Rumble Sightings
Beginning 7/01/03
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Rumble Watch - Where is Rumble today?

Our best guess is one of the following Virginia counties:
 

	Western Buckingham County
	Nelson County
	NE Amherst County
	SW Albemarle County

"Please brake for Rumble!"

Special "Watch for Rumble" alerts for the following Virginia roads which we think Rumble is most likely to travel: 

	Rt 29
	Rt 56
	Rt 151
	Rt 60
	Rt 604

Rumble - May 2002

Daily Sightings Reports
 

7/01/03 (Tue) - No new sightings.  Just a few words to thank you for your thoughts and prayers for our Rumble on the one year anniversary of when he was lost.  The past few days have been particularly difficult, as you might imagine, but we have every confidence that Rumble will be home with us one of these days soon!  A wonderful Friend of Rumble's sent us the following message of encouragement and it really touched our hearts.  It summarized beautifully the good wishes from so many of you.  Thank you.  And thanks for sticking with us through it all.

I tried sending this message Friday but it wouldn't go. Kept saying the mailbox was full. That told me how many people were sending you their prayers and thoughts. I just wanted to say that I know the 28th was a hard day for you and your family but I guess you already realize, you weren't alone in your sadness. I said an extra prayer on Saturday for you and Rumble as did a lot of people. Take care!

	7/02/03 (Wed) - No new sightings.  Great news.  "Found Guy" has found a home!  Today we'd like to share with you a great photo of three wonderful "Friends of Rumble."  The photo is of "Nikki," "Roscoe," and "Beemer."  Nikki and Roscoe are Poms and Beemer is part Pom and part American Eskimo.  We think they're all adorable!  All are wearing green ribbons for our boy.  Nikki, Roscoe, and Beemer live in Virginia, and their human mom has been following Rumble's story from the very beginning.  The photo of Nikki, Roscoe, and Beemer is on the "Green Ribbons for Rumble" page.
	7/03/03 (Thu) - No new sightings.  Today we would like to ask for your help.  "Vixon," a handsome fellow in Williamsport, PA, is in an extremely urgent situation.  A Friend of Rumble's notified us "just in case."  He's not Rumble, but he sounds like a wonderful fellow!  He has passed all his temperament tests and was neutered in June.  He's described by the Lycoming County SPCA as "a big happy-go-lucky guy."  Unfortunately the SPCA has said that they "will make a decision about his fate" on Monday, July 7th, so he doesn't have much time.  If anyone could help to save this boy, that would be so good!  All the information about Vixon (including shelter contact information) is on Rumble's "Just in Case" page.  If you can help, you may also contact the rescue volunteer at magicgershep@aol.com.  Surely together we can save this boy!  Thank you.
	7/04/03 (Fri) - No new sightings.  Today we celebrate our Nation's Independence Day.  We give thanks for many things, and the freedom we enjoy is not something we take for granted.
	7/06/03 (Sun) - No new sightings.  One of the things we try to do regularly (and you've been just great about helping us with this!) is to publicize Rumble's situation anywhere we can on the web.  We believe the more people who see his photo, the more likely it is that someone will recognize him one day.  Whenever we find free places to publicize Rumble that are likely to attract dog-lovers, we seize those opportunities, even if they seem silly.  One such place is "My Dog's Cuter Than Yours."  We try to "vote" for Rumble several times a day to ensure he stays in the top 10 ranking.  We don't care if he wins, we just want to keep his name visible so people will click on the link and see his photo.  If you have a spare moment and would be willing to occasionally cast a vote for Rumble, please either click here, or go to www.mydogscuterthanyourdog.com and enter "Rumble" in the box labeled "Search the Tree."  Thanks!
	7/07/03 (Mon) - No new sightings.  Great news!  A wonderful Canadian Friend of Rumble's sent us an email that she had received from a rescue volunteer in Pennsylvania who reported that "Vixon" was adopted on Saturday.  Yay!  On that happy note, we'd like to share with you information about another long-haired German Shepherd (or possible Shiloh Shepherd or Shiloh mix).  A Friend of Rumble's alerted us to him "just in case."  He's not Rumble, but maybe together we can help to save him.  This fellow, whom we're calling "Mercer," is in the county shelter in Mercer County, OH.  Unfortunately, they are reporting that the shelter is full, which is not good news for Mercer.  If anyone could help this handsome boy, that would be wonderful.  Mercer's photo is below and on Rumble's "Just in Case" page.  Thank you.

