It’s been almost three months since Sydney, a Mexican rescue dog, ran out the door and vanished in the streets of St. Albert.
Her trackers have not ceased to look for her. But as the days pass, volunteer Robin McCaffry only hopes to catch her before the winter.
“Winter is a huge concern. Even a day like (Monday), where it goes down to 11 degrees she must be frozen,” she said.
On April 30, Sydney flew into Edmonton from the SPCA in Puerto Vallarta and was taken in by her new owner. When the woman returned from buying supplies the next day, Sydney bolted out the door.
Sydney is between three and five years old. She is a knee-high, black, mixed breed – part Labrador and whippet (a dog similar to a small greyhound) – with some white fur on her chest and a grey muzzle. Recent sightings report that she is very thin and may have lost her collar but her coat is still glossy.
McCaffry said Sydney has spent her entire life on the street and suffered from a lot of abuse. If people see her, they should follow her slowly, call McCaffry, or – if possible – lock her into their yard and call for help.
“She is not aggressive at all, she is so, so timid. What she is looking for now is food and companionship from other dogs,” McCaffry said.
McCaffry said she always has 15 volunteers on call and handed out more than 2,500 handouts and posters across the city.
To attract the dog’s attention, volunteers are putting out food in areas that Sydney frequents. McCaffry expects that Sydney is also feeding from a few dumpsters.
According to a newsletter by the SPCA Puerto Vallarta, traps were set up as well as trail cameras in an effort to track her movements. While Sydney was able to avoid both, another stray dog was caught by one of the traps one night and returned to her owner.
The newsletter also reported that a canine psychic even spoke to McCaffry and relayed a message that “Sydney was aware of their efforts but she was doing just fine, thanks!”
While she is known to walk around the Forest Lawn and Sturgeon area, Sydney was recently seen in Akinsdale behind the 7-11 and the new butcher shop. McCaffry added that Sydney has also visited Grandin and Deer Ridge and may be taking Churchill Road underneath St. Albert Trail.
To help with the search, McCaffry recently brought a volunteer from the SPCA Puerto Vallarta to St. Albert, hoping that Sydney will remember the woman’s voice or scent.
“We are starting to think that if anyone can catch her it’s Donna,” she said. “Donna was kind of her mommy.”
To participate in the search or call McCaffry about Sydney’s whereabouts you can contact her at 780-717-9803 or visit the SPCA Puerto Vallarta Facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/spcapv.
