HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

Next month will mark the one year anniversary of when Meredith Emerson and her dog, Ella, went missing while hiking at Vogel State Park in Blairsville, Georgia.  It was a high profile case that touched many hearts.  Many people especially remembered the case, as Emerson’s dog, Ella, was later found alive and adopted by Emerson’s parents.  I remember that there was much hope that Meredith was alive when Ella surfaced, but it was not to be.  I remember feeling the suspense and hope, even though I never had known Miss Emerson.

I happened upon a guest book at Legacy.com that is still online, where over 272 pages of well wishers have signed messages of sympathy to the family.  Not just that, but many people have expressed being inspired to remember Meredith:

Kate from NV wrote:

I will be hiking a strenuous 3-hour hike up a 7,600 ft. mountain this Sat. in honor of you and your beloved Ella. I am a bit scared to try such a advanced hike as I have not exercised regularly in years. But your beautiful, radiant spirit and courage have inspired me to try my best. Rest in peace, sweet Meredith. You will be remebered always and your spirit will endure forever.

From Sarah Burnett in Texas:

I feel so guilty dealing with the horror, anger, and sadness I feel over this tragedy now, three months behind everyone else. Meredith’s bravery, beauty, and life will inspire me forever. Each time I take my golden retriever to the park, I’ll think of Meredith waiting to take Ella for long walks in heavenly light and be grateful, and sad, that her tragedy taught me to be more careful. I’m in my mid-twenties too, and (used to) frequently take my Dallas on walks alone late at night or early in the morning when there’s no one around so she can run unleashed. I know better now, and I’m so, so sorry, it took Meredith’s tragedy to make me see. Thank you, for what its worth. Its not fair, though. It will never be fair.

Remembering you always, Meredith. I loved being the girl and her dog in the sun on the trail, too. Maybe in the next life, we’ll walk together.

There are many, many more.   To follow the prior entries on this story, click here.  To visit Meredith’s online memorial, click here.

Meredith Emerson’s killer, Gary Hilton, plead guilty to her murder, news reports state. But it is not over. The trial, of course, will follow. We do not know when.

But a group of women of the The Women’s Outdoor Network of Atlanta have vowed to “take back” the trail where Emerson was murdered in the form of a unified hike that was to take placeon the last Sunday in February.

Several hikers planted a tree along the trail in Vogel State Park in Blairsville, Georgia, where Meredith last hiked with her dog, Ella.

CLICK HERE to read my previous postings on Emerson and Ella.

At left: Emerson and Ella. Ella was adopted by Meredith’s parents.

By the time you read this, I am sure that you have heard the sad news that Emerson has been declared murdered.

Ella, Meredith Emerson’s dog has been adopted by Emerson’s parents, Dave and Susan, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Dandy, the male Irish Setter, owned by Gary Michael Hilton, person of interest in this tragedy, is currently being held at the shelter pending investigation. There are many rescue groups, some to my individual knowledge and some that are not, who have called up asking to adopt or rescue Dandy.

If you are interested in adopting, I urge you to consider opening your home to one of the other dogs at Dekalb County Animal Control, Heard County Animal Control, North East Georgia Animal Shelter, or one of the other shelters in Georgia that are not no-kill. Right now, Dandy needs to be held for an indefinite length of time and because of the media coverage of his story, and there is no doubt that he hold public interest.

Unfortunately, there are many other dogs and cats that are just as deserving that will never get the publicity to inspire to make room for just one more in their home. If half of the people that call with an interest in Dandy go down to one of the shelters and adopt a different dog, there could be a shelter out there this week that doesn’t have to euthanize a soul because of the overwhelming response to adoption. I urge you….if you saw those dogs on the news or read about them and your immediate thought was “I will give them a home.” please hold that thought and shift your focus on another dog.

If the right dog is not available for adoption that day, go the next day too.

Sometimes it takes a well publicized dog to open one’s eyes to the fact that there are thousands and thousands that don’t make it past ‘euth day’.

Thank you to one of our alert readers, Kathleen, for the local update!

Kathleen Says:
January 7th, 2008 at 8:24 am edit
I live in Atlanta, and I have been following the local news coverage of this sad case.The dog was not identified by Dekalb Animal Control. The woman who found Ella wandering in the supermarket parking lot took her across the street to a vet clinic to find her shelter. The vet scanned and identified Ella.

The dog belonging to the person who is suspected of harming Meredith was taken to Dekalb County AC when the suspect was arrested Friday evening. That may be where the Dekalb County AC connection comes from.

Although I’m sure Dekalb County AC would enjoy letters of appreciation, they were not involved in the identification of Ella.

The woman who found Ella and the vet who identified her have not been identified.

As an update to my last post, according to a family spokesperson, Meredith Emerson’s family was notified of Ella’s safety. Unfortunately, it is now feared that Meredith Emerson is dead.

The latest news from the Atlanta paper:

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/01/05/hiltonfound0105.html?cxntlid=inform

http://www.ajc.com/search/content/news/stories/2008/01/06/newmissing0106.html

Further proof about why microchipping is so important. Ella was found at 3:00 p.m. at Kroger, and even if there are no clues in her fur, etc., it establishes a time frame. It also links a phone call from the pay phone there to the crime and not a random happening.

We are praying and holding out hope that Meredith is somehow alive even though evidence may lead otherwise. If nothing else though, maybe this will inspire many others to chip their pets. Meredith’s act insured the safety of her dog, even though she is not able to protect her herself right now. Ella will be returned to people that love her rather than an uncertain fate.

Meredith Emerson and her dog, Ella, were reported missing after going for a hike in Georgia.

Yesterday, a dog was found outside a grocery store and she was taken to Dekalb County Animal Control where her microchip was scanned. It turned out to be Ella and not only has Ella’s life been saved, but she may lead to the recovery of Meredith. Being that Ella was found at a grocery store, it seems to point to Meredith being abducted or harmed by an individual. Perhaps they didn’t want to hurt Ella and dumped her at the store where they thought she would find safety. However, there are many stories of dogs heroically walking miles to bring help to their master/mistress.

Ella is a lucky dog. If her chip wasn’t scanned, she would have been just another Georgia Black Dog at a shelter with little chance of reprieve unless someone recognized her from the photo. Dekalb is a very crowded shelter and at any shelter, black dogs sometimes get noticed last.

If you feel inclined, please write a letter of appreciation to the staff at Dekalb for checking!

Dekalb County Animal Control
845 Camp Rd
Decatur GA 30032

More on Emerson

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=4080384&page=1

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/gwinnett/stories/2008/01/04/HiltonFound_0105_web.html?imw=Y

Call to action

• I urge everyone in you are in the area, please click on the photo of Meredith to see a larger version. Print it off and post it everywhere in town with the number of the local police department.
• Microchip your dog NOW. It will save their life someday and could even help you, too. Make an appointment with your vet or call your local shot clinic.
• Spread the word!
• Adopt a black Georgia dog
• Express your appreciation to the staff at Dekalb County Animal Control

UPDATE: CLICK HERE for an update on this story

CLICK HERE for my latest posts on rescue, animals, volunteering, and stuff around the house.