7/09/03 (Wed) - No new sightings.  A Friend of Rumble's who assisted with the very first "Just in Case" dog, "Justice," asked us to mention the girl who is at the following PetFinder link in case you know her or know someone who can adopt her.  She appears to be a lovely, long-haired GSD.  http://www.petfinder.com/pet.cgi?action=2&pet=1850357  Thank you.

On another subject, we want to let you know that for personal reasons, we will be away from our computer until some time next week, so will be unable to access our files to make our usual updates to this page.  Just as soon as we return, we'll resume though, so please don't forget us!  Not to worry - - folks who know Rumble well will still be around in case he decides this is the week to return home.  We hope that when we resume our updates some time next week, we'll have great news to share! 

	7/18/03 (Fri) - No new sightings.  We're back!  Thanks for waiting for us. :-)  A wonderful Friend of Rumble's in Canada emailed us with the great news that "Bud" in Washington State has finally been adopted. Yay!  He has been on Rumble's "Just in Case" page longer than any other dog, so we are very, very happy to post his good news.  Bud is a "senior" and we're always glad when folks recognize what a wonderful addition a senior can make to a family.  Those of us who have adopted seniors over the years can certainly vouch for that!
	7/19/03 (Sat) - No new sightings.  We've just received several lovely emails from the wonderful folks at St. Francis Animal Rescue in Minnesota.  Great news!  "River" (the amazing Shepherd found floating down a river on a piece of ice) has been adopted.  Yay!  Maybe we should go away more often - - we've had nothing but good news to report since being back.  That's the kind of news we love to share with you. :-)  Maybe good news on our Rumble will be next.  (Reminds us of a famous old quote:  "Patience is the art of hoping.")
	7/21/03 (Mon) - No new sightings.  A friend of Rumble's who was one of the angel rescuers to help our very first "just in case" Shepherd, "Justice," sent us to the link for "Zeke" in Westbrook, CT "just in case...."  We can certainly see why, but unfortunately, he's not our boy.  He's reported to be a German Shepherd, but he certainly resembles a Shiloh Shepherd too!  (We're referring to him as "Zeke (#2)" since we've already got one "Just in Case" dog named "Zeke.")  According to the rescue folks, Zeke is gorgeous, extremely intelligent, and just wants someone to love!  If you know of anyone who could give this guy his forever home, that would be wonderful!  To read more about Zeke (#2), please visit Rumble's "Just in Case" page.  Thank you.

 

7/23/03 (Wed) - No new sightings.  The human mom of one of Rumble's brothers lives in Northern Virginia (in the Washington DC metro area) and she reported some good news to us.  One of her co-workers mentioned to her on Monday that their Vet has Rumble's flyer posted in their office.  That's wonderful!  We are so grateful to everyone who can help spread the word on our boy in any way.  We think Rumble is most likely in Buckingham County or Nelson County, but we really don't know.  If someone picked him up and drove somewhere else, he could be anywhere!  We deeply appreciate all the help we've received.  There is so much bad news in the world, but we've been heartened by the number of truly wonderful and generous people we've encountered.  Thank you.

