Cindi Tamietti

Graphic Artist

ctamietti@lassennews.com

Nov. 30, 2010 — On Oct. 15 a hired dog walker lost an airedale service dog named Lily in the Leavitt Lake area. Apparently the dog walker was running with the dog and let go of the leash. The dog walker then chased after Lily but couldn’t catch her. Gone.

Lily is 8 years old, 85 pounds and has a thyroid problem that requires medication. She has brown curly hair and black markings like a saddle over her back. Her owner, Janie Reece, has been beside herself trying to find her companion. She has put countless flyers out, run ads in the newspaper and called Swap Shop.

When I first heard of this story and saw the pictures of this beautiful dog, I thought to myself, wow, over a month ago. This dog is long gone. But Lily was sighted in the Sunnyside Road area just over a week ago.

Since then she has been sighted several times but no one has picked her up. The most recent sighting was last week, Monday, Nov. 22. Someone saw her near Honey Lake Campground, just standing by the side of the road but he didn’t pick her up because she was wet and muddy. He didn’t want to get his car dirty. Reece frantically rushed to the scene when she got the call, but Lily was no longer there.

Since my job here at the Times is in the graphics department I got caught up in this story in e-mail exchanges over ad proofs. If you’re a doctor, you are told not to get too involved with the patients. Nobody tells you that in a graphics department.

One day a week I leave work early. I spent the few hours I had of daylight on Monday driving in the Sunnyside Road area looking for Lily. I creeped up and down not only Sunnyside but many connected dirt roads and driveways. I’m sure people must have thought I was plotting burglary. I thought if I could just spot her, I could get her in my car. I thought if I couldn’t coax her into the car, I could call Reece’s cell phone and wait right there until she got there. I was frantic over this missing dog because as I write this we are predicted to have temperatures down to 1 degree. How can a dog who is lost, cold, hungry and in need of medication that’s been lost for more than a month make it in 1 degree weather?

This is an appeal to all of you. I know you are traveling to Janesville, Milford, Herlong and Reno. Please look for Lily on your way. Reece says Lily loves riding in the car but is shy of people. A piece of meat or a dog treat might do the trick. Use a normal voice. Don’t worry about your car getting muddy, it can be cleaned. You can see pictures of Lily in an advertisement in this edition that says $500 reward across the top. Reece can be reached at her home phone, 257-8049, or cell, 1-323-387-2683. She says please even call Animal Control. She says she is happy to pay any fines. She just wants Lily home again.

The main thing I love about living here is how everyone pulls together when there’s a crisis. This is a crisis. Let’s get our binoculars and dog treats out. Let’s find Lily.