A 13-month-old Husky which was stolen on Mash day was safely returned home recently after a social media campaign by its owner paid off.
Misty, who belongs to Ryan Gonsalves, was reported stolen during the morning hours on February 23rd. Gonsalves, soon after noticing her disappearance, told Stabroek Weekend that he looked around their Ogle neighborhood and even went as far as Plaisance in search of the white furred dog.
When Gonsalves bought Misty from a friend, he had intended to give her to his girlfriend but instead the dog stayed at his home and became his best friend. He recalled his decision to get Misty as being the result of love at first sight. “I saw her and I knew I wanted to be her owner,” he explained.
Gonsalves also said that not having her around was very hard for him, especially when people would alert him of a dog looking like her and it turning out to be another.
Gonsalves said that after Misty was stolen, neighbours told him that they saw someone taking her from the premises but he noted that after he made a report to the police and the CCTV cameras at Ogle were checked, they could not see the images clearly due to there being little to no light during the early morning hours. He also said that after he alerted persons on social media and at animal care shelters about her being taken.
At one point he said persons told him that they saw a dog with similar features to that of Misty at Plaisance, but it turned out to be a false alarm. His search continued for days after until he was contacted by a person who said they were walking by Grand Coastal when they spotted a dog they believed to be Misty. Gonsalves said that not long after, another person contacted him and told him that they think they found his dog.
“When I come and she see me, she ran to me,” he said when he explained how he was certain that the dog was indeed Misty. Gonsalves went on to say that the person who returned Misty did not want to collect the reward he had announced for Misty’s safe return.
He also said that upon taking Misty to her home, she was a little traumatised after the experience. He explained that when she first returned home, she would constantly need reassurance when he was about to leave that he would be returning and other times she would curl up next to him, seeking comfort. He said that as of late he has been home a lot more often and has gotten to spend more time with her, which eases her uncertainty. As a result, he said he has noticed that she is slowly becoming the dog she used to be. “She has been bouncing back to her usual self,” he said.
Gonsalves said having Misty back makes him more than happy. “I can’t explain it. I was not even eating and sleeping properly when she went missing. I would go to work and then go out looking for her when I return home,” he said.
He added that it was a relief to have her back and that all the help he had with finding her had also been great. He said that he was very thankful to all the persons who shared the lost dog poster and also all the shelters he contacted, which were looking out for her. He then mentioned that with his luck finding her, another dog owner has reached out to him to help them find their lost German shepherd. Gonsalves said that persons who might have seen the missing Tobi can contact him with information and there is a $100,000 reward for the dog’s safe return.
Tobi went missing the vicinity of Eccles earlier this month.