7/24/03 (Thu) - No new sightings.  Great news!  "Casey," the White German Shepherd mix, has finally been adopted.  We posted him first as "Ace" in Kentucky.  He was then rescued by the wonderful group, PetProtectors in CT.  We are so happy for him!  As we were checking various rescue websites for any sign of our boy, we came across the most touching story!  We wish we knew more because it sounds absolutely heartwarming!!  The German Shepherd Rescue Network has the following posting on "Kemper," a 10-year-old "stray" German Shepherd reunited with his original owners after 7 long years!  Amazing!!!  Just goes to show we must never give up hope of finding our Rumble again.

Lucky boy Kemper, reunited with his original owners who hadn't seen him in over 7 years! KEMPER (Seattle/Tacoma, WA). Kemper is a wonderful boy of approximately 10 years of age in need of a loving friend to spend his days with. He was rescued from a shelter after coming in as a stray. He is a large boy, long bodied and lean. He is very affectionate with anyone who comes along. He will make someone a devoted companion.... 062103

 

8/09/03 (Sat) - No new sightings.  We'd like to share with you a very special "anniversary" story that we've been saving.  It touched our heart and once again renewed our faith in the goodness of people.  (Friends of Rumble seem to have particularly loving and generous hearts, we've learned.)  Below is a wonderful message we received.  During our darkest moments of missing Rumble, it's messages like this that give us peace.  Knowing that Rumble is helping to make the world a little bit better place gives us great comfort.  This wonderful message will be maintained permanently on Rumble's "Domino Effects" page.

In your search you have no idea of what you contribute to others, and I feel compelled to let you know what your efforts have done for our life personally.  Through you we have been educated, inspired and blessed with Lexie, our beautiful German Shepherd. Many years ago we had a beautiful long-haired German Shepherd mix, "Sarge."  His dad, we believe, was a Shiloh (all 125 lbs). Sarge shared our home for 10 years and truly was our 4-legged child. He was a massive, super-intelligent, loving boy and was always welcome everywhere we went. Through the years the kids have grown and the grandchildren have come, but still there was a void in our lives.  When I found your site, something happened to me inside.  My husband and I discussed Rumble nightly and always we would go back to the times with our beloved Sarge. Through talking, we both discovered that the void was not having a dog. Last August we heard of a Shepherd at a shelter about an hours ride from home and decided to go. There was this 80-lb beauty in a cage barking and snarling (yes snarling). We both looked and saw the same thing - - a defensive body that said, get away, I'm afraid you'll hurt me like my other human, but eyes that said. please don't let me stay here. We both said at the same time, "She is the one for us!" We wanted to take her home right then, but there were 2 other couples who made out applications, so we went home on pins and needles. The next morning a call came from the shelter: "You can come and get your dog if you want." Needless to say, I was out the door. When I arrived, she still barked defensively but I did not care. They handed me her leash and this ferocious dog licked my hand! We learned Lexie was abused and had a right to be defensive, but that was just her exterior. Her warm eyes told another story. She is now a 90-lb 2-year-old and the most loving girl. The terrible void we felt for all those years is gone and it is all because of finding Rumble's site. I am so sad he is not home yet (I know it won't be much longer), but forever grateful to you and your never-ending love for him. Your efforts have affected so many. Thank you for being "You."

With Love and Prayers Always To You and Rumble.

Lexie and her human grandmother celebrating Easter 2003
(Please click image to enlarge)

 

 

8/12/03 (Tue) - No new sightings.  A Friend of Rumble's asked us to share news about another lost dog.  Unfortunately we don't have a photo.  The message that was forwarded to us is below.

