Wichita Eagle Logo

The frustration of a missing dog | The Wichita Eagle

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Eagle+ Sign In
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services
    • About Us

    • News
    • Crime & Courts
    • Local
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Lottery
    • Nation & World
    • Politics
    • Special Projects
    • Weather
    • Weird News
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Finger on the Weather
    • Prairie Politics
    • Sports
    • Wichita State
    • Varsity Kansas
    • Chiefs
    • K-State
    • Kansas
    • Outdoors
    • Royals
    • State Colleges
    • Wingnuts
    • NBC baseball
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Bob Lutz
    • Jayhawk Dispatch
    • K-Stated
    • Lutz Blog
    • Michael Pearce
    • Shockwaves
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Aviation
    • Banking
    • Health Care
    • Small Business
    • Forward Wichita
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Air Capital Insider
    • Business Casual
    • Business Perspectives
    • Carrie Rengers
    • Living
    • Celebrations
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Suzanne Tobias
    • Entertainment
    • The Arts
    • Books
    • Celebrities
    • Comics
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Horoscopes
    • Restaurants
    • Events
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Dining with Denise
    • Movie Maniac
    • Keeper of the Plans
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters
    • Opinion Columns
    • Submit a Letter
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Richard Crowson
    • Kirk Seminoff's Pivot Point
  • Obituaries

    • Classifieds
    • Auctions/Estate Sales
    • Garage Sales
    • Jobs
    • Legal Notices
    • Merchandise
    • Pets
    • Service Directory
    • Place An Ad
    • Merchandise
    • Jobs
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Apartments
    • Other Categories
    • Classified Support Center
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Mobile & Apps

News Columns & Blogs

The frustration of a missing dog

Michael Pearce

    ORDER REPRINT →

March 09, 2010 06:42 AM

Birdie, a black and white English setter, is missing – and it’s tearing at John Best’s heart.

She’s not even his dog.

“She’s a very much -loved family pet as well as a good hunting dog,” Best said in a Monday phone conversation. “Her owners are very dear friends. She probably hunted with me more than them but even if  it wasn’t a good hunting dog I’d be doing all I could to help find her.”

And that’s pretty difficult since Birdie is lost about six hours from his St. Louis home.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Wichita Eagle

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Best, Jim Petersen – Birdie’s owner – and two friends were heading back to St. Louis from an Oklahoma quail hunt when they spent the night at a Wichita motel near I-135 and the turnpike.

The next morning, Jan. 17, one of the other friends opened a kennel door and Birdie and another setter owned by Petersen were off and running. A few hours later a Wichitan spotted the male and called the phone number on its collar. Best said they saw no signs of Birdie despite about six hours of hard searching.

One of the hunters spent that night at the motel in case Birdie returned to the scene of the escape. Maggie Petersen, Jim’s wife, has twice traveled from St. Louis to Wichita to search for Birdie, check animal shelters, post fliers and talk with locals.

She talked with someone who’d seen Birdie about a week after her escape. They’ve heard nothing since. Not knowing, Best said, is much of the problem.

He said Birdie was wearing a collar with ID information and implanted with an ID chip. If the dog was hit by a car Best figures someone would have called to let them know. Though he admits the odds are long he hopes somebody has simply adopted the sweet-tempered dog, figuring she was dumped. He’s hoping they find out she’s a beloved dog and contact Best or  Petersen.

Best said he worries about the dog but also knows the pain his good friend, Petersen, is suffering. He also fears what impact current sadness  could have on the friendship the four hunters have shared for several decades.

“It’s not only the loss of a very good dog,” he said. “this may well have altered a 30 year friendship. It’s pretty sad.”

Best is hoping people reading this share the information with others. Anyone with any information on Birdie can call John Best at 314-368-8429. Jim Petersen can be reached at 314-249-9353.

  Comments  

Videos

Last remaining speaker of the Wichita language dies at 89

VIDEO: Speaking the language

View More Video

Trending Stories

Here are the musical acts that will be playing at Riverfest 2019

February 20, 2019 12:49 PM

K-State football coach Chris Klieman makes first Wichita public appearance

February 20, 2019 01:51 PM

Girl Scout put shirtless Jason Momoa on these Samoas and created a hot cookie demand

February 20, 2019 10:33 AM

Rollercoaster going up: Shockers’ season turns with three-point barrage in Tulsa road win

February 20, 2019 10:12 PM

Want to ride on restored B-29 ‘Doc’? Tickets for 2019’s first flights on sale now

February 20, 2019 04:04 PM

Read Next

KU's next NCAA opponent will have a priest on its bench. Meet Father John.

Mens Basketball

KU's next NCAA opponent will have a priest on its bench. Meet Father John.

By Dion Lefler

    ORDER REPRINT →

March 16, 2018 02:36 PM

Meet Father John Dennehy, the university and athletic team chaplain at Seton Hall, who will be on the bench Saturday when the team faces the Kansas Jayhawks.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Wichita Eagle

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE NEWS COLUMNS & BLOGS

Beatles love conquers 3 generations and counting

News Columns & Blogs

Beatles love conquers 3 generations and counting

July 13, 2017 06:45 PM
We’re not just Kansans, not just Americans

News Columns & Blogs

We’re not just Kansans, not just Americans

July 04, 2017 07:22 AM
Swimming with penguins in Kansas? Yeah, I did that.

News Columns & Blogs

Swimming with penguins in Kansas? Yeah, I did that.

July 03, 2017 01:55 PM
By the numbers: Bill Self’s Hall of Fame coaching career

The Story of Kansas

By the numbers: Bill Self’s Hall of Fame coaching career

April 01, 2017 12:32 PM
Tips for thwarting cybercrime

Crime & Courts

Tips for thwarting cybercrime

September 23, 2016 12:58 PM
BBB: Beware unscrupulous home security system pitches

News Columns & Blogs

BBB: Beware unscrupulous home security system pitches

June 03, 2016 08:56 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Information
  • Digital Advertising
  • Rates
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story