[color:"red"] [/color] There will be an organised search for Kayla tomorrow morning 12th August, meeting at the Manutewhau Reserve on the corner of Jadewynne & Fresil Street, Massey. 9am start. Maps of the area will be handed out. If anyone is able to come help we would really appreciate it. More pamphlets need to be dropped in streets that have not yet been covered.

Many thanks to all who have help us so far, it has been amazing seeing the willingness to help.

Denise
Update: Kayla has been spotted at Oriel Park Massey. Currently holed up and scared to come out. Foster mum and another person Kayla knows are enroute there now. If anyone see's her before they get there please approach quietly so she doesn't get scared off. At least we know she is safe albeit cold and hungry obviously. The gap she got out of I would have expected a chihauhau to have had trouble, certainly not an escape risk factor to a GSD - until now.

Denise
Good morning

I am a foster mum for the German Shepherd Rescue Trust. This morning, a new foster that we received yesterday managed to get under our fence and escape. Her details are:

Name: Kayla
Sex: Female
Colour: Black and Tan
Coat: Short hair
Registration: Papakura District Council
Area Lost: Royal Heights/Massey East
Age: Approx.. 3 years of age
Collar: Light Brown/Tan with Registration tag (tag not disc) attached, no other identification tags

She is a very timid girl and we are presuming she is still in the area but hiding, she is smaller than a normal sized bitch. If by any chance someone finds her or she is brought into the SPCA injured, please contact Denise Sharp on 09 443 2204 or 027 458 1428

For more details, please feel free to contact me on either 09 978 7668 (work direct dial number) or 027 272 6474

No photo as yet. Even though very timid she is not aggressive in any way.

Thanks in advance

Andrea [color:"red"] [/color]

I'm on days off Denise so will go for a drive in the area tomorrow (later today) to see if I can spot her.

I did the drive by yesterday afternoon around the area and the park, the horse paddock.
However if anyone is in the area, can someone check the park on Oriel Ave ( that park opposite the school ) backs onto the park near Andrea and Ellerys house and links with a path.
Just a thought.
If she is in the area we will find her

Kate,Shels,Zeke and Jaggy

Thanks Richard. Much appreciated.

Thanks Kate. Yes we will find her. Poor thing must be so confused.

Well I saw her three times but couldn't get near her. Poor girl is a bit freaked out.

She was in the Manutewhau reserve off Jadewynn Place.
She appears to be in good condition from what I could see. Liz & Andrea joined me after a couple of phone calls and I got Classic Hits to announce it over the air, so heres hoping.

If I don't hear back from Andrea, I'll head out again in the morning and this time I'll take Abbey (and some gumboots!) with me. Hopefully seeing another GSD might calm her down a bit.

Take some food - she must be hungry by now! The food will be bring her close if nothing else will. At least you know she's okay at this stage. Keep us posted - poor Kayla!

Several of us were out until close on midnight last night. No success but she is there and was spotted a couple of times. Search resumes today.

Here's another photo of Kayla - her usual pose - scared and huddled in a corner. http://www.newzealandnz.co.nz/discussions/attachments/12034-Kayla.pdf

The poor darling. All the best everyone to rescue her. Sending out lots of positive vibes.

Hope you find her, I have phoned a couple of people I know who live in that area, (dog lovers and cops) and asked them to keep a watch out as well.
GOOD LUCK

Michelle (Sarge's mum)

Kayla was seen again about 6pm last night in the same area - Oriel Park. She's still there and okay albeit cold, scared and hungry. We searched until late last night again but had no luck.

Just to update you all. Last night we had a tracker dog out who picked up strongly on Kayla's scent. Luckily the blanket that she lay on in the car had not been washed so the tracker dog, rescue dog Rebel no less, knew exactly what he was looking for.
We found where she had been making nests and left some food in several places. Today we discovered the bone had gone from one of the nests but the food placed in the other places was still there.
Saturday, if she has not been found in the meantime, will see a large scale search during daylight hours. If any of you are in the area and want to come and help please do so. It is a large area and we need to flush her out. It will be close on a week without proper food for her and she needs to be caught.
Thanks to all who have been going down there and looking for her.

I don't get it - why is she so darn scared? More to the point, what is she scared of?

Poor girl....

I've contacted my friend who happen to live at Jadewynne to look out for a stray GSD.

Hope she comes out from her shell soon. I know what it's like being hungry and lonely.