A dog was lost in the Somerville, TN area on Friday, July 18th at approximately 9 or 10 p.m. when the car she was riding in crashed and rolled over.  Her crate was tossed about and she escaped.  The accident occurred 1/2 mile from mile marker #38.  LACY is an 11 month old Golden Retriever / Australian Shepherd mix.  She is mottled blue, gray and golden brown (blue merle plus gold) and her coat had been recently clipped short (not shaved to the skin).  Her tail was left long and fluffy like a ponytail.  LACY is 50 to 55 pounds and VERY SWEET.  She is wearing a red, white and blue collar with a rabies tag and a silver id tag bearing the name of "Sandy" and a phone number.   Jean Norton is LACY's "Grandmother" in Baton Rouge.  (225-756-9862 or 225-603-9671)  She has kept LACY while her son was moving and finding a place to live that accepts dogs.  The transport was to reunite LACY with her "Dad" who is devastated.  He has had LACY since she was six weeks old and he and his daughter love her dearly!  This is a dog who has never been allowed to run loose.  She is up-to-date on her shots and just had her heartworm preventative pill.   I've spoken with Mrs. Norton and she is so grateful for ANY help we can offer.  PLEASE share this information with your contacts in the Somerville, TN/Fayette county area!!! 
  

	8/17/03 (Sun) - No new sightings.  Great news!  We've just learned that "Lacy" (see our update of 8/12/03 above) has been found.  How wonderful!  We are truly happy for anyone who has lost a beloved pet and then has found their pet again.  We too look forward to that day when we'll be reunited with our Rumble.  We celebrate for Lacy and her family.
	8/28/03 (Thu) - No new sightings.  We must apologize for the delays in our postings.  Unfortunately, we've had other pressing issues.  We promise we'll update as frequently as possible.  And you can be sure that if there's any news on Rumble, we'll absolutely post an update!  For today, we'd just like to share with you a very touching link that a dear friend sent to us.  It's about pets who are hoping for their forever homes.  The only problem (for those of us who don't have high-speed internet connections) is that it takes a very long time to load.  (We clicked on the link and then read a book for a few minutes while it loaded.)  When it finally loads, it is indeed touching.  Makes those of us who have adopted a homeless pet feel so glad we did.  If you've ever considered adopting a homeless pet, now would be a wonderful time!  If you need any ideas, many super rescue groups are listed at the bottom of Rumble's front page.  Thank you.
	9/01/03 (Mon) - No new sightings.  As you might have guessed, this is a difficult time for us.  Our Rumble's birthday is this Friday.  He will be three years old on September 5th.  It's a bittersweet time.  We're so glad he came into our lives, but we do so miss him.  We trust he is safe, either in the woods or perhaps with some family who doesn't realize he already has a family who loves him very much.  It is our deep hope that he'll be back home soon.  We have faith we'll see him again, so we're saving his birthday gifts for when he returns.
	9/05/03 (Fri) - No new sightings.  Dear Rumble, wherever you may be, on this your third birthday, we send you our love.  Our birthday message to you is from the heart.  It hasn't changed and it never will.  We'll wait as long as it takes.  (View our birthday wishes for Rumble.)
	9/10/03 (Wed) - No new sightings.  Special thanks to those of you who thought of Rumble on his birthday.  We know many of you sent warm thoughts his way and we received so many nice messages.  Unfortunately we did hear from one cowardly scrooge who sent us an anonymous form saying "Give it up.  He's not coming home."  We each must hold to our own values, and our value system does not include abandoning hope for an animal we love.
	9/11/03 (Thu) - No new sightings. Today we'd like to share a very special story with you - - the story of "Sampson."  Sampson is a wonderful German Shepherd who sustained a severed Achilles tendon while in a shelter.  A repair was attempted but the aftercare did not go well and the repair failed.  The choices then became very tough for those responsible for his care: amputation or euthanasia.  However two wonderful veterinarians who are deeply committed in their support of North Star German Shepherd Dog Rescue (NSGSDR) in Massachusetts knew there was a third choice - - Tufts University Foster Hospital for Small Animals.  Both vets had attended Tufts Veterinary School and knew the resources available to a University Hospital.  In their own words, "We had to give Sampson a chance!"  Here is their report:

Sampson is such a wonderful guy.  He touches the heart of everyone he meets, there is something very special about him.  Even after all he has been through he has a great attitude and looks forward to the visits by his doctors.  The fourth year student that has been caring for him this week has become very attached to him and even considered fostering him.  However she has 3 dogs of her own and it is better that he be an only dog during his recovery.  Sampson has a long road ahead of him, 4 weeks with an external fixator/splint combo then 4 weeks with just the splint then 4 weeks with just a wrap.  His doctors are confident that with this post-op care he will regain full use of the leg.

