Missing 2 months... The SEARCH for Raphael

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The rain came down in sheets. Gusts of wind shook the small car as Lora and her constant companion Raphael navigated the storm in the dead of night. The New Jersey Turnpike is a difficult drive even in good weather but with rain pelting the car and horrific winds the pursuit is dangerous. Lora and Raphael were returning to New York after spending time in Florida. Raphael, a mix breed with an Italian greyhound profile, slept calmly on the passenger seat beside Lora. 

The mini-squall was upon them before Lora realized what was happening. The vehicle spun sideways and eventually came to a stop along the inside guardrail of the turnpike. A loud boom that sounded like a gunshot and the interior of the car filled with smoke. Traumatized and unsure of what was happening, Lora feared the car was on fire and opened her door to allow the smoke out. In those hysterical moments what Lora did not know was that Raphael was now in shock and as she opened the door, he jumped out onto the turnpike and into traffic. 

Another driver witnessed the accident and saw Raphael bolt down the middle lane of the eight-lane interstate. As Lora came out of her shock, she realized Raphael was not next to her. With the storm raging and traffic swirling around her, Lora looked for Raphael. She tried to start the totaled car and miracle of miracles it started. 

The unknown witness came alongside the car, and explained that she had seen Raphael and tried to follow him down the turnpike, but he was too far ahead and in the dark, it was hard to see. Stunned, Lora swung the now totaled car around and began to drive slowly up the turnpike. Ambulances and police were now on scene and law enforcement stopped Lora demanding she get into the ambulance. With no other choice, Lora relented and was transported to the hospital. It would be 72 hours before she was released and able to return to the accident site. Raphael was nowhere to be seen when she returned.

 Lora made the decision that she would not return home to New York until she had found Raphael. Thus, began weeks of living in motels and rented rooms while trying to find any sign of her beloved companion. Over the course of several weeks, possible leads and sightings came in and Lora treated every lead as if it was Raphael. She had no choice, there was no way to know if the dog the witnesses described was in fact Raphael. One lead even described a harness Lora thought Raphael may have had on. Her campaign was thorough and consistent.

After four weeks of exhaustive searching 24/7, Lora contacted Karin TarQwyn.

 When Lora contacted me, I let her know that I typically do not travel to New Jersey. It is at least a  26 hour drive each way when traveling with K9s. It is exhausting. Initially I said I could not travel to New Jersey due to my scheduling.

Lora reached out again, and she was desperate to get help. She was exhausted but determined that she would not leave New Jersey until Raphael was found. I agreed to come.

New Jersey is a long drive.  With four tracking dogs traveling with me, the necessity to stop every three or four hours expands the journey. Once I committed, however I was determined.

I planned that the trip to New Jersey would take three days with all the stops.  K9s Jett, York, Bear and Dutch were my partners on this trip. They are perhaps the easiest friends to travel with. We arrived in East Windsor, New Jersey in record time; we made it in two long grueling days, but we made it. We would begin the case a day earlier than planned.

With every case, it is important to develop a preliminary case strategy based on all the information available to date. As I always do a complete case review from the onset of a case, I knew the basic details of the case. There had been four possible sightings. Lora believed all of them were Raphael. As happens with many cases, pet owners are left with a string of leads which they then try to arrange into a likely story. Raphael’s case was no different; Lora felt she knew what had happened to Raphael and that he was traveling the woods alongside the New Jersey Turnpike. She was sure of this.

 In my initial review, Lora explained that Raphael was very shy and would not go to anyone but her. This is the perfect example of a dog with a STARS profile, (Shy, Timid, Aloof, Reserved or Skittish). Based on Lora’s description of Raphael’s behavior I also agreed that it was likely Raphael was roaming. It was time to get started. 

