I had a call Monday from Anne Albert and Vicki Sandvig, two friends who are searching for Vicki’s lost whippet, Reiner.

Lost pet stories are always sad, and so common that we can’t write about most of them. But this one has a twist: Albert and Sandvig are using cyber-tools to look for Reiner.

You can read about it in Wednesday’s column, I can only jam so much into 650 words, so here’s a bit more of the story.

Whippets are sight hounds, and Reiner took off after a rabbit on Oct. 30. The friends have tried all the traditional ways to look for a lost pet. And I do mean ALL the ways: Calling neighbors, putting posters in stores, schools, churches, public buildings, veterinary clinics, giving fliers to bus drivers, delivery folks, meter readers, and buying ads. And there’s a $1,000 reward.

Anne’s a member of an on-line group of Italian greyhound fans. When she e-mailed them for tips for the search, they sent her a list.

Here’s what Anne has to say about the Web help:

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