 

The estimated cost of the surgery is $3000.  As far as fundraising goes we so far have been able to raise approx $850 of the $3000+ needed for his care.  We will continue to pursue as many avenues as we can to raise the remainder.  I know that often rescues will raise the money first then have the surgery performed once it can be paid for.  In Sampson's case the success of the surgery was time-dependent, especially since it had been such a long time between the original injury and when we were contacted about him.  I am sure through the kindness of others we will eventually be able to pay off his vet bills.

 

You can read more about Sampson and his ordeal (including daily updates) at www.northstargsdr.org/html/sampson.html

 

Thank you

We are deeply touched by the commitment of NSGSDR.  If their name sounds familiar to you, it's because they once helped us during a very dire situation.  Do you remember "Missy"?  Our good friends at Senior Canine Rescue Society in Calgary, Canada alerted us to a sweet senior girl in Delaware who had only a few days left to be saved.  Even though her case seemed hopeless because there was so little time, we felt we had to try.  Rumble has some pretty amazing friends, and we prayed one would step forward and save Missy in the short time she had left.  We were right!  NSGSDR saw Missy's story on Rumble's site and came to her rescue!  She now has a wonderful forever home.  We will never forget our gratitude to NSGSDR and are honored to publicize their story of Sampson.  Please take a moment to visit his webpage at www.northstargsdr.org/html/sampson.html  

"Sampson" - - NSGSDR saved his leg and his life

 

9/13/03 (Sat) - No new sightings. Today we'd like to share with you one of the wonderful birthday greetings Rumble received on September 5th.  This one came from Katie, a great friend of Rumble's in California.  A special angel of Katie's, "Misty," has just gone to the Rainbow Bridge.  Katie knows that Misty will now watch over Rumble.  We are touched and honored.

                           
  Katie's Birthday Card to Rumble                   Katie's angel "Misty"          

 

9/14/03 (Sun) - No new sightings. We subscribe to the excellent electronic newsletter published by the great folks at Hugs for Homeless Animals.  Recently they published this special alert, which we would like to share with you.  It is reprinted below:

This special alert was provided by Hugs for Homeless Animals
in cooperation with the USDA/APHIS/Animal Care Division
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Animal Care Alert - DOG SEIZURE
August 28, 2003, 2 PM EST

Several medium to large breed dogs (young adults and adults) were seized
this week from a kennel in Northeast Arkansas. Most of the dogs were either
hounds, beagles, or lab mixes.

If you recently lost a dog that meets the above description and believe it
may have been at this kennel, please submit the following information:

Your name, address, phone number, and a description of the dog including
breed, age, sex, weight, its name, and distinguishing marks or other
characteristics. Also, please supply the date your dog disappeared and a
recent photo (an electronic format is acceptable and can be emailed).

This information can be faxed to 970-472-9558 or it can be submitted via
email at ACWEST@aphis.usda.gov.  Or it can be sent by regular mail to:

USDA/APHIS/Animal Care
Arkansas Dogs
2150 Center Ave.
Building B, Mailstop 3W11
Ft. Collins, CO 80526

Upon receiving the information we will compare it with the dogs that we
received and see if there are any that match the description you submitted.
We will reply with our findings as soon as possible.

For a recorded message (the same as above) please call 866-696-6668, a toll
free number.

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac/alert.html

This is just one example of the excellent services provided by the wonderful folks at Hugs for Homeless Animals.  To subscribe to their electronic newsletter, the H4HA News Reporter, please visit http://lists.h4ha.org.  To read copies of previous newsletters, visit http://www.h4ha.org/news/archive.html.  If you would like to contribute to the H4HA efforts, please visit http://www.h4ha.org/donation.html.  Thank you.

