Since the family pet went missing two weeks ago, one Burton Hill couple has done all they can think of to get her back. And despite an immense outpouring of community support, Olivia the golden retriever has yet to be found.
“She is a part of our family and she’s just filled with joy and life and unconditional love,” said Karen English, one of Olivia’s owners.
English has a chronic pain condition, she said, and Olivia had been a steadfast companion during difficult times.
“She is a therapy dog,” English said. “It’s just amazing: You can hurt so much and just sit and pet your dog.”
In the 24 hours following
Olivia’s disappearance from her front yard, the family went to some of the greatest lengths animal activists on Vashon have heard of in an effort to reclaim a lost pet.
The couple hired a call agency that phoned 500 of their closest neighbors, said Gary English.
They put up color posters with photos of Olivia on posts and bulletin boards all over the Island, noting that she needs medication. They posted ads on Craigslist, went door to door and carefully searched a one-mile radius around their home.
The Englishes even sent a postcard with Olivia’s photo to every address on Vashon, Gary said.
Barbara Drinkwater, president of Vashon Island Pet Protectors, said the Englishes’ hunt for Olivia is the most exhaustive search for a pet she’s ever seen.
“I would say that this shows the extent of their love for their dog,” she said.
Gary said he remembers letting Olivia into the yard at 9 a.m. and, upon checking the yard 15 minutes later, finding her gone. It wasn’t like Olivia to leave the yard without a command, he said, leading him to suspect the dog was taken.
Drinkwater said dognappings do occur on Vashon, but it doesn’t appear to be a trend. The only way a dog would disappear entirely is if it was trapped in a dangerous place or in trouble, she added.
“The dog does not get off the Island by itself, so there’s an element of suspicion,” she said. “I hate to think of anybody on the Island taking somebody’s dog. Take my wallet — just don’t take my dog.”
Since Olivia’s disappearance, the Englishes have gotten a dozen phone tips, many leading to dogs that look like their beloved pet. None has proven successful in locating the purebred canine.
Still, the couple has been amazed by the Island’s support of their search.
“We have had hundreds of people come to us, and everybody we know is looking for this dog,” Gary said.
“I have people calling me up crying, because they just can’t believe that a dog would be stolen on Vashon Island,” Karen said. “It’s amazing to me because the word has passed on so fast.”
The couple said they appreciate those who have helped so far, calling in sightings of Olivia-esque pups outside alone or reporting an unfamiliar golden retriever in their neighborhood.
“To hear people care so much about this, when there’s everything else going on in their lives, that’s pretty amazing,” Karen said. “This is an amazing community.”
The pair hopes Islanders will “just keep an eye out for Olivia,” Gary said.
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The couple is offering a reward for Olivia’s safe return. And they’ve set up a Web site to aid their search for Olivia at:
sites.google.com/site/goldenretrieveroliviasite/, or e-mail the Englishes at OliviaVashon@live.com.
