Green Country Family Wants Stolen Dog Back

Dogs left out to roam sometimes come up missing. 

One woman is begging for help to find hers. 

Animal welfare experts say some are being accidentally rescued, sold, or used as bait. 

Buddy is a 1-year-old Australian shepherd with blue eyes. 

The last his owner heard a person had him in her car at this gas station in Rogers County. 

The owner says instead of calling the number on his collar they took off with him.

"She misses him and she would like to have him back," said Pam Mueller.

Buddy's blue eyes and loving spirit used to give Mueller and her daughter comfort. Not any more. 

She let him out on June 9.

"He's not turned up in a shelter he's not turned up on a website he hasn't turned up anywhere," Mueller said.

Mueller posted about him going missing on social media.

Tips led her to a Rogers County store and its surveillance video. 

She says her dog is in the van. She says the dog had a collar, tag and a microchip.

"She had every tool she needed to find the owner and she didn't bother to do it so as far as i'm concerned she just stole my dog," Mueller said.

Susan Babbitt with the Ward Wiseman Animal Haven says this story is tragically common. 

Too often missing animals are gone forever.

"They could be reselling it to people who want bait dogs to teach their dogs how to fight," Babbitt said.

It also could be a matter people just taking the dogs for themselves. 

"Sometimes it comes in a rush. Several people because the same people are doing it but it happens all the time,' Babbitt said.

Mueller says for the sake of her daughter she hopes whoever took Buddy brings him back.

"It's been really hard. You think about it all the time everyday," Mueller said.

Animal advocates say if you live in the country even though there aren't any leash laws try to keep your dog in a gate or keep watch while they are outside.