Another year goes by....

Yet another year goes by. 5 whole years since Jacob left us. I just cannot believe that it can be that long ago. It's strange remembering him, he's been gone for so long now, but I can still remember everything about him. The quirks, the way he would cuddle so close, the little patch under his chin. Silly things, but things that made him ours. Boy did we love him. Still do, but it's a complicated love as we have no idea if he is loved elsewhere, or we should be mourning him being at the bridge. I honestly think we will never get closure on him. And what happened. We needed to accept that long, long ago, but as another year is upon us, we still wonder, hoping he's being a grumpy old man taking over someone's sofa. It's all we have. Stay safe wherever you are old man.

4 years.....The coming of acceptance

Another year has past us by. I awoke this morning in a foreign country, sun blazing through the curtains only to be shocked into remembering the date, THAT date, and that despite us leaving behind the snow, 4 years ago we were out, knee deep in the white stuff, trawling through fields, and calling out his name until we could no longer see hands in front of our faces. We came home for weeks on end tired out of our wits, but still willing it to be light enough to do it all again the next morning.....hope has a strange sense of optimism giving. Sadly that optimism wanes after you're kicked in the same place too many times. You get numb to feelings of wanting an answer, and for us that's where we've been these past 4 years....numbed, wondering, wanting to know the unknown. Where is he, where did he go, dogs don't just disappear into the summit of the unknown. Shockingly for us, another dog local to us, Molly, a liver and white Springer Spaniel has done just the same. Went off one day locally, and to this day, has not really been seen again. Gone, owners tormented, heartbroken and like us, in that very same numb limbo of unknowingness. It's torture, they are in early days, and we see them holding onto hope, and wish, WISH their own story unfolds into a happier ending than ours has. Still, we have kind of come now, to a quiet acceptance with Jacob that perhaps we will never see him again, and that yes, although not in our lives, he IS in someone else's and living life happily and wholesomely, never giving us a second thought. Stupidly as it it may seem, we both, Jonny and I hope that is the case, as that would mean he continues to live, and who can say that isn't a happy ending for those living with him. It's just not a happy ending for us, but for them, it is, and that is all we can hope for at this stage. So, Mr Jacob, wherever you are, on your 4th year missing from our lives, we, your family would like to say, we miss you, but understand your life is another place now....... Wherever that may be....be happy old man. Love....your family Xxx

3 Years, still tears.....

On the eve of another catrastoversary (hate the word anniversary, its highly inappropriate to use here) we find ourselves sitting reminiscing about the times we had with Jacob, our very first Bracco Italiano.

Boy we had some good times, and never a cuter puppy was seen than him. He could melt your heart he was totally beautiful both inside and out. A real jack the lad, Daddy's boy, Mummy's boy (depending on best offers!) he was chief fire hogger, and sofa warmer extraordinaire!

We know that now this much time has

passed, chances of us all being reunited, well we're honest enough to realise it's pretty slim, that said, these things do, and have happened, and with that in mind we will never give up hope, not ever.

We talk of you often, wonder if you are still alive, who knows your story, who you are with each and every day, just how your life has panned out.

Most of all, we wonder if you are out there, somewhere, anywhere, but most of all we hope you're safe, and loved. It really is all we can wish for and we wish for that every day for you Jakey, stay safe. We're here whenever it's time to come home again.

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Thought's of course go out to dear Ffion and Tim, 3 years already reached for Sky.
Our thoughts are with you both, and we still hope Jacob and Sky are still out partying, not quite ready for domesticity quite yet, playing away, somewhere midway distance between us, boys on tour. Just when will they hang up their party paws eh !?
Xx

I love this photo, I know it's not a photographic masterpiece, but the joy in Jacob's eyes says everything -
He was loving being with us in the studio, he was there for a shoot for Johnson & Johnson, it was for the packaging for a new pet drug for arthritic animals.

We had a wonderful time just throwing a dummy about the green paper much to Jacob's excitement !

On this his 2 year anniversary, we sit and think about how we miss him, every single day.

Yesterday was a hard day - you kind of torment yourselves with what if's and why's, knowing full well that it will remedy absolutely nothing.

There's just that one word left in Jacob's name now - HOPE, hope that one day, no matter how long into the future (but please make it soon) we'll be reunited with him.

We keep that thought in our mind, how can you not.

Keep safe everyone.

New Year - New Hope ?

