Search for missing dog goes from sad to bizarre

WEBSTER, NY — The cage door, open. The window screen, knocked out. Tessa, a golden doodle, gone.

The circumstances of the dog’s escape from the vet Friday seemed bizarre to staff until they started their search when things took an even stranger turn.

"To not do any damage to the screen, it just seems odd," TheraVet Acres manager Dana Browne told WHAM. "We're just broken up about this."

They believe Tessa got out of her enclosure and pushed the screen out from the open window. They shared the story and her picture on social media hoping someone might have seen her.

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They thought they got a break when an anonymous email through Craigslist appeared. The email said that they saw what looked like Tessa hit by a car along the road and tried to save her, however, she died and they buried her.

When vet staff tried to follow up, making multiple appointments to try and verify the tip, the trail went cold.

The tipster sent a picture of the dog, however when vet staff did a cursory Google search, they discovered it was a stock image titled "sleeping labradoodle puppy." The tipster then disappeared and did not reply to vet staff emails.

"There is a thing that's out there that people will steal a dog and throw up a smokescreen to make the owners think the dog passed away," said Browne.

The vet has worked with Tessa’s owner and law enforcement, however, there are no more leads to follow.

Ed Turkowski, Tessa's owner, told WHAM that he does not blame the facility and is thankful for their efforts to try and track her down.

It was the first time a dog had escaped since the facility opened 10 years ago, the vet said. They have since instituted additional safety procedures to ensure another dog does not escape,

"She was in our care, so this is not going to be something that's easy for us to live with," said Browne.

Cox Media Group