Cooper is missing

Cooper, one of our earliest rescues, is missing and everyone is devastated.

Cooper was rescued from the beach with a broken hip from being struck by a car. Amigos de los Animales rescued Cooper and took care of all his medical bills and then Cooper was sent to me for placement.

That poor dog was such a wreck from being so mistreated before being rescued that he stayed on a blanket next to my bed literally for about 3 weeks without moving. I had to pick him up and carry him outside to potty because he was so traumatized. He started getting better sort of in leaps and bounds but was still very shy and skittish when a wonderful woman named Christine came to meet him for possible adoption. She was willing to work with Cooper's trust issues and we felt it would be a good placement.

Good placement, indeed! Cooper opened up like a flower with the help of a wonderful family and his doggie sister, Maddie (who, by the way, looks just like him). Cooper was going out in public within a few months and was even able to handle being petted by strange men which was phenomenal since we are sure he had been abused by a man and was terrified of them at the beginning.

So fast forward 2 1/2 years to today. Cooper has been missing for 6 days. Something happened that spooked him and it just happened that one of the kids was coming in the door and Cooper took off running. The family has done everything they could possibly do. Flyers in every mailbox within a mile radius and on every telephone pole, canvassing the neighborhood calling his name, flyers in shops and vets offices, called animal control and shelters. The family has offered a reward for his safe return. We even contacted local media - here are the stories from TCPalm and WPTV.

The thing is Cooper is, of course, a very special dog in everyone's hearts. But also because he has such fear issues that he is not going to just walk up to someone for them to take him in. We have been stressing to everyone that if they see him NOT to try to catch him but rather to call the numbers on the flyer and we'll come and call for him.

All of our hearts are broken thinking of him hungry and scared and tired, just wanting to be back feeling safe with his family. If anyone is in the area where Cooper is missing - Port St. Lucie, Florida - and wants to help in the search, email me at ginny@handsforpaws.org.