She is so darn scared because that is how her previous human had made her. Just today I got a call to rehome a 4 year old GSD that has had no dog socialisation, no children interaction, no experience of living in a family home, but he is good at keeping people out of the yard because he barks all the time and that is why they can't take him to the 'nice' area they are shifting too so they want to get rid of him. I don't think they were too impressed when I pointed out that the dog has become a product of their environment and they are totally responsible for the way he is, They seem to think people will be beating the door down to give him a home. I will see how his assessment goes but when I put the boot on the other foot and said if they were looking for a German Shepherd and I offered him a dog with the qualities that they have given me would they be enthusiastic about giving him a home..... guess what the answer was. Why can't people see what they are doing to these lovely animals.

I have been following this link with interest and I feel sick to the stomach for this poor girl and wish I lived closer, to help you in your search tomorrow. Good luck you guys and, Denise, I hope that you can find Kayla the home that she so deserves.

Just a short update tonight.Suzanne,Sean,Liz and myself along with Lexi,Mara and Chloe were out tonight. Liz and Suzanne had been there before me and although they thought they heard a dog bark did not see Kayla. I left at about 5.45pm and we did not have a sighting.
Some children on their way home from basketball the night before said that they saw her.
There has been some tree chopping at the far end of the bridge that could have also scared Kayla into a new hiding place hence why we did not see her tonight. But I think that we all have that feeling that she is still in the area.
See you all tomorrow for operation Kayla.

Kate,Shels,Zeke and Jaggy

This is nothing compared to what some of the Asians do just to get the meat from a dog....they're plain sick....but that's another story.

Anyhow, please do find her.

I know everyone will be on the search already but I needed to wish you all the best. I too have been watching this link with interest and really wish that we could be there helping. I'm sure that with so many people looking out for her she will be brought home safe and sound.

Please let us know as soon as she is is returned, our thoughts are with you all.
Sandi

There were others out before me but I arrived at 1pm was there 4 hours with Denise and beautiful (deaf) Maia who was tracking for us, along with other helpers, human and canine. Maia definitely made a thorough search and definitely found a scent but still no Kayla. It's going to be really cold tonight so I hope she finds a warm dry place. I wish you'd let us find you Kayla!

Thank you everyone who came today, Melissa, Regan, John, Andrew, Sean, Suzanne, Janene, Lorna, Colleen, Kate, Lisa, Ellery, Andrea, Liz, Alison and myself searched the entire area, Maya tracked beautifully and thoroughly, we found a fresh area deep in the'jungle' where she had obviously holed up, complete with fresh doggie doo and some black & tan hair caught on the blackberry thorns. Maya kept going back to a particular spot and the food that had been left the night before had been taken. More was left and will be checked tomorrow. The reason we think she has gone further down is because council were in there Friday with chainsaws chopping down some trees. Maya did a big circuit of the park from one end and ended up going down Moire Rd into the park at the other side. No way did she want to cross the road and when taken over to do a cast of the area she just wanted to go back. The advantage of having a deaf dog track is that the dogs barking at her as she went passed their houses did not disturbed her. She did 1.5 hours on the first search, no way was she wanting to give up, I took her back for water and rest and she did another 45 minutes or so in the new area. 140 more pamphlets were dropped in neighbouring letterboxes and people spoken too. There is hardly anyone in that area not aware there is a missing dog with a great deal of people anxious about her whereabouts.

Oh no, I was praying that she would be found today; how frustrating. That Maya sounds like a real trooper!

What an afternoon, Hopefully we are getting closer to Kayla, the good thing is that the food that we are leaving for her is being eaten & the chances are she is the one eating it. Thanks to Sean & then little deaf dog Maya it looks like Kayla's new spot has been found. Maya was amazing today tracking Kayla's scent all over the park, she maybe deaf but she sure has a good nose on her & her concentration was excellent. Unfortunetly the rain came down quite hard around 4.30 & we had to call it quits for the day. Some more food was left for Kayla & there are lots of ppl watching out for sightings of her. If she only knew proper food & a warm bed was waiting for her.

Keep at it guys . . sorry I can't come back to give you a hand.

Poor Kayla she must be really scared. Keep up the good work guys. If we were in New Zealand and not the other side of the world then we would be there to help look.

