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.
This is Nala, the missing dog, on the right. She gave Dana Martinez great comfort after dodging mortars in Iraq. Nala remains missing and with every passing hour, presumed stolen from the AM/PM on Travis Blvd in Fairfield. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/LDZZDW6DNJ
— Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) September 3, 2018
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.
Dana Martinez hopes the woman in this photo was trying to help, but her dog had a collar with a phone #. No calls. Nor any hits at local animal shelters. Fairfield Police have no clues as of now. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/FLVhLNYD0s
— Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) September 3, 2018
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."
Today, Dana canvassed the neighborhood with flyers, hoping for help. It includes a photo from a camera in the store, given to Dana, then us. As seen on the flyer, it shows the woman who witnesses say took her dog. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/QRBpUhPnVu
— Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) September 3, 2018
Nala and another family dog had broken out of the family backyard. Video from this AM/PM shows the dogs playing with customers. One of them read the collar and called. The other put Nala in her car and drove off. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/HpLrkPWZWS
— Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) September 3, 2018
We rarely do a missing or stolen pet story, but when it's the comfort dog for an Iraq veteran with PTSD, yes. Dana Martinez believes someone stole her German Shepherd, Nala, from a gas station in Fairfield. #abc7now She's a mess right now. pic.twitter.com/UpGrQviH9w
— Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) September 3, 2018