9/17/03 (Wed) - No new sightings. There is a lost Golden Retriever in the Germantown, TN area.  She is 17 months old.  We are posting the following at the special request of two great Friends of Rumble:  "Tigerkittvan" and "Goldie544."  They are trying to locate a photo for us to post also.

1-½ year old Female Golden Retriever is LOST/MISSING/STOLEN and needs help to find her way home.  "Belle" is very pregnant – probably due any day now.  (9-16).   She has been missing since Sept. 5th from the backyard of her home in the Windyke Community near Germantown, TN.   "Belle" is small/short, weighs 65 pounds, has straight reddish gold hair, and was wearing a red collar. 

PLEASE contact MARK at 901-488-2026 or 488-2027.  By email you may contact Memphis Area Golden Retriever Rescue.  Thanks for all prayers & good wishes!

PLEASE FORWARD TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES.

	9/18/03 (Thu) - No new sightings.  We are expecting the effects of hurricane Isabel shortly.  Like everyone else, we have no idea how bad the damage will be or how long we may be without power.  Depending on the damage, we may not be able to update the site for a while.  Just wanted to let you know in case we don't post for a while what the reason is.  But we'll be back as soon as we're able!
	10/12/03 (Sun) - No new sightings.  We are finally back on line!  We were affected by the hurricane, but nothing too terrible considering what others have experienced.  However one of the power outages created a real problem with some of our web files.  (We don't know how - - maybe a power surge.)  After many, many hours of trouble-shooting, we finally resolved the problem by reloading our browser software and our Internet Provider software.  We concluded it must be that because we've had great difficulty with Rumble's web-based email account too.  We do intend to keep Rumble's site going, particularly to maintain an awareness of Rumble and to help other dogs.  Changes in our personal obligations and daily responsibilities have made it very difficult to keep the site updated on a regular basis, so we're thinking maybe periodic updates may be a better idea.  Thank you for the very nice emails many of you sent expressing concern and support.  You've touched our hearts.
	10/13/03 (Mon) - No new sightings.  Good news!  "Belle," the pregnant Golden Retriever who was lost on September 5th in Germantown, TN has been found.  Yay!  We can certainly understand how happy her family must feel.  However, unfortunately another dog has been lost.  If you live in or around Sutherland - Dinwiddie County, VA, we ask your help in keeping your eyes open for "Cheyenne."  The message we received from Cheyenne's family is below.

Cheyenne has been missing since Hurricane Isabel damaged our

fence. She is a wolf-hybrid that is very skittish of humans, but would

not hurt anyone. If spotted, please call--do not try to catch her! She

will only run further. We will come any time, day or night! Thank you.

 

Cheyenne is missing from the Tranquility Road area of Sutherland -

Dinwiddie County, VA. Cheyenne is wearing a box (invisible fence)

collar.

 

If you think you may have seen Cheyenne, please call!  Thank you.

 

Connie - 804-265-8659 or 804-524-7399 or 804-586-5713

Tommie - 804-425-6236 or 804-748-1339 or 804-869-9760

         
"Cheyenne" - Lost during Hurricane Isabel in Sutherland - Dinwiddie County, VA

 

11/02/03 (Sun) - No new sightings.  As we mentioned in our posting of 10/12/03, unfortunately obligations in our personal life have made updating the site on a regular basis a real challenge.  We absolutely promise to share any news of Rumble with you right away though, and we will make periodic updates to the site from time-to-time as our time permits.  We just read about something we feel is very important and we'd like to share that with you today.  November has been declared the first annual "Adopt-a-Senior-Pet Month" by the ASPCA.  What a wonderful cause!  Several Friends of Rumble are focused on adopting senior dogs in need.  If you haven't visited their websites (their links are on Rumble's front page), please do check out both the Senior Canine Rescue Society and the Senior Dog House and Rescue.  Another great site worth visiting is The Senior Dogs Project.  Thank you.

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