Thoughts and best wishes are with you

Loz

I did a quick sweep this morning. I arrived at 7.40 thinking Kayla might appear while it was quiet - but she didn't. I walked around the streets and paths, then drove around for about an hour, talked to a few people - none of them had seen her. If anyone is out there today - I left 3 Chanmp dog biscuits at the base of the basketball hoop. I left about 9am.

I did a sweep and road areas today around midday to no avail. It was however quite cold and i expect she was holed up somewhere dry.
No sightings can only mean she is either not in the area or all the activity has her well and truly grounded.
Will keep looking.
Zoro did finds the stream and the mud fascinating as usual.
Thanks to all who have been helping,Swampthing!

Colleen has sent flyers to vet clinics in the area and also contacted out of area dog pounds. Flyers are being sent to local schools also.

Kayla was sighted by an Oriel Rd resident today. Kayla was sniffing the ground by the bus shelter and then went into the bush. The resident is quite confident it is our lost dog as she recognised her from the flyer in her letter box. Kate went down straight away, Sean went in later on. I will go down tomorrow after work with Maya and take the blanket we have that Kayla has used and put it in the dog trap that we have managed to get permission to have. Hopefully her own scent may draw her to the trap and she will be hungry enough to go inside for the food that will be in there.
At least we know she is still alive and well.
Ellery reports that the food that has been left where there has been evidence of her 'nest' has been taken. Again, hopefully by her and not another animal. For all we know we could be feeding the feral cats and rats if there are any present but we live in hope that she is getting the food.

Denise, have just sent a copy of the flyer to Henderson Station. Hopefully they will let everyone know at lineup tonite and for early shift tomorrow.

That is great Richard. We all know how close to the heart the GSD is to our boys in blue.

Please thank them for me.

I have contacted the following sent them all a copy of the notice which they are going to display)

Waitakere City Council (fwd to Animal Welfare Unit)
Massey Citizen's Advice Bureau
Animalz Vet Clinic (Te Atatu)
Greenbay Vet
Hobsonville Vet
Massey Animal Clinic
West Harbour Vet
Royal Road School
Colwill School
West Harbour School (Oriel Ave)
West Harbour Whizz Kids (Moire Road)

Send all your positive thoughts Kayla's way tonight please!

Colleen, you have done well. Thank you so much. I am shortly leaving work to go and get young Maya and we will have another sniff around. Liz is coming also as an extra pair of hands for WHEN we locate her.

Anyone heard from Sean as to whether the crate was a definite.

Hi, All work commitments kept me from collecting a cage today so i will try for tommorrow to get one and locate it down the bank near her hiding place.
I did a walk through last night with Zoro and we spooked a dog on the Oriel track up toward the motorway. I didnt see if it was her but the right size and colour.It ran back toward the Main reserve where we have been looking. The Fire service were exercising in the reserve and the Dog was last seen skirting the oriel park side around 9.30 last night.
UPDATE: Drive through today and walked the track and down behind Freslin lane. Movement in the blackberrys again. Will try to get cage in that area.
Sean.

Thanks Sean - 4 of us went there tonight left large box with her blanket in it in that spot you are referring to with a lamb shank in it and a trail of chicken necks. We were going to check it tomorrow to see if food has gone but if you are going out there to place a cage perhaps you could save us some time as I have class tomorrow and I was going to try and fit work, Kayla check and class in.

Goodness, is Kayla still on the run?

Yes she was last seen on Monday evening about 4pm in Oriel Ave. She's still in the area and still mobile so that's one good thing.
Forgot to add Rodney Council to my list of contacts. Kayla is now logged in their missing animals database.

Today's trip to our makeshift den for kayla was most rewarding. The very meaty lamb shank was found well chewed beside the box. If it been a local dog who found it one would assume they would grab and head for home but this was obviously chewed up in the area and was lying beside the box like it had been dropped in a bit of a hurry, it was quite clean, no ants over it or anything so a very recent munch had been had. The box had moved abit which you would expect if a dog had gone in their to get the bone. Chicken necks were all gone from the area also. I lucky enough to find my glove I lost in the dark the night before which was a bonus. More food has been left. Colleen and I both felt if we kept the food to one spot we would have more of a chance of keeping her in the area. Now she feels safe with going into the box with the food in we can set the dog trap.

Any update?

Unfortunately i have been called away for work in the Queenstown area till Monday. Craig 0276860046 may be able to help get the dog crate with his ute . The dog cathcer guys said anytime during work hours.
I have a good feeling shes still there ,I apologise for heavy work commitments.
Zoro and sapphire having puppy time.
Also - next week to pick up Kaiser if all goes well.Claire is checking her out.
I am happy to Foster initally and see how she goes with the Mud crab!