Well the time of year for Christmas and New Year has been and gone, and we see ourselves into yet another year.
The whole Jacob being missing has shown us just how time can fly by and seasons come and go without hardly a breath being taken.

We have had a number of sightings later into the winter months, Bracco being walked in the Surrey area, of which turned out to be dogs that are known to respected Bracco Breeders we know of, and another 'Bracco' looking dog that was seen roaming in the depths of all the bad snow and rain, that turned out to be a Pointer who is known local to that area for being a wanderer, and had on occasion been chauffeured home by locals to where it begins it's plans of the next great escape ! - sadly for us, it meant that those heart jiggers, the hope was gone and accounted for, but it also meant that a dog we initially thought was out surviving the snow and cold was actually accounted for and safe.

It was at the time of the dogs being reported to us a possible 'Jacob's' that we sat and discussed how to go forward, and what else we could physically do to lift the search and re-ignite it, but it was upon this discussion that Jon and I sat and queried the whole media hype that we and friends built back in 2009.

Was that hype and press coverage the downfall for Jacob ?

Did the overload of him being exposed as being missing mean that anyone who had him, would have a lot of questions to be answered and explaining to do no matter what the circumstances arising out of them finding or knowing about him were ?

It's reasonable to say that a lot of folks would not want that intrusion for just finding a missing dog. We after all live in a society now that means many would much rather walk past scenario's where they could get involved, but they don't for fear of what that 'involvement' could perhaps cost.

I wonder actually if we had just gone through the motions of alerting people 'quietly', and through the normal channels about him being missing, it might have ended differently.

Maybe if someone did find him, it would have been much easier for him to be given back without question ? Many disagree that the hype did wonders of getting his profile out there and therefore if anyone did have him, it would mean he couldn't be kept without questions and I agree I guess, but I am not sure about that we would go that route now. Purely because I still meet people with dogs of their own, who read papers and own computers who have never heard of Jacob's plight. In my eyes that just goes to show that no matter how hard you try, all that hype, well it doesn't necessarily reach everyone. Proof in that being my neighbour in a barn a stones throw from us, hadn't known about Jacob, even though there were posters everywhere here. She was shocked a few months ago to hear of his story.

Most of all moving into the new year, there certainly are lessons we can look back on and learn from. Milo the 6 month old Italian Spinone puppy was thankfully found safely after almost a week of being lost in the woods in Nottinghamshire. The way that we all rallied immediately hearing his news has shown that the people who have been through this can and do react at a moments notice, and action plans put into place. That's comforting for us in case (we hope) it happens for us in a big way with Jacob.

Thankfully little Milo was found safe and well, and notoriously very casually hopped into the owners car when the boot was opened one morning as she sat putting her boots on in the car park - we laugh about it now, but the pain for the owners of him being lost through those long days and nights was unbearable to see. It's true to say that you can only know that feeling of dread and worry having actually lived it yourselves.

The very same week Milo was lost another Spinone Oscar was also lost in a park in the heart of Cambridge city. We spent countless hours walking and postering for his return, only for him to be returned by a call from gypsies a week later, them having said they 'bought' him from a bloke in a pub. It amazed me how quickly dogs can change hands and how they can become a target of a total money making exercise. Shocking, but true. How gypsies were in the right place at the right time again amazes me.

Makes it very conceivable that Jacob perhaps found his way into their hands, and who knows what and where he ended up from there. If Oscar could change into their hands in a day, where does that leave Jacob in years ?

Hopefully he will, if alive, soon become past his sell by date if used for breeding, and having served his purpose we might well get a call saying he's been found. It's a long shot by any means, but we have to keep that hope burning, we've read the stories of people being reunited under all sorts of circumstances, some a good many years later, so there's always hope........ they'll always be hope.

Always Wondering

Another month goes by since the last blog, where does all the time go to?
Before long i'll be pulling out the Christmas tree from it's dusty box, the fire will be alight day and night, and it'll be dark at 4pm every day (groan!)

I thought I would just add some words of Thanks to many of you who regularly drop by and say "Hi" and that you are thinking of us, and still keeping vigilant about Jacob.
To hear he is still set in people's minds and that there is a definite vigilance out there really means a lot.
As much as we would love to have time to scour the globe for Jacob - well truth is we can;t, which is why we always rely upon our friends near and far to be our eyes.

