Yuki

Yuki

(FOUND!!!! YUKI WAS CAPTURED BY AL AFTER THIS EMAIL) Good morning Al and Alesha First off, I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to yourself and Al. At first when we came across your service, the charge seems quite expensive. But losing a family member, we had to try anything and everything we could. From speaking with you on the phone till this email, I have to say you guys are worth every single penny. When I made the inquiry with the initial phone call, you were very informative and have answered all my questions and didn’t try to sell me the service. When Al came, he was very detail oriented and went in depth to search for Yuki as if she was his family member. The information you guys have provided me which was extremely helpful. But I honestly didn’t expect to have contact with you guys again after that. Not only you guys have put up big neon flyers for Yuki, but to hear that Al has also returned to the area to search for Yuki again in the evening is definitely above and beyond my expectations. I am very touched and appreciative. You guys are very professional and you work with your heart. I know we haven’t found her yet, and we desperately hope that we will. I do want to express my gratitude as this means the world to us.

I have more pictures of Yuki on my work computer. I will make a couple of big posters and put it on Kingsway. Many thanks! Amy

YUKI” CAUGHT” AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY:

“Yuki” is a rare Japanese Shikoku dog commonly known for its intelligence, endurance and being tough and energetic; well, this little girl has certainly lived up to the breed’s well-known attributes, that’s for sure.

Yuki’s journey started on July 12, 2017 and lasted for 8 days, starting from the intersection of 120 St and 80 Ave in Surrey. Her journey eventually ended in Richmond, most likely via the Alex Fraser Bridge. The first sighting in Richmond was next to Costco on Bridgeport Rd (25kms from Surrey), and she was finally caught 10 kms away from there, not far from #5 Rd and Dyke Rd.

After Yuki’s owners were first notified that she slipped her collar and ran away they immediately went into action, but Yuki was already in stealth mode and actively avoiding capture. She was first observed running across Scott Rd (120th) travelling west on 80th Ave and heading directly to the Burns Bog area. For the next few days, she was repeatedly mistaken for a coyote; the problem was that she looks so similar to coyote that it hampered getting confirmed sightings of her.

We received a call from Yuki’s owner Erica asking for our assistance in locating and capturing Yuki. Yuki was only about 30-35 lbs and the risk of a predator attack was a real concern for her owners as well as for us. We needed to get her as soon as possible and the bog terrain sure gave her ample places to hide. Our bloodhound Odie was brought out and found scent in numerous places on the trails especially along a small creek that paralleled the railway tracks along the bog; Yuki was getting water here which was good, and we knew she was eating lots of grass as we found several spots where she had defecated along the trails.

Yuki was seen several times coming out of the bog onto the railway tracks and heading over to River Road, basically behind the Tidewaters Pub. Yuki was also observed as far as the Fraser Surrey Docks off of Timberland Rd. We now knew that she had been coming back to the bog via the train tracks, so we set up a live trap along the tracks with an attractant that would lead her to it. What we didn’t know was that this was her last time that she would be travelling this route; she was now venturing into the City of Richmond.

In Richmond, Yuki was seen lying in some tall grass near Costco on Bridgeport Rd by two young ladies. They gave her food and put out a bowl of water for her. Erica found out about this through Facebook the next morning, so we met up with Erica and her parents at that location. I called RAPS and asked for any sightings of a dog that resembled Yuki; they assured me that they were on high alert and were out actively looking for her. One of the officers (Shane) showed up at our location to

assist; I have worked with Shane before and I was confident that with a good sighting and his help we would have a better chance of catching Yuki. We eventually received a call stating Yuki was seen heading to Dyke Road area via #5 Rd; Erica had actually seen Yuki and called out to her, but Yuki was now in survival mode and she took off running.

Petsearchers had just met up with Erica, her boyfriend Erik and her parents, Gary and Cheryl, to make a capture plan when yet another call came in of a sighting; this one in an industrial area behind Canadian Tire, south of Steveston Hwy. Yuki was observed lying on some grass with her back to a building, and there were several people keeping an eye on her for us. I knew one of the people, Ingrid, as she volunteers for a dog rescue group and has assisted me in a previous search. Shane from RAPS also showed up and we immediately moved in to capture her. Yuki was close to a corner of the building, Shane came up with a large net to one side of her, while I hid behind the corner with a net as well, backed up by Julie holding a snare pole. I could see Yuki through a window coming towards me, but she couldn’t see me as she came around the corner. I stepped out in front of her and moved over, allowing her to try to run between me and the building. When Yuki took that opportunity, I was able to scoop her up with my net, forcing her and the net to the ground. Shane came quickly over and also helped secure the net to ground, allowing me to slip a couple of snare leashes over Yuki’s head. Yuki’s owners Erica and Erik then came over to help calm her down. Yuki was secured with the leashes so I released her from the net and slowly walked her to the car. Yuki was now safe and ready to go home with her family.

Petsearchers would like to thank all of the helpful people that took the time to share and report sightings. Yuki is lucky to have a loving and devoted family, Erica, Erik as well as her ‘grandparents’ Gary and Cheryl, who never gave up on her and continued the search for so many hours. Thanks also to Ingrid and Jezebel for keeping an eye on Yuki and controlling traffic until we got there to capture her. It was fun working with Shane from RAPS again on another search, and many thanks to RAPS office staff as well for keeping us updated with new sightings. Welcome home Yuki!