Hi Richard

I went out yesterday lunchtime and the sandwiches and muffins we left in the makeshift den the night before were untouched (except by a fat ginger cat who was in the box when I got there!). While a cat won't eat bread and baked goods a dog will. The reamins of the bone from the night before were still there but I left a large cannon bone yesterday - too big for a cat to drag away! Don't know now - I just don't know.

Ill be doing some more letterbox drops in surrounding streets starting tonight and Denise now has some laminated posters that will be put up. If she were wandering Id be suprised as animal control have not been notified.

It just amazes me how elusive she is. Time is going by so I hope she is sighted again soon. She's a bit of a worry, thats for sure!

Very exciting news in that Kayla was sighted today by school children doing their cross country around 11am in the area where we have been leaving food. They recognised our rescue squad doing their daily surveillence and told them they had seen her and where. Apparently they carry the poster around in their pocket so they can call if they manage to catch her. This is very reassuring. We are now leaving food just in the one place to keep her to one area and give her a reason to come back if she ever gets spooked. The bone had been removed again from the box so she is comfortably going in and out. Now for the dog cage.

Got my hopes up today when I went to check and on the path to the box Lexi just took off running at pace! I found her further along the track with one very annoyed puddy tat up the tree.

That big ginger boy I bet!

So has she been found yet?

No not yet K9 Loyal - but she was seen Friday morning around 11 in the general area. We're planning on replacing the cardboard box with a cage/trap sometime this week so hopefully we'll have good news very soon.

The dog crate will be available tomorrow. Waitakere Animal Control are making an exception to us due to the concerted effort we are putting in. Thank you SOOO much Waitakere Animal control.

Kayla's story is being run in this week's edition of "The Aucklander" due in West Auckland letter boxes tomorrow night/Wednesday morning. Thank you Kylie Munro and the staff at the Aucklander for your concern and for running this story for us. The more people who are aware in that area the better.

I really hope the dog crate works and you manage to get kayla home safe and well.

Thoughts and wishes are with You all.

Loz xx

Hi all

Is there any more news on Kayla?

Loz xx

We are maintaining our vigil with checking the box and leaving food. Animal control have not yet dropped off the dog cage like they said, probably due to staff unavailablity, but we have managed to get an old one from another source that needs a few minor repairs and this is being done now. We can not put it in until the weekend anyway because of the early darkness at the moment and not enough time to complete the mission after work hours. A couple of people have have phoned re the newspaper article but one had different type of tag and the other was just a sighting of a dog similar in description but way out of the area.

Kayla could be out of the area (even a long way out of the area) now though Denise so don't discount anything right now - any lead is better than nothing I would think!

Has anyone searched the bushline of the Tihema stream? It leads past the end of Holmes drive and up to the motorway, and from there it is easy to walk alongside the motorway.

I forgot to mention I am a local to this reserve and have grown up here and I know the manutewhau bush area and all of it's streams from back to front, and this includes Moire park. Another thing I wanted to know is, would she be likely to follow any roads to somewhere or would she keep to the bush corridors? Because if she does keep to the corridors she could have gone to somewhere like St Magarets Park,the Tihema stream, and there is a stream that leads up past the old lendich site to Holmes drive south where there is a few places to hide in that swampy piece of bush.

Hi Jamee
I walked the path that starts in Manutewhau park at the playground end early Sunday morning about 2 wks ago. There's a small foot bridge across the stream and then a few stairs which will either take you right - further into bushed area or left towards Oriel Ave. There's an offshoot hard left of that path that runs along between the bush and the back of houses and comes out on Holmes Drive (so I discovered). I haven't met Kayla personally but given that she's a very timid girl I would guess she'd try to stay covered. She'd only been in the area one night so won't know her way around there. Not likely she would be following any specific road with any purpose I don't think. Local knowledge is always very useful though and well worth knowing these details. A scared dog moving quickly can cover a lot of ground.

Tonight I will be doing a thorough search of the bush corridor starting from St Margarets Park at the Fitzherbert Ave end and will be making my way down to Oriel Ave through the reserve. From there I will be following the manutewhau stream all the way to Moire Road. I will be laying a piece of meat and biscuits some where at the Holmes Drive end and will be using a LED torch. Maybe I'll bump into some others looking. I'll be leaving around 6-6:30.

