On December 22nd, 2021, I received a message from a woman named Alicia, who was concerned about a dog named Frankie running around her neighborhood. Mind you, this was not her dog. In fact, this dog did not have an owner, but was a rescue in transport from Texas. It was freezing out, and she said that Frankie reminded her of her other dog Walter, and that she felt compelled to help him in any way she could. The rescue at the time was not available to hang fliers or do anything on the ground themselves, as they were located outside of the city. Alicia reached out to them, and they reached out to me for help. After Alicia got back from visiting her family for Christmas, she agreed to help me hang some new posters I had made for Frankie around the Point of Escape.  

The neighborhood was Greenpoint. Lot of industrial lots and buildings under construction. What made this case difficult was that Frankie was not just lost, he was displaced, and I am sure was in shock with the temperature drop from Texas. I knew this little guy needed a lot of help, and Alicia and I set out to do as much as we could for him from the very beginning. 

At first, it took a little convincing the rescue organization that Frankie was not with anyone, as they were convinced someone had him. I explained that he was xenophobic and was running around in a panicked state. They explained how they never got a note suggesting he was skittish from the person who fostered him in Texas. They simply thought he was playing. Eventually, they understood the severity of the situation after we had a couple of sightings of him around Williamsburg. On New Year's Eve, Alicia and I covered as much of the neighborhood as we could with large posters. The image to the right shows the map of how many posters we did. We stayed out for a few hours, hoping that this would get us a sighting. I placed trail cameras around the areas where I suspected he might be. But Frankie did not show up.   

On January 13th, we received another sighting at the very end of Greenpoint by the industrial areas. I set cameras there and for five nights we waited to see if anything came in. We had one evening where we were told a small dark colored dog was seen running into the truck lots. Which made sense since it was so cold out. Usually, small dogs will crawl up near the engine for warmth. We placed cameras around that area as well and hung some more posters. Still nothing. It had been a few weeks at this point, and we were getting overly concerned as the temperatures were about to drop to a new low.   

On January 23rd, I received a message from a man on a tugboat! He did not usually come to Brooklyn but had to take the boat over from New Jersey the last few nights due to some accidental spill at his job. From the boat, he kept seeing a small dog in a recycling plant. It was a desolate area, close to where we had been searching for him. It was freezing out. We were concerned he would not have survived the temperatures dropping to six degrees, but he did. The man said he happened to see an older poster of him in front of the building where he worked. Alicia and I grabbed the gear and left. We arrived there at 4:30 to set up the trap.  

As we quietly walked into the area, we were amazed at how the place was a massive construction site on the water surrounded by tons of recycling. Alicia also noticed that a small, shed door was slightly ajar. I could only imagine how cold he would be if that was his only source of warmth. We set the trap right across from that spot. I was concerned the cameras would not work in such freezing weather. We went back to the car to await his arrival. It did not take long for Frankie to show. He walked right into the trap, and we had him within a half hour of getting things set up. This is the video of us first coming up to Frankie after he had been trapped. 

We kept Frankie inside the trap and lifted him into the car. We were instructed by the rescue to drive Frankie to a foster’s house, instead of the 24-hour veterinarian hospital. They said they would get him checked out in the morning. Usually, when I trap pets, I take them to a 24-hour vet as the first stop. Being so invested in this dog’s life, Alicia decided to take him to the local 24-hour vet herself and take care of him for the night. We pulled up, took him out of the car and wheeled the trap into the back room. The looks on the people’s faces as we passed by the lobby. Frankie was in rough shape. Thankfully, he was not sick, but he looked malnourished and exhausted. Alicia spent several hours waiting for him to get the okay to come home, and when she did, she gave him a fresh bath. This was going to be his first night inside a warm bed, and I am sure he was okay with that.  

The following day Alicia officially filled out the application to adopt Frankie. How fitting. The woman who contacts me concerned about a dog that she feels connected to, and then helps save him, is the same person who will give him a forever home. Frankie has since been welcomed into the home by Alicia’s other dogs, Walter, and Shadow. Frankie's case has taught me how resilient dogs can be when they are out on their own. This is what I like to remind myself of when I start to feel tired and uncomfortable when tracking. If it is raining or snowing, I always remind myself that these dogs are out there with nothing. Then I stop complaining. It also shows how some pets are destined to be in our lives, and that this is the reason Alicia just could not turn away from Frankie.  

Frankie has turned his life around!