Remembering Deja
Deja was (is) the most personable pet I have ever experienced. Always wanting to be held or sitting on your lap. If you were sitting on the sofa and didn't let her on your lap, she would climb on the back of the sofa and rest her head on your shoulder. Kissing and licking and always in high spirits, Deja loved everyone, and she made sure with her personality that everyone would fall in love with her!
Deja came into our home in April 1997.
She was taken from us in August 14, 1998.
To make matters worse, back in May of 1998, I took every picture I had of Deja (along with pictures of Kizmet and Golias) to a graphic company who would possibly use some of them in their advertising.
Well not only did they not use the pictures, they lost them!
So the picture you see above is the only one we have left of her. (It's the one we put on posters all over our neighborhood.)
We were able to retrace exactly what happened the day Deja disappeared. It was Friday, August 14, 1998 at approximately 6:15 pm Eastern Time. Through an unfortunate chain of events, Deja was allowed to get from the main part of the house (where we keep all our pets) to the basement and into the garage where I was working and had the door wide open.
She wandered up the driveway and followed a couple walking to the corner store (remember - Deja loved everyone and would go with anyone). She followed the couple into the store where of course she became the center of attention. (This store is about 100 feet from our home around the corner).
No one in the store new who owned her (she had just had a bath that day so she wasn't wearing her collar with ID) and a lovely lady picked her up and told the store owner if anyone came looking for the dog that she would have it in her front yard down the block. (In less than 7 minutes, Deja was in someone else's house.)
Later that evening (about 8:30 pm) a man by the name of Emilio F. brought Deja back to the store and told the owner that his landlord would not let him keep Deja and that he was going to take it to the shelter. He left his name and tel # should the owner come by.
Meanwhile, we realized Deja was missing at about 7:00 pm and started searching. First tearing the house apart thinking she might be sleeping (under a bed or in a closet), then we started going through the neighborhood. We started looking in the direction that we usually walk her (which is opposite of the stores). Before we knew it, it was dark and felt we had to accept the fact that she was gone.
The next morning at about 9:00 am our neighbor came to us and told us that Mario, the store owner, saw the dog so I ran to the store. He grabbed the tel number of Emilio, the man who had the dog, and we called him. Emilio told me that he took Deja to the Animal Care Center in NYC and gave me the address. I thanked him and Mario, then got into the car heading for the Animal Care Center.
When we arrived, we were told that no one brought in a dog of Deja's breed or description. We did not believe them but they allowed us to walk throughout the facility to look at ever animal they had. (They hold animals at least 48 hours before releasing and it was only 12 hours since she was supposedly brought in.) Deja was not there. They then asked if we had the receipt number for when the dog was dropped off. I immediately called Emilio to get the number. He claimed to have lost the receipt.
I'm starting to ramble so let me conclude. Emilio fabricated this story (he did not know the center gives receipts). He more likely knew someone desiring a Yorkie and sold it to them. (Yorkies in New York are very expensive.) The police could not offer any assistance. I was prepared to file suit against Emilio, but my wife would not let me.
Leads from friends and neighbors responding to our posters, not to mention the prank calls, brought to us a continuing flow of false hope, which became torturous.
So we have decided to accept the fact that she is gone and just pray that the people who have her are kind, caring and loving.
I (WE) MISS HER SO MUCH! (And deep down, will always hope she comes back home.)
"Our Pet House" -- created by Gil Sanchez