to catch. If you spot Bert, please contact both Grateful Dog Rescue 415-672-1343 and Peninsula Humane Society 650-340-7922.

 

Bert is a 7 pound chihuahua mix. He is mostly dark brown with tan markings on his face / legs. When he went missing he was wearing a blue collar and tags. He is micro-chipped. Bert has a rare immune disease – Addison's Disease (same disease President Kennedy had) – and needs medication daily. 

Bert disappeared at Fort Funston in San Francisco over a week ago. He was spotted at several locations in South San Francisco: Martin Elementary School (Hillside Boulevard and Spruce Avenue); Chestnut Avenue and Grand Avenue; and Grand Avenue and Linen Avenue. He has also been tracked as far south as San Bruno Avenue East near 101 South (more than 12 miles from Fort Funston. Click here for map link.). We believe that he is still in the area and he is scared. Please help by calling 415-672-1343 or Peninsula Humane Society at 650-340-7922 if you see him. Please do not chase him as he may bolt and put himself in danger. 

Grateful Dogs Rescue needs additional help posting flyers. If you live in the area or knos any business in South San Francisco, San Bruno, Hillsborough, etc that could post a flyer for us, please let us know. We have posters with pictures and the video below gives a better idea of his size and color. We are officially running out.of time due to his Addisons disease so time is of the essence. If you can help call 415.672.1343 or 415.889.9853 

Other ways you can help:
1.  Post about the story on your Facebook page and link to http://gratefuldogsrescue.org/bert-is-lost
2.  Tweet the story and link to your followers @gratefuldogssf
3.  Repin Berts picture from Pinterest http://pinterest.com/gratefuldogs/missing-lost-dog/<
4.  If you are on Google+ please share our posts https://plus.google.com/104738776158109546028/posts
5.  Share the link to our continually updated Bert is Lost webpage. http://gratefuldogsrescue.org/bert-is-lost
6. Comment on our Bert Blog Posts. http://gratefuldogsrescue.org/_blog/Grateful_Dogs_Rescue_Blog
7. Print out the flyer below and forward it and/or post it in the areas mentioned above and put in the window of your car.

Editor Taylor Wiles of the South San Francisco Patch is helping publicize the search for Bert in the South San Francisco area where Bert has been spotted several times.

Read the full article at http://southsanfrancisco.patch.com/articles/missing-ssf-dog-urgently-needs-medication#photo-11738443

Missing SSF Dog Urgently Needs Medication

Grateful Dogs Rescue is searching for a lost foster dog who has Addison's Disease and urgently needs medication. He has been missing since October 3rd.

Little Bert is a seven-pound Chihuahua mix who is dark brown with tan markings (looks black from a distance). He is wearing a blue collar and a blue Grateful Dogs Rescue tag and is microchipped. Bert has Addisons and needs daily medication.

He has been spotted around Martin Elementary School in South San Francisco. He is scared and timid. 

If anyone sees him, they should not try to catch him - he is scared and may bolt putting himself in danger.. They should try to keep track of him, if possible, and call 415.672.1343 or 415.889.9853 and  report the location where he was seen. People can call these numbers anytime of day or night.

For additional information and photos, visit gratefuldogsrescue.org/bert-is-lost.

For additional information contact Michelle at 415.672.1343 or 415.889.9853 or call Kim Durney, Administrative Director at Grateful Dogs Rescue at 415 587 1121.

 

http://southsanfrancisco.patch.com/articles/missing-ssf-dog-urgently-needs-medication#photo-11738443

Update on Bert, a small dark chihuahua with tan markings who went missing at Fort Funston on Wednesday. He has Addisons and needs daily medication. We need your help, but please read fully and carefully below.

We are getting more people out to post flyers in the areas that we believe Bert to be with new updated posters in both English and Spanish (If you would like to help please let us know and we can send you the fliers to print out or we are getting some copied here soon for you to pick up) 

The main streets we are trying to hit up are Grand, Miller, Hillside, El Camino, Airport, Produce. 

Click for map link

Bert has been traveling main roadways but avoiding crossing huge intersections, we believe him to be in the area of Martin Elementary school on Hillside, Airport Drive and his original foster moms house near Hazelwood Drive and Rosewood Way. 

If you spot him do not chase him – keep him in eye sight and call 415.672.1343 or 415.889.9853 

If you can help us posting flyers, or looking, please let us know  what main streets you hit up so we know to focus on the other streets that have not been hit. info@gratefuldogsrescue.org

Thank you all for the warm wishes for his safe return!

Visit the web site for updated details.

One of Grateful Dogs Rescue's foster dogs, Bert, went missing or was found by someone at Fort Funston on Wednesday around noon near the water fountain. His is a dark brown and tan chihuahua that weighs about seven pounds. His is wearing a blue collar and a blue Grateful Dogs Rescue tag and is microchipped. 

From a Grateful Dogs Rescue volunteer:

"A friend had a smallish, friendly, female, fluffy maltese mix follow
 he and his pooch home Friday. She's around ten pounds and wearing a
green cloth collar. He left for a cruise Saturday morning and his 
housemate is caring for the dog before taking it to ACC 
Tuesday to see if she's chipped. He doesn't mind caring for her for a
 bit; but, it wouldn't be a permanent placement as he also has a small
 dog."

If you or anyone you know is missing a dog matching this description, contact Grateful Dogs Rescue at info @ gratefuldogsrescue.org and we'll be glad to put you in touch with our volunteer.

Do you know what to do if your dog is lost or missing? Many people think to call the SPCA, but you actually need to contact San Francisco Animal Care and Control. They have good information on their website about the steps to take to find your dog.

 

Losing a pet can be distressing. But don't lose heart.
Stay calm and follow the steps listed at this link to help you find your animal.

Click here to read the information: http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=1345 

If your dog is lost or missing, would you know who to call or where to start looking? San Francisco Animal Care and Control provides lots of good information and advise not to get discouraged as it may take several weeks to reunite with your lost dog.

http://www.sfgov2.org/index.aspx?page=1345

You can also check Pet Harbor http://www.petharbor.com/ and ACC Pet Kiosk http://www.petharbor.com/KIOSK_frameset.htm?site=snfr&kioskid=snfr&noblink=1&sound=0&rnd=60

Other good resources are Fido Finder and posting on Craiglist. Your dog may be much farther from your home area than you anticipate so make sure you search and post in a large area.