Where abouts is the box situated. I came up from the stream to the playground but didn't see a box.

If you were to walk up from the Manutewhau playground from Jade Wynn and turn left into Fresil Lane to the end before the street turns, there's a brick and tile(I think) house at the end, no fences and it backs onto stream - might be easier to call me (09 478 2574) or Denise

Cage is in place and when checked this morning we had a nice fat ginger cat - hopefully that will teach it now to go into stray houses. The afternoon check showed the cage had not been tripped.

Unsure whether she has left this spot but as it was one she kept coming back to we will try it there for a few days or until another sighting.

It is now 3 weeks since she went missing and not one day has gone by without someone going into the area looking for her.

I cannot thank all those involved enough for putting the effort into help this lost little soul.

I just hope that our endeavours pay off and she will eventually be found.

When was she actually last seen?

Friday a week ago - 10 days since our last sighting

I am going to do a search along the stream behind the old lendich site and behind the land earmarked for subdividing and work my way up through the swampy bit to holmes drive south.

I am wondering if she has gone to Moire bush and maybe she has been seen at some stage by someone but that person has just thought nothing of it becasue they aren't aware that she is a missing dog, or that they think she has already been found.

Viva radio station kindly informed people this morning of her missing. (Thanks to Kate for contacting them) Hopefully the people in Moire Rd saw the newspaper article.

Really appreciate your help Jamee.

There was no sign of activity at the cage this morning. Even the cat wasn't there.

Was checked 3 times yesterday at varying intervals.

I have spoken to a lady this evening regarding a possible visit from Kayla. This lady lives in Sylvan Cres Te Atatu backing onto Central Park. On friday night she had a visit from a dog with what looks like it was looking for food. There were large muddy footprints & muddy marks made by a long feathered tail. Even though she didn't see the dog she thought just incase it was Kayla she would let us know. This person has lived there for a long time & has never had a dog come into her backyard before & there aren't any stray dogs in her street. She told me she would leave food out, the back gate open & even the garage door open with the hopes that the dog will come back & so we are able to rule out whether or not it is Kayla. Even though Central Park is in Te Atatu, the creek & mudflaps run from Moire Park, Royal Road right through to Central Park. I was told that at low tide you are able to walk a fair way in the mudflaps. This may or may not be our little escaped artist Kayla but if you live in this area please keep your eyes peeled.

Waitakere have now dropped off the dog cage to us so if there is another suggestion that a dog has visited this lady again we will put the 2nd cage there with her permission. Council won't have a problem with that as it will then be on private property.

I'm praying this whole saga will be like the "Escapee Otter" saga, with just as happy an ending! Think how far afield "Gin" (whichever otter it really was!) got, but they still managed to get "her" (him?) back! I wish I lived closer, to be of more help physically - but I do know God answers prayers for animals - He's answered heaps of mine!!

This is just so awful, poor Kayla, I've been watching this page every day in the hope there'll be the 'we've got her'on the page. She's in my thoughts every time I look at mine. Come on Kayla, show yourself, someone's waiting for you.

Kathy.

She's not found yet? Where is she now....

Well I did a search behind the old lendich site, looking in all the old sheds and containers, but to no avail. I alson looked down towards the stream and onto Ruze Vida Drive but no luck there either. I'd say she has moved into moire bush and could be hiding away anywhere in there with no food. I can't really see that she would have gone any further in that direction because it is all housing once you reach Allington road or West Harbour Drive over the walkbridge. There is no actual piece of bush that adjoins the park unless you go along the narrow unpathed esplanade reserves that follow the creek, e.g. Realm esplanade.

Jamee

Realm is very close to me and I have been down there a couple of times, bearing in mind what you said and there has been no sign down that way either. The only thing that bothers me about there is the tides and also how boggy the mangroves and the mud are.Not a good place to be trapped.


Kate,Shels,Zeke and Jaggy

Hasn't she been found yet??

No K9Loyal - we don't know where she is now. We just have to hope someone has taken pity on her and called her their own and is giving her all she deserves plus some, or that she turns up in a pound, in which case Denise will be notified. Sad eh?

Oh gosh, first Steve Irwin, and now Kayla still hasn't been found yet....what's happening to the animals??

Peter Brock (racing driver) sadly also met his end tonight in a freak accident.