A Long Island Family had to cut their Disney vacation short after their dog escaped while being looked after by a trusted sitter. Now, the search continues for their beloved pooch.
The Humphrey family booked their sitter for their dog Buddy through a popular dog walking and sitting app called Wag.
Hailed as the Uber for dog walking, California-based Wag has been a popular resource for busy dog owners who want to easily hire a trustworthy, reliable and experienced dog walker or sitter.
However, this situation was highly unusual. According to the company, 1-year-old Buddy was dropped off without a collar, and his harness was taken off for comfort. Last Wednesday, he pushed open the front door and ran off, leaving a distraught family and sitter.
Wag is helping out, posting one thousand lost dog flyers around the area, issuing a pet Amber Alert, and notifying local police, vets and shelters. They’ve even hired drone pilots to help search from above.
A similar incident occurred two years earlier, when a chihuahua being cared for by a Wag sitter disappeared, and was later hit by a car and killed.
According to the company, all hired handlers are thoroughly tested, and less than five percent of applicants make it through the process.
Buddy, a black lab-beagle mix, has an impacted ID microchip, which could help animal shelters reunite him with his owners.
Wag is offering a $1,000 reward and has set up a hotline for any information or sightings of Buddy, which can be reached at 818-527-2498.