PHOENIX, Arizona — A Phoenix combat veteran and his wife are asking the community for help after their 12-year-old companion dog disappeared from their home more than three weeks ago, leaving the family desperate for answers and concerned about the animal’s health.
Cindy Edgar and Kip Roth say their Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, went missing on May 7 from their backyard. The couple believes the dog may have been taken, though they acknowledge they have no proof.
“We saw a mess in the backyard, and I thought maybe someone jumped over the fence to take her, but we don’t know that that’s all speculation,” Roth said. “We came out here, and we found her tags in the yard.”
The only trace of Tinkerbell that night was her dog tags, which the couple found lying in their front yard. How they got there remains unknown.
“She was there and then gone. No blood, because if a hawk would have come down, or an owl, it would have left something within a 30, at least 30 yards,” Roth said.
The couple said they reviewed footage from two Ring cameras positioned at the front of their home but never saw their tri-colored, 10-pound Chihuahua. Instead, they noticed taillights from a vehicle shining behind their property that evening.
Since Tinkerbell’s disappearance, Edgar and Roth have spent hundreds of dollars on gas while searching throughout the Valley with the help of volunteers. They have also posted information about the missing dog on numerous websites and social media platforms.
The family said Tinkerbell is microchipped and has been reported missing through multiple channels. They have repeatedly checked local shelters in hopes that someone may have turned her in.
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“We go down there every, every two, two to three days. They say that we’re keeping an eye out for her, but we go through and check all the injured strays, we check all the lost dogs, we check, walk us through, yeah, they walk us through,” Edgar said.
The couple has also filed two police reports and pursued every lead they have received in the search for their longtime companion.
“She’s been through the illnesses that we both have suffered. She’s been through the death of his family and the death of my mom. She’s been there through all of it,” Edgar said.
Their concern extends beyond simply finding their pet. Tinkerbell suffers from heart problems and requires daily medication, they said.
“We know she’s in desperate need, you know she needs her medicine. Without it, and the heat compounding her health problems already will exacerbate it to such an extent she’s going to have a heart attack,” Roth said.
The family has posted flyers throughout the area detailing where Tinkerbell was last seen and is offering a $500 reward for information leading to her safe return.
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