Category Archives: Essays
East Sacramento Social Media and Kindness Help Neighbors
When hard-luck hit Jillian Cormier’s little dog Chole Facebook, the Mulvaneys and the great team at Mueller Pet Medical Center saved the 11 pound runaway.
I know that ESP is not a dog lost service, but I am continually amazed at the social and political consequences of social media. Thank all of you for continuing to read and support ESP.
Here’s the account from Jillian:
Our dog Chloe went missing from our backyard some time after 3pm on Tuesday 11/27. When my husband, Chris, and I returned home from work and found an empty house and no Chloe, we started searching in a frenzy. Chloe isn’t the runaway type…in the 7 1/2 years we’ve had her, she would stick around our property and maybe wander half a block down the alley sniffing at ivy for some vermin to catch. This being the case that she didn’t typically go far, she was currently nowhere to be found and it was already dark out at 6:30, we began to panic. We walked around the neighborhood squeaking her favorite toy and calling her name in an attempt to find her. Unfortunately Chloe was not wearing her tags which we had removed the night before for a good neck scratch and stupidly forgot to put back on her. The first thing I did after we circled the blocks surrounding us and asking folks on the street was to go home and put together a flyer. We put the flyer onto my facebook page and urged that everyone please repost in an effort to get the word out. We then printed copies and walked around the neighborhood knocking on doors, handing out flyers and finally posting them throughout our entire neighborhood of Elmhurst. We retired for the night at 11:45pm after finally stapling our last flyer to the last lamp post.
The next day, I was certain someone would call. I had it set in my head that a neighbor, while out on a walk, came across a wandering Chloe and seeing that she had no tags on, took her home to keep her safe from the approaching storm until her owners reclaimed her. Our phone didn’t ring once by 10am and I began to grow increasingly distraught. I looked outside to see the flyers we posted and, due to the heavy showers and strong winds from the night before, 80% were gone. I was looking over the dozens of comments on Facebook and saw a suggestion from a friend to try www.findtoto.com. This was a service that would call 250 of your neighbors (for a price) and share with them the details surrounding our missing pet. We signed up immediately and received a call or two but only from folks saying they would keep an eye out for her (rather than calling to say they had our little lady). Chris and I visited every shelter in the surrounding area, called down a list of vets provided by her microchip company and posted missing dog reports on every website we could think of. We even had Kinko’s print a 3’ X 4’ laminated poster which we stood out and held on the Elmhurst lawn during the hours people were driving home from work in an attempt to get the attention of whomever was keeping her. We tried everything!
That night, after seceding to the fact that we might just have to do this for as long as it takes until we get our baby back, I received a text from an unknown number: “someone just posted on my page that Chloe may be at Mueller Pet Medical Center – 916-428-9202”. Without waiting to text back to see who this was, I called the number immediately. It rang once or twice and the receptionist answered (it’s 9:30pm at this point). I explained that I was just told that my missing dog, Chloe, might be at their facility. I described her…”she’s an 11 pound Rat Terrier, is mostly white with an all black head and black markings and bits of tan on her cheeks and behind one of her rear legs”. I was certain that this was just some sort of mix-up and was asked to hold while she looked into it. A few minutes later she returned to the line and said, “yes, we have a dog that matches your description. Do you have her microchip number because we’re going to need some verification due to the unique circumstances”. I asked what the issue was and she said that the dog they had at their clinic was stable and being treated (hold up – “stable”?! something happened to her?!) and that her procedures were currently being billed to the person that brought her in. I gave her the microchip number and was placed on hold again. A few minutes later a man returned to the phone, “Yes, hello mam? It looks like we might have your dog. The microchip number matches but nothing can be sorted out until tomorrow around 9:30am when the manager arrives. She was hit by car and has been through surgery and other procedures but she’s going to be ok”. I was at first elated that my Chloe was going to be alright but also horrified that she had been hit by a car! How could this have happened?! I texted the person back asking who they were and what page she had that posted to and she sent me the link. Her name was Rachele and she had a business called Pawsitive Attention Pets. She had posted Chloe’s flyer onto her page to spread the word. Krissy, an employee of the pet hospital, having seen that post on Facebook, immediately recognized Chloe when she was brought in to be treated. She posted a response sharing the news and, in turn, I was texted by Rachele. In short – I found out where Chloe was by utilizing Facebook to get the word out about her disappearance.
