Miel, meaning honey in English, our beautiful Spanish Import came to us at 8 weeks old hand-carried from Spain. She quickly grew within the ranks of the US Shows capturing numerous Best In Shows, including the defeat of an adult Spanish Water Dog who is claimed to have the most titles in the World from the puppy classes.

Bred to another Import she had gorgeous puppies however her last breeding was a c-section. Not wanting to see her in pain again we opted to spay her and after much heart-searching decided she deserved her "forever home".

If asked to describe Miel, it would be hard for us to put this all in words, she adhered to the standards, great movement, temperament, scaled 6 foot fences from a standstill, loved the water and had a love of life beyond words. So, in placing Miel - it was a hard decision, however the decision reached not to advertise her placement but by word of mouth.

Several months of corresponding by phone and email with a couple in Vermont seemed to be the dream home for Miel. She would be living on a lake, kayaking, hiking and their relative owns a Miel son - a dream come true… which turned into a nightmare 6 days later!

Miel left for her new home with leash, collar, toys, crate, food and instructions so her transition into her new home would be incorporated as easily as possible. Six days later, an irresponsible babysitter did not secure Miel after a walk, nor the door and Miel bolted from the home. She was chased 2 miles down the road in a car as well as well-wishing neighbors also chased her by foot. Her adoptive family came home to search for Miel but to no avail. Local police and Home Again was alerted. This was Halloween (appropriate as this is when the nightmare began). Her adoptive family made a missing dog poster and posted locally.

Over the next few days, Miel was sited locally, however was very evasive and had no trust or bond with anyone in that locale. Much networking was done - message boards as well as SWD owners assisting in spreading the word on missing Miel. We kept constant contact with the adopters in Vermont.

On November 11, a plea was sent to our members on our message board placed on searching for volunteers to contact police departments, animal shelters as well as animal control with contact number and flyers. Almost immediately three members stepped up to the plate, Allison Lowe, Katharine Mallin and Linda Cook all rose to the occasion and worked diligently to contact with a 25 mile radius as many towns as possible to alert them of our missing Miel. The same members spoke to Game Wardens, hunters, as well as assistance from independent Spanish Water Dog Owners such as Olesia Kennedy from the SWD Working Boards.

Michelle Christman of the Dogo Argentino Club of America was contacted who further donated her time to professionally design a new updated flyer of Miel to be sent to surrounding towns.

Linda Scheele advised setting up a humane trap as those animals lost at times go into survival mode and as Miel as ever elusive, (each time disappearing into the woods when sighted). Much pleading, including speaking with the family member who had the Miel son finally convinced the adoptive family was to set-up a humane trap. Time was lost here as it turns out as it took 5 days to convince this family to set up the humane trap, which in this 5 day period Miel was sighted in this area. It also took us 5 days to get to Vermont due to a family emergency - the day we went to Vermont was the day that Miel left the area. According to this family, they felt the trap would be inhumane - it was explained again and again as well as other members pleading that Miel is crate-trained and NOT to rip up the t-shirt we sent them into many pieces and leave our scent in various places as this would only tend to confuse her.

On November 8th: We finally arrive in Vermont and spent the day searching for Miel - unfortunately today is opening day for deer season for juvenile hunters. The woods were full of gunshots. There were no sightings of Miel nor were there to be any other sightings of Miel until the following Thursday. We searched by flashlight on our arrival Friday evening 12am-2am, Saturday 6:30AM-5:30PM and Sunday 6:30am - 1am, handed some flyers, walked 10 miles and kept rechecking the trap that was set.

Days go by with no further words and we fear the worst. Our "rescue" network is looking into trapper so if she is sighted we will hire to set traps as well as seeking local professionals who could possibly tranquilizer her to save her life. We are not on a time constraint, hunting season is full-fledged and the snows are coming.

On November 11th a good sighting! The caller saw the flier posted by the Norwich Dog Park and realized it was Miel. Miel looks to be in good condition - the woman told Linda that Miel must be finding nourishment since she was moving with good energy. She did pull over and try to call Miel to her, but Miel turned around and headed back toward Norwich, so Miel is still in the area. In a controlled effort the following were contacted and sent flyers: Woodstock PD, Springfield VT Humane Society, Windsor VT PD, Windsor Humane Society, Thetford VT PD, Upper Valley Humane Society, Dartmouth University Safety and Security Department, Hanover PD, River Road Vet Clinic, Stonecliff Animal Clinic, Hanover Vet, Ranch at Etna Rd, Sullivan Humane Society, Veremedy Pet Hospital, Run Dog Run, Watson Upper Valley Dog Park, Claremont PD, Claremont Animal Control, Sharon VT & White River PD

On November 16th MIEL WAS RECOVERED! The following is the message which went out upon our return to all who assisted in Miel's recovery - which is a MIRACLE. How does one find one small Spanish Water Dogs in the midst of thousands and thousands of acres of woods in hunting season with the season about to hit below zero? This special club and members made this possible as we could not have brought her home if it was not a joint effort! Thank you all for your efforts in finding Miel! Special thanks must go out to Linda C., Allison and Katharine, Dede and Sherri for contacting all the Police Departments, Animal Control as well as shelters within a 40 mile radius, without these contacts the chain of events this weekend would not have transpired.

