After five months, the reward to find Sydney, the missing dog from Mexico, has gone up to $10,000.
Her trackers, led by volunteer Robin McCaffry, continue to report sightings of the small Mexican rescue that has been missing from her St. Albert home since April.
In the past week, the dog was spotted three times, primarily in Grandin, Riel and Lacombe Park. But time is running out and McCaffry hopes her group finds her soon.
“There is a big concern with winter coming. That’s why the reward was upped because we don’t think that she has much time between her health and winter coming,” she says. “It’s getting pretty serious.”
Sydney was first rescued from the streets of Mexico in October 2012 by the SPCA Puerto Vallarta. In April, she was flown into Edmonton and taken in by her new family. The next day, when her owner returned from shopping, Sydney bolted out the door.
Sydney is between three and five years old. She is a black, mixed breed – part Labrador and part whippet (a dog similar to a small greyhound) – with some white fur on her chest and a grey muzzle.
McCaffry says the dog is about knee-high in height and has lost a lot of weight due to a lack of nutrition. She added that Sydney is a very loving and timid dog but may be scared of strangers. That’s why she advises that no one tries to catch the dog but to instead follow her slowly and call the volunteers.
Another option is to trap Sydney in a yard without approaching her, she said.
“She is not aggressive and she is not mean. She would be afraid,” McCaffry said.
The volunteers expect that Sydney will stay in St. Albert. Having grown up in a loud and busy Mexican city, the small rescue is probably scared of open spaces and coyotes, McCaffry said.
She suspects the dog spends the night hiding in someone’s yard – under a deck or motor home – while looking for food throughout the day.
The $10,000 reward, recently upped from $3,000, has been pledged by three anonymous people and will be given to the person who tips volunteers to Sydney’s location – if the volunteers are able to capture her. If a member of the community chases and catches the dog, she must be returned unharmed and alive, in order for the reward to be granted, McCaffry stressed.
“She has a warm, safe home waiting for her once she is caught,” she said.
