Vivi The Dog-Fast Becoming One Of New York's Urban Myths

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

29 Nov 2006 07:04 AM

Do you remember all of the news reports about Vivi the wayward pooch who escaped her travel cage at Kennedy airport to answer the call of the wild? It's been nine months since she won an award of merit at the annual Westminster Kennel Club show, (the Super Bowl of dog shows) and fled the confines of the international airport.

Now it seems the whippet has joined the Central Park coyote, high-rise tiger, Harlem Meer caiman and Molly the fugitive feline in New York's ever-growing list of urban animal legends. Which is not to say that Vivi hasn't been seen since her escape. Her owner's say they have received dozens of reports that their beloved 4-year-old brindle and white whippet, known formally as Champion Bohem C'est la Vie, has been seen roaming cemeteries with other dogs, or hanging around stores in Queens, in some cases miles from the tarmac where she disappeared while awaiting a flight home to California in February.

Vivi's owners have even offered a cash reward for her return, but in recent months they've kept a low profile. Their lawyer recently told The New York Times that they still hope to recover Vivi and the reward still stands.

According to the newspaper, Vivi was reported at more than 45 different locations prior to August 7th, when the sightings suddenly stopped, raising fears that she might be dead or have left the area. The director of administration for Animal Care & Control of New York City, recently told reporters:

"For a dog like that to be able to survive this long would be very difficult unless somebody picked it up," he said. "I hope it's true that somebody has the dog and doesn't recognize it. It does happen."

Bonnie Folz agrees. Folz is a professional dog trainer who lives near the airport and has led the volunteer search effort for Vivi. She said she did not think the dog was still roaming free.

"I really think somebody has her and that person can't keep the dog under wraps forever," she said.

Regardless of whether Vivi is recovered or not, she already has joined the colorful list of animals occupying niches as urban legends in the Big Apple. According to city records, just two months after Vivi vanished into a wildlife area adjoining JFK, a cat named Molly became trapped inside a wall of the Greenwich Village deli. It took two weeks to extricate the feline without damaging the landmarked building. Other incidents in recent years involved a full-grown tiger living in a Manhattan apartment, a caiman that was recovered from the Harlem Meer pond in Central Park, and a coyote that led police and animal experts on a wild chase through the park before it was captured.

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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