Like every case it is necessary to start from the location where the dog was last seen. This requirement allows me to proof the scent articles and allows the K9 team to choose the article they will work with. For Raphael, he was last seen inside the car on the New Jersey Turnpike. That, however, posed a problem as there are no access points along the tightly fenced turnpike; one cannot simply stop your vehicle and get out with a K9. I made the decision to scan for Raphael's scent along the eastern border of the turnpike. This required finding roads, trails or paths that crossed the fields and woods and then hiking in. Fortunately, Lora had been trekking all over this area for over a month so she knew some of the terrain as well as those who owned the properties.

We were able to find Raphael’s scent by accessing a field near the accident site. We could not follow the scent trail that was on the turnpike, but we were able to proof the scent article and for the K9s to tell me, Raphael had been in the area. The scent articles were good.

In most cases the next step is to check the sightings and leads in reverse chronological order. Each sighting was checked. All the little trails, paths and roads Lora felt Raphael was using were also checked. 

Unfortunately, Raphael’s scent was not found at any of the locations.

 At the end of the first day of the search, I knew I had to get on the turnpike to track regardless of the difficulty. The pet owner, Lora, was not able to help with this so I called in P. I Kelly Brach from New York. Kelly is a private investigator with a K9 TEAM based out of Long Island. She is one of the few K9 Handlers I feel confident in working with and referring pet owners to. She was three hours away, but she agreed to come.

Initially we drove the turnpike for access. This was difficult as there are very few exits, and they are miles apart. When we approached what we thought to be the accident site, we saw  law enforcement and other activity taking place. I knew we needed to just do the work first and explain later. Law enforcement would probably not allow me to work on the turnpike, but I had traveled two days to get to New Jersey, and Lora needed answers.

Kelly and I decided to try another approach. I had already been checking the fences for any openings or holes and had found none. That fence was tall, tight and impenetrable. I had not, however, checked along the area near a marsh that ran alongside the turnpike. I had not checked because  it was very wet, slimy and the water was deep… regardless we needed to get a K9 onto the turnpike to track.

Kelly and I traversed shoulder high weeds, briars and cattails and we found a hole under the fence where I could get a dog under and Kelly and I could slide through. I would need Kelly to watch my back as I worked along the turnpike.

We hiked back into the marsh with K9 JETT. We would get only one shot on the turnpike and Jett was the best candidate for this type of work. With cars and semis whizzing past, Jett and I climbed onto the turnpike and began to work.

Jett took scent with more than a little trepidation; he then began to track. He picked up the scent near the accident site and tracked north along the east side of the turnpike. He suddenly stopped and alerted that the scent ended… right there on the turnpike. We skedaddled off the trafficway and I decided to try another technique using other air scent dogs. 

K9 BEAR came in along the east side of turnpike in the field and marshes that were adjacent to the turnpike. Bear indicated he had scent and began to air scent his way through the fields. I could not even see him in front of me, but the big dog pressed on and then he too came to a stop and alerted. When I looked up toward the turnpike, Bear had indicated in a spot parallel to where Jett had indicated on the turnpike. I then did the same with K9 YORK, but I came in on the west side of the turnpike. This was tricky as the foliage along the west side was so thick we could barely get through, but this was not York’s first rodeo and he clamored through the briars. York also stopped and gave an indication. I peered through the foliage and realized I was standing across from where Jett and Bear had indicated on the other side of the turnpike. 

We had our answer. 

In spite of Raphael’s behavior profile and all that had been thought to transpire over the past month, we now knew the young dog had been picked up on the turnpike the night he went missing. The witness had said that she thought a car had stopped on the turnpike but Lora had discounted this as she knew Raphael would never go to a stranger. When the apparent sightings began to come in, she was sure Raphael was roaming in the area.

 When I informed Lora of my findings, initially she was not happy. She believed Raphael would not get in a car with anyone. I held firm and explained that this was what I found. The next day, Lora decided I was probably right and decided to continue her search from her home in New York which I would continue to assist with.

Lora and I worked together over the course of the next month working various campaigns, press releases, using Lost My Doggie,  as well as inquiries into other state facilities and businesses.