Iraq veteran mourns apparent theft of comfort dog from Fairfield gas station

FAIRFIELD, Calif. (KGO) -- An Iraq veteran with PTSD believes that someone may have stolen her comfort dog, a German Shepherd, from a gas station in Fairfield.

The empty crate, untouched water bowl, toys in the yard -- all add up to a sad household and one very concerned dog owner in Fairfield.

"I cried all of Saturday, Saturday night, most of yesterday," said Dana Martinez, a U.S. Army veteran who dodged mortars in Iraq.

On Monday night, she mourns the apparent theft of her German Shepherd comfort dog, named Nala, who escaped through a hole in the fence with the other family dog, Griffin, last Saturday. Her husband, Rick, showed us where it happened. "He came through here, went to the gas station."

The family had been putting off a repair job until they get the funds.

At the AM/PM on Travis Blvd, a video from security cameras show the dogs playing with customers. "We got a call from a customer saying the dogs were running around and to go pick them up," said Dana.

But when Rick arrived, he found only Griffin. Another customer had taken Nala. "She sat there with Nala for a few minutes, and then put her in the car and drove off," said Dana.

The store gave Dana a photo of that woman from the security cameras. It is now on more than 100 flyers that she has posted around the neighborhood.

From the video, they know only that the woman left with Nala in a dark colored sedan with an unidentifiable license plate.

For an Iraq veteran already suffering anxiety from PTSD, this is almost too much. Dana just wants her dog back, no questions asked. "I miss her and feel like I need her. She calms me and makes me feel comforted."