Have you seen this dog? After sign flap, search for Marley continues on Hilton Head
Marley, a dog visiting from Atlanta who went missing 12 days ago on the south end of South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island, still had not been found as of Saturday.
The small, 4-year-old white dog with dark shading covering both eyes and a dot on her head between the ears, hightailed it down a Hilton Head beach the evening of Monday, Sept. 6.
She’s part Whippet, a breed known for its speed.
Marley’s dash out the front door might just be another one of dozens of daily cases of missing dogs and cats. But her disappearance sparked an outpouring of help from residents — and some ire after the town removed dozens of “missing dog” flyers her owners put up. The removal of the signs, ironically, raised the dog’s public profile on social media.
As of Saturday, the sign flap, attributed to miscommunication, was resolved. But Marley’s still out there somewhere, contending with unknown territory, traffic and possibly alligators.
“Just got back from a long late night ride through Shipyard, along the golf course, no Marley, but saw lots of Gators,” Derek Kirchner said on A Help Find Marley Facebook group that’s been launched with 485 members that says “sightings are needed “ASAP.”
“Yes you don’t want your dog near those gators!!!!” Holly Martin replied. “Praying she is seen today and you can get her home to safety !!!!!!”
Marley ran off from a house that Derek and Alex Kirchner of Atlanta were renting on Wanderer Lane off North Forest Beach Drive. That’s near the Coligny Plaza Shopping Center.
She has been spotted a few times, but not since Sept. 13, a week after her escape. Not only can Marley run like a gazelle, but she’s also skittish. So if you see her, advise the Kirchners, just call Derek at 678-549-6969 or Alex at 404-444-0569.
The Kirchners rented a house on Wanderer Lane. They were supposed to leave last Saturday, Sept. 11. But with Marley still missing, they extended their stay eight days. They’ve moved to a different house on Sea Spray Lane. The owner of their rental, sympathetic to their situation, gave them a good rate on the second place, Derek said.
Their vacation has turned into a search and rescue operation.
“If we don’t find her today or tomorrow my wife is going back to Atlanta and I will be staying another week,” Derek told the Island Packet on Saturday morning. “We actually had our nanny come up from Atlanta and stay with us for a week so we could look for the dog.”
The couple has a 15-week-old child.
The Kirchners originally came to Hilton Head for the 90th birthday of Alex’s grandfather.
On Sept. 6, they were at a family dinner. When family members who had never met Marley arrived, they opened the front door. “She bolted down the beach,” Derek said. They gave chase but it was no use.
They spent hours putting up about 400 missing dog fliers around the beach area with pictures of Marley and contact information. Flyers went up on stop, pedestrian, yield and crosswalk signs.
Then one day they discovered that 100-150 of the flyers had been taken down, apparently by a town code enforcement officer.
Joanne Hammer, who runs Lost Paws of the Lowcountry, attributed the signs coming down to miscommunication and misunderstanding about where fliers are allowed.
“The Town of Hilton Head is completely caught up to date on Marley’s situation at this time,” Hammer said Facebook. “The Town understands this is an emotional event for family and our community and does not want to hinder the rescue situation yet must have certain signage remain untouched.”
Flyers can be put up in certain areas, Hammer noted. But flyers in the beach area or attached to traffic or informational signs with detailed instructions are prohibited for good reason, she added.
“Let’s please move forward with respect for the codes and continue to search for Marley and post flyers where appropriate,” Hammer said.
The bump in the road over the fliers riled some residents, but it brought more attention to his missing dog, Derek said.
He calls the help his family has received from Hilton Island residents “astonishing.” People are picking up flyers and helping in the search for the dog. Money has even being raised to offset their extended stay.
“In an unfortunate situation we’re about as fortunate as we can be, so were extremely blessed,” Derek said.
If you see Marley ...
Marley ran off Sept. 6 from Wanderer Lane and was seen on the beach past the Coligny Beach Entrance. Call Derek at 678-549-6969 or Alex 404-444-0569.
This story was originally published September 18, 2021 at 1:23 PM.
