Sassafras is out there somewhere in Washington, D.C. At least that’s what the dog’s owners Jeff Abramson and Beth Edinger hope. From Adams Morgan to North Capital Street to Chevy Chase to American University, the beagle-Jack Russel mix has wandered the streets of the city since getting loose from dog walkers on April 8, 2011.
Since Sassafras got loose from a City Dogs dog-walker and ran off near the National Zoo, Edinger and Abramson have spent more than $10,000, set up a blog, a Google map, hired two trackers, gotten help from more than 100 volunteers, put up thousands of flyers, and even deployed motion sensor cameras.
After spending $2,400 on a tracker from Georgia on the weekend Sassafras got loose, Edinger and Abramson have since hired Sam Connelly of Pure Gold Pet Trackers. Sam has had several successful tracks of the three-year old Sassafras and feels confident that she is still alive. The most recent successful track was on July 7 on River Road.
Their story has garnered the attention of local media and the entire district community. But not everyone is offering help. Some wonder why Edinger and Abramson are still looking. Other, crueler people leave crank phone calls.
“Some call at three o’clock in the morning, at four o’clock in the morning and say that they’ve killed her, that they will kill her, that she’s never gonna make it home,” said Edinger. “They just really try to mess with your mind.”
Even on Twitter, people have something to say.
“Dear Sassafras, Your owners have been looking 4 u forever so please go home or at least tell em to f**k off & stop putting up signs. -Thanks,” wrote @BigDaddyDemps.
Despite the vocal minority, most of the city can understand what Edinger and Abramson are going through and have offered help to help in the search or simply wished them luck.
They continue to hope that all of their efforts will result in that one person who recognizes Sassafras and manages to trap her in their yard or in their house. More than anything though, Edinger and Abramson seek closure.
“It’s now hard for me to remember what it was like living with Sass,” said Abramson. “But I do still love my dog and I still want to find her or at least know what happened.”