There have been a few stories about dogs who have been missing for a few years and that they have been reunited with their owners.
Seeing those stories and the fact that sometimes there is a happy ending makes us hanker after that for our own piece of good luck, but maybe just have to be patient......
VERY patient.

I guess we'll wait out as long as it takes. We wonder every day what and if, but have to be happy knowing hopefully somewhere maybe (MAYBE) he is happy and well fed.
He probably doesn't remember us now, which in itself is sad, but hey, one day that may just change.
We just need to remain positive, always positive.
We can do no more than we already have, even if it feels like it, what more can we possibly do.

I always wonder too about these dogs that go missing, and are never seen or spotted again, just where are they ? Spare a thought for them, the Jacob's and the Sky's of the missing dog world, the absolute wonder at what and if, and WHY is excruciatingly painful, the not knowing being the worse evil of them all. It's painful to wonder.

THANK YOU to everyone, for your support, care and concern, but most of all for sharing and making everyone around you aware of Jacob (and Sky) still being missing.
We can't THANK YOU enough

Happy summer to you all, keep your dogs safe at all times

Waiting....just waiting.....

Sometimes it seems life is just bloody unfair.

In this past month, we have seen 3 Bracco go missing, and 3 Bracco returned safely to their owners.
To say I am utterly jealous of that would be an understatement.

The first Bracco to go off was probably stolen to order, and was found strangely nearby across the county it lived in a week or so later. Thankfully she was none the worse for her ordeal, and her owner happy to have her home safely.

The second 2 Bracchi were lost by the person who was supposedly dog sitting them whilst their owners were away. Thankfully they were both found and reunited, again safe and fine from their ordeal.
All good, but it just makes me want to be the 3rd in line for that reunion.

Jon and I were drivng around at weekend and were thinking about Jacob and the whole situation he's left us in.
We just don't know where he is, if he's alive or if someone has him, loves him, and he's safe.
I just wish we knew.

Hard as it is, we do have to get on with life, and look back on the time we all shared, and think we were lucky to have him for those 3 years. Positive thinking that he is alive and well, enjoying life, but not enjoying it with his family. I can live with that. I just want to know he is okay, or not okay. either one of those choices I can deal with.

I guess those of you reading that might figure it to be a bit harsh us moving on, bit I cannot honestly say that we can't shed any more tears, because we do, and often Jacob will come into the conversation for a reason, and a lump will form in our throats at the mere mention of his name.
Sigh.....

That said, we now are enjoying our 3 Spinoni, and of course the hilarious antics that only a Bracco like Pascha can provide !

Pascha is lots of fun, goofy, a major clown, uber intelligent, and does go a really long way to filling the huge paw prints left behind by our boy. His bounding energy is so catching and no matter how fed up you might be, a swift right hook from a Bracco paw soon sorts you out !

We still get lots of lovely emails, just saying that people are out there looking still, thinking of us, and hoping, just hoping that one day our hard work will pay off and we'll be re-united with Jacob. To read them is so uplifting, people taking time out of their busy lives to check in our blog, just to see if the news has changed, have we got lucky.....

I do imagine that day, a day where we get that call....and also on the flip side of that joy there is a nagging ache of worry as to what dog we could be getting back. Would he still be 'our' Jacob ?
No matter, he would always (and will always) remain to be our boy, regardless of his name, or new address, he belongs to us.

Hmmmm....I was hoping as I wrote this new post that it would be uplifiting !
Sorry about that, sometimes the moment passes and you just feel cheated.

I know as you sit at your pc and have your dogs safely near to you, you will know how hard it would be if one of them were taken away from you without word nor warning.
No chance to say goodbye or the direct ability to change the circumstances.
I am sure you will agree that it would be very difficult for you to comprehend them being gone, so I hope with that thought in your mind you'll forgive me for the perhaps sombre mood swings on this blog. Sometimes you just want things to be right, and it is out of your control to do so.
Oh hell that is annoying !

Most of all I hope that all of your dogs remain safe, there are some very nasty, and truly calculating people out there only happy to relieve you of your lovely fur bundles, so please take care, ensure they are within your sight at all times, but most of all enjoy them, really enjoy them.
These dogs, well, they love us all unconditionally, give us such joy at owning them (mostly !!!) and as such we should always be able to give the same back.
We are their lives and what makes their lives special, we have their whole destiny in our hands, the ability to give them a happy contented life....we should always, always remember that.