Miel was on Friday at a senior citizen's retirement community for 12 hours Friday, it was not until the Patrolman went back to the Police Department that he saw the missing dog poster. The XXXX had posted missing dog photo's all over Norwich however it was the new fliers as Miel was missing since Halloween that the patrolman saw, calling us that she was at White River Junction. By the early morning hours she was not to be sighted so we started our search in another development 1/2 mile away. In the early morning hours Miel was sighted next to a barn - as we got out of the car, she ran.

Linda Scheele warned me that when a PWD did the same and was missing from a PWD specialty that the the PWD would not recall to the owners.

11am sighted again, she came face to face with me, glanced for 1/2 second (Jazz was with me) and she did another tailspin - this time into oncoming traffic on a busy road. I stepped out into the road and raised my hand and the car slowed. I must add that the Patrolman was quite taken with our situation and gave me his cell number, kept in contact, told me he is on a 12 hour shift and said he also would be looking for Miel.

Our dilemna, depression and all hit us as Miel was in survivor mode and did not recall or recognize us. we called our patrolman friend and asked if the animal control had a have-a-heart trap - he did not and off on weekends. Meanwhile Linda C as well as Allison who kept in constant contact with me, who bleed and cried with me were busy networking to find the traps. For some reason (2 hours of sleep in two days will do this to me) I forgot that XXX still had the trap set up in Norwich, a quick phone call and a conversation with the farmer and the farmer agreed to have the trap set up overnight as well as XXXX was on her way down with the trap and met us at the farmer. XXXX went through a quick lesson with Dale, (my brother Dale and my son Dustin who was very ill this weekend but would not stay home) and Dale set up the trap (we were loaded with stinky kiebalsa and pork roll). We continued again on our search - Allison called to let us know to touch base with Amy from White River Rescue. We worked it out that in the am the trap would be moved to the farm across the street as this farm belonged to a relative of Amy's and remain there until another sighting with permission from Jenny as Jenny rented the trap. (Amy will be joining our board).

We searched again, at the end of the 10 hour day, we were pulled over (it was only our Patrolman friend) who said the next he saw Miel as he does 5 miles a day and from our decription to him as well as his meeting with her that he would run her down, Miel at this point ran favoring her left front leg, lead down and obviously tired(she would only allow him to be within 50 feet of him). He was taking this personally as well as enthralled with the SWD. He will be speaking to his Chef about obtaining a SWD for search and rescue for his Police Department and LIJA will be donating this SWD - we will put him in touch with Olesia's Working Board and for guidance.

This morning after 15 days missing - we procrastinated at the hotel and left at 8am as we were meeting Amy at 9am to move the trap across the street as depression had hit us - afterall she had never been sighted in the same place twice and we knew she would have to be trapped or tranquilized, she looked to us as she returned to the wild. We had always left at 6:30am. As I was on the phone with Linda C we pulled into the farm and lo and behold a form in the trap. As she stood we saw - it was the ever evasive Miel who never was sighted in the same spot twice! We approached and she still did not recognize us - Dale stuck his finger into his cage (I was too busy bawling like a baby - the first time I had ever cried tears of joy), Miel went berserk and turned into our "puppy Miel", she recognized us and could not get into the car fast enough.

Checked back into the hotel, washed her (Dale left a $30 tip for room service), the tub turned black and we could not clip her due to loose skin from weight loss. Our patrolman friend stopped by and I asked Miel to go say hello and she moved to him quickly wagging her tail, his response of course that this is not the same dog he saw! He is definitely hooked on our breed! Jenny and Campbell stopped by - Campbell mentioning that he could not believe our perseverence (as a whole, all who helped) and our networking - it was our networking that made the call as the Hartford PD recognized her from the flyer!

Miel: Rash on chest, naturally defensive of her food with any of our dogs - will only tolerate Chuka and Jazzy, two ticks were pulled from her - one in a baggy which will be taken to my vet tommorrow and she has had an altercation with either a domestic or coyote as she has bite woulds on her head, neck, chest, ear and near her eye. Weight 28 pounds.

I want to thank everyone for their phone calls, thoughts and prayers. To Allison, Linda C words cannot express, our Patrolman (who I promised to adopted his grandchildren if he found Miel for us). You all are utterly amazing!

Thank-you all! Miel is happy to be home, carries her bone (as she did before) and well!

Spanish Water Dog Club of America
Spanish Water Dog Society
Laurie Wessely, Rare Breed Network
American Rare Breed Association
Olesia Kennedy
Michelle Christman
Daniel Goldberg