We have lost a Giant Schnauzer as a result on an auto accident on Sunday night, 1-21-07. Story follows Covenant Transport information.

We have had a report that Hope was seen at a Texaco truck stop in Buchanan VA on Monday at Exit 162 Northbound on I-81. We were told that a woman truck driver working for Covenant Transport was trying to get Hope. She may have been successful in getting Hope to go with her . It is possible the truck had a NY plate. The woman said she was heading North. We are trying to follow up on this. Reaching this woman could be crucial to finding Hope. We have had TV coverage on the loss of this dog. We are notifying them of this siting of the Covenant Transport driver so they may update their story and possibly reach this woman also. It has been difficult dealing with Covenant Transport trying to find this driver. I realize at this point that we have very little information on this woman other than another driver talking to her and seeing her try to get Hope.

If you have seen this woman with a large black dog, please contact me. We would like to know if she has Hope.
Any assistance/advice you might be able to give us would be greatly appreciated. We are all devastated, and working very hard to find Hope.

Thank you
Barbara Crisafulli
718 596 5525.

This is Barbara Crisafulli. I volunteer with HT-Z Giant Schnauzer and am located in Brooklyn, NY. I am writing to you about a Roanoke resident, Jean Engle, who adopted one of our dogs from me and was returning home to Roanoke on Sunday, January 21, 2007. On her way home, Jean was involved in an automobile accident on I-81 South, mile marker 162.7, about 20 miles north of Roanoke, VA. The roads were very icy, the car crashed and Hope, the Giant Schnauzer escaped through a rear door that flew open. It was dark, Hope is all black, and despite efforts to find her, she has not been found. Hope is very friendly, probably very frightened. She is approximately 1.5-2 yrs old, 75 pounds, recently groomed. She has cropped ears (left ear is down, right is standing sometimes) and a docked tail. Not being from the Roanoke, Virginia area she might be skittish and disoriented. She is micro-chipped, has a rabies tag with the animal hospital phone number on it and a NYS license on her collar. The collar is a multicolor blue.

Jean, who is 79 yrs old, has been looking for the dog since Sunday, returning to the scene of the accident and canvasing the area asking about Hope. Jean is alone in this effort. To add insult to injury, Jean's personal belongings as well as wallet, checkbook, etc., where stolen from her crashed vehicle. Her priority is finding Hope. Jean has not even been to a doctor herself, having suffered the impact of the air bag on crashing. She is quite sore, but continues her search alone.

UPDATE: We have received information from a TA truck stop at Exit 150 on I-81 that the following Covenant Transport trucks were there at the following times. If anyone knows any of these trucks, or can get in touch with them we would appreciate it. Truck is believed to have NY plates, woman driver, heading north.

10711 3:15 am
11656 6:22am
10608V 8:12 am
23643 10:21 am

Also, another trucker talking to this woman at exit 162 on I-81, where the dog was sited, said that she mentioned that she was 1hr. behind in her delivery. Don't know if this means anything, just putting it out there!

Hope the Giant schnauzer that went missing on January21st after a car accident was returned home yesterday afternoon.
She was taken by the woman working for Covenant Transport. below is a brief verson of the tale. Iwanted to share this with all of you as I know the truckers I did meet that one day a week after the dog went missing were so kind and truly cared.
Thanks to all that assisted in the recovery of Hope!!

HI All,
It was truely a happy ending. It started on Jan 21, 2006 with an 80
yr old woman Jean Engle heading home with her new adpoted rescue
Hope On I81 south bound in a horrilbe storm a passing vehicle threw
up a ton of ice and snow onto Jeans windshield causing her to hit the
guard rail and crash her car.. the dog was ejected from the vehicle. She
lost her dog and found out the next day that everything in her car
had been stolen ... including her purse.
A female trucker from Covenant Transport picked up the dog and
traveled with Hope to TX. During all this the trucker was informed
by her company that she must contact the rescuer [Barbara C.] while
still on the road in TX. She refused and one thing led to another &
she
got fired. The trucker was told no questions asked, she'd even get a
reward. Still took dog home w/her. The police got involved, tons of
flyers were sent out via the internet and a posting went out to the
*craiglist.com*, the "Truckers Forum"along with many flyers.
Craiglist was the key! A frequent reader and poster
made a connection to a someone in Orange county. The dog was spotted
by
a woman in FLA. ( the truck driver headed to her FLA home from TX
after
being fired ). The internet is such a powerful tool!
2 ladies ID'd the dog, the police were called with Animal Control to
the truck driver's home . The fact that Hope was micro chipped was so
important!!! This is how AC identified the dog.
Hope spent one night at the AC shelter while the owner and Rescue
contacts were notified. A kind Giant owner heading up to
Westminister Dog show picked Hope up and departed from FLA on Wednesday.
I picked up Hope on route 95N at the NC/VA border and brought Hope
back to Roanoke VA yesterday afternoon. It was something to see the
owners face and how wiggly Hope got when she saw her.
There is more probably but this all I know at the moment.
It was heartwarming Hope wagged her tail and kept a happy attitude
throughout the whole ordeal.
Michelle

Good to hear that it all worked out. My parents have a rescue Chocolate Lab, going on about 3 years now. Those rescued dogs form a very tight emotional bond with their new owners. I can imagine Hope was just as happy as her owner was.