Can You Help?

A possible sighting of Iris happened today at around 7:30 AM. An employee at the Stanyan Park Hotel, located on the corner of Stanyan & Waller St, reported that a dog fitting Iris' description was seen across the street, running in the direction of the Park Police Station, which is right next to Kezar Stadium. I was just a few blocks away (searching for Iris of course) when I got the call, but after over 4 hours of searching, neither I nor another volunteer came up with any luck.

We are seeking additional volunteers to help us post flyers around Golden Gate Park. We also need volunteers from around 6AM-8AM to help form an organized watch for Iris at various points within the park. If you can help in either way, please send an email. Thank you!

Are You a Golden Gate Park Regular?

Do you visit the dog park in GGP on 9th & Lincoln? If so, we need your help! We met a woman today at the dog park that said she saw a man with his own dog trying to coax another dog out from the bushes at around 5PM. She unfortunately could not describe the man or his dog, and did not know if he was successful in luring the hiding dog out. We are not sure at this point if this dog was Iris but she was described as "light colored, very dirty, and very shy." The woman said that the man said that the dog "did not look good" and that he was "very concerned."

We are desperate to reach this kind man to ask him the outcome and to possibly discover if the dog was in fact Iris. If you visit this dog park, can you please ask around? Please click here to access a LOST DOG flyer. If you would be willing to help us pass out flyers (unfortunately, as a very irate member of the Community Cleanup Project informed me, flyers are not allowed to be posted in GGP), please send an email with your address and I will gladly mail you several dozen colored flyers.

Iris has now been missing for almost 3 times as long as she was with me. Every day that passes is another day that my heart breaks a little more.

Sighting at the Tennis Clubhouse!

Iris was seen in front of the Tennis Clubhouse at noon today by the director of the clubhouse. The Clubhouse is located on Bowling Green Drive, next to all the tennis courts. To access the tennis courts, you go to JFK Dr when you enter GGP through the Panhandle. This will take you in front of the Conservatory of Flowers. You make a left onto Middle Drive East, and then another left quickly after that onto Bowling Green Drive. You need to get out of your car and walk towards the tennis courts to actually see the Clubhouse. This means that Iris entered the park at one end (near the beach) and has traveled all the way down to the other end (near the Panhandle). She was sighted still wearing the harness.

$600 Reward

$600 REWARD FOR IRIS' SAFE RETURN! There really isn't any other update right now. A museum worker in GGP thought she saw Iris being led off by an older couple away from the Rose Garden, but after more consideration, she didn't think the dog was Iris after all. My hope against hope is that somebody did find Iris and take her home with them, that Iris is somewhere safe and warm. But I don't know that I really believe that.

Yesterday, Sue, the woman whose 2 sons sighted Iris on January 10, generously took us to the exact spot where her sons saw Iris. It was on Martin Luther King Dr, right where it hits the driveway entrace to Stow Lake. There is a small playground near that entrance as well. Stow Lake is elevated and Iris was seen coming down toward MLK Dr. Sue said her sons reported that her coat was dirty, and if her coat was dirty after just 24 hours, I am thinking it must be filthy by now. Which means the light tanness of her coat may no longer be visible. I sat watching that spot where Iris was seen for 4 hours yesterday, just hoping that she would pass by it again. But it didn't happen.

Sighting Confirmed!

It has been confirmed that Iris was seen on Wednesday, January 10 (1 day after she went missing) at 8:45 AM in Golden Gate Park near Stow Lake, around 19th Ave and Martin Luther King Dr. I pray that she stays in that area.

IRIS IS MISSING!

IRIS IS MISSING!!

Last seen this morning in the backyard of her current foster home, around 48th Ave & Fulton in the Richmond district in SF. She got scared and bolted--she may have climbed over / crawled under the fence to escape. A search has been done today and another one will be done tomorrow. Iris was wearing a red harness with "DOG" written all over it. She is EXTREMELY shy and scared of people so she may run. Please contact us if you have ANY information about her.

A Little Goodbye

Today was a difficult day. I dropped Iris off at her new foster home with a wonderful man who will be able to better help with Iris' socialization. It was hard to part with her because she had already started to become attached to me and vice versa, and it was especially difficult to watch her withdraw all over again at her new foster home. But I know in the long run this is what's best for her. I already miss her.

Here are some video clips of Iris during the last couple of days she stayed with me. Not much happens but it will give you a better glimpse of just how much she came out of her shell in just those 5 days.

Iris is the kind of dog that makes you appreciate every aspect of life. A simple wag of her tail is nothing less than small victory. In just 5 days, Iris came to trust me enough to follow closely at my heels wherever I went in the house. I have caught a glimpse of the depth of love and loyalty she is capable of, and I hope that she will soon have a forever family that will appreciate and nurture her gentle heart.

Progress . . .

Iris is already starting to come out of her shell a little. She no longer spends all of her time hiding under my desk or in a crate. She now follows me around the house, hoping to get another treat maybe, and takes an interest in what I do. She doesn't run from me as much and even wags her tail when I pet her. She allowed me to clean her ears today and check her teeth.

While still very submissive towards the humans in the house, her confidence is increasing rapidly towards the dogs. If they invade her space under the desk, she has no problem telling them to move out of there with a show of her teeth. Iris still doesn't interact much with the other dogs and still runs away from them sometimes but she watches their interaction with me very closely.

Iris is a very low-key dog. She appears housetrained and has no destructive habits. She has been very quiet and mellow.

Iris used to remain hidden whenever I left the house. Here she is for the first time watching me through the window (you can also see my other dog, Phoebe).

Iris' favorite place to be is still under my desk, especially since that is where I spend most of the day. Here she is peeping from under the desk to see what's going on. As you can see, her head ventured out more and more as the days passed.

Iris has become a collector of toys now. She doesn't play with them, she just picks them up and brings them to her "den" under the table. I leave toys all over the floor, and it's fun to watch her pick up one at a time and bring them all back to her sleeping area.

Here she is, standing right in front of me and allowing me to take a picture of her. Previously, she would run and hide and never allow me this close to her.

A Hiding Iris

Iris is an intensely shy dog with strangers. She will run and hide if you approach her or even look at her and sometimes shivers when meeting new people. Even as scared as she must be, she shows no aggression and allows me to pet her and even carry her. Her new home will need to shower her with lots of patience as it will take time for her to feel comfortable in her new surroundings. The reward though is a lifetime of utter devotion and love.

Iris

Name: Iris

Sex: Female (spayed)

Age: 4 years old

Weight: 35 lbs

Breed: Best guess - Golden Retreiver / Terrier Mix


Medical: dewormed, current on vaccinations, rabies, heart-worm tested negative, spayed, microchipped with an ISO chip

Iris was abandoned at a fruit market in Taiwan when she was a puppy. People in the market were not friendly to her, a common occurrence towards stray dogs. They drove her away whenever she tried to approach anybody. When she was six month old, a kind lady sent her to a private “sanctuary” where she would at least be safe from the cruelty of others.

Unfortunately, there were more than three hundred dogs kept at the santuary. Iris was confined in a very narrow crate in which she had little space to turn around. One day one of her front paws got caught in the crate. She cried for help but no one paid attention to her because the sanctuary was noisy and overcrowded. The people who fed the dogs didn’t even notice Iris’ plight.

Day in and day out, Iris’ paw was stuck in the wire of the crate. Poor circulation left her front paw twisted. It was nearly a month before the caretaker discovered Iris’ problem but by then, it was too late to mend it. The vet had no way to correct it. The result is that Iris’ left front paw is turned outwards which causes her to walk with a limp. She can nevertheless run and jump like any other dog.