The next day, which couldn’t have come soon enough, we were called around 9am from Tracy, the Accounting Manager at Mueller Pet Medical Center. She said that she was aware of the unique circumstances and let me know that the good Samaritans that had picked up Chloe had initially agreed to pay her bill in order for her to be treated. Tracy shared that, in most cases, folks that bring in injured, stray dogs don’t have the inclination to pay for expensive treatments and often times the dog has to be euthanized or sent to a shelter where, had they been similar to Chloe’s state, they would have probably been euthanized. Basically, these good people were willing to pay a lot of money for surgery, x-rays and testing and would also claim the dog should no one come forward. We, of course, expressed to Tracy how we would certainly take care of the bill as Chloe’s owners and that I would love to get the information of the people that saved her so that I could thank them personally. Tracy said she would call them and ask if that would be ok and that she looked forward to seeing us soon.
We arrived at the medical center, a beautiful state-of-the-art facility in South Sacramento. Once escorted to our room, we were greeted by a very friendly vet tech who I asked if she knew if Krissy was working. Both Tracy and Krissy came in the room and greeted me with hugs. The Doctor came in shortly after that and was holding Chloe’s flyer which he had printed out to share with us. Tracy came back into the room and said that she spoke with the good Samaritans that brought Chloe in and they were more than happy to have me communicate them and that she had written their information on the piece of paper she was holding. When she handed me the piece of paper and I saw the names written on there, I gasped. Patrick and BobbinMulvaney’s names were written down and I just could not believe what a small world we live in. Mulvaney’s B&L (the restaurant owned by both Patrick and Bobbin) is a client of my family’s business and I had worked with Bobbin earlier in the year on an ad we did featuring them. Their wonderful garden was also featured on the Edible Gardens Tour organized by Soroptomist International of Sacramento of which I’m a member. I was aware of their community outreach in Sacramento but was so overwhelmed that they were the ones to have found Chloe and to rush her to the 24-hour hospital when they saw her get hit by a truck as she frantically tried to cross Folsom Blvd. at 39th St. They were heading to a party and after seeing Chloe (AKA “Tread” which they affectionately nicknamed her) injured in the road, they dropped everything to help her.
In the end, we were reunited with Chloe who, although she sustained serious lacerations, cuts and bruises, was going to be alright. I found Facebook to be far more than just a simple social media site and I loved and appreciated the well-known Sacramento couple that saved our little Chloe’s life through their heroic actions. When something like this occurs in your life, I feel that we truly see who our friends are or where good people are. We are so amazingly blessed to have had the ending we did and none of it could have happened without each person that came to help in our time of need.
Bike Trail Will Extend to CSU on River’s South Side
Our midtown neighbors recieved great river restoration and bike trail news!
Dear Friends of the River Banks,
Now the news can be told. We are excited to announce that we have received a $1.5 million Prop 84 grant for Sutter’s Landing Park!! FORB, in partnership with Friends of Sutter’s Landing (FOSL) and the City of Sacramento, worked to get the money for habitat restoration along the river, extending the bike path (which will eventually go to CSU), and creating an aesthetic gateway to the river near the parking lot. A restroom will also be added to the built area above the river.
We got this grant thanks to all of you–your caring and enthusiasm for this stretch of the American River made the selection committee take note of our treasure here.
FORB is committed to protecting the riparian habitat at Sutter’s Landing, and enhancing and increasing it wherever possible. We will continue to work with the City to ensure that the natural values are a priority for any improvements done to the area.
There will be many volunteer opportunities to participate in the restoration work under the grant. FORB plans to take the lead on this and we’ll keep you posted as we develop the volunteer program.
You are invited to the press conference and celebration on Wednesday, November 28, at 10 am at the Cal EPA Building, 1001 I Street (note that the event was moved from Sutter’s Landing due to the possibility of rain). For more information see the two press releases below.
About the Sutter’s Landing Park Project
Specifically, the money will be used to extend the multi-use Two Rivers Trail three-quarters of one mile from the Park east to the Union Pacific mainline tracks next to the Business 80 highway. (Currently, the City’s Two Rivers Trail starts at Tiscornia Park and ends at State Route 160, a total of two miles.) At the end of the trail, there will be a turnaround loop with interpretive panels and seating. The City expects a future phase will connect the trail from the railroad tracks to CSU-Sacramento.
The funds will also restore over three acres on the banks of the American River with native plants. Entry enhancements will define the site as a recreation destination by making the entry to the river trail welcoming and by emphasizing the river connection.
The construction schedule has yet to be confirmed, but the project is expected to be finished by fall of 2017.
For Immediate Release: Media Contact:
Clark Blanchard, (916) 651-7585; clark.blanchard@resources.ca.gov
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