Darcie and Nicholas Chontas have just one Christmas wish this year: the safe return of their dog, Scoobee.
What started out as a routine veterinary appointment for the married couple’s 60-pound shepherd/pitbull mix has turned into a holiday nightmare.
Last Friday, some 20 minutes after her husband returned to his Braddock Hills home after dropping the dog off at Banfield Veterinary Hospital in Monroeville, Darcie said the animal hospital called to say the dog had gotten away and they couldn’t find her.
As of Tuesday evening, the dog had still not been found, although there have apparently been sightings.
“The last thing we heard was she got on the Parkway and was headed for the Churchill exit,” said Darcie Chontas. “It’s honestly a tragic situation. You take your dog in for a simple routine checkup to keep her healthy and (then) get the worst phone call of your life.”
The Chontas have been searching for Scoobee since last Friday, running down any lead they can, but they haven’t had any luck.
For its part, the pet hospital said they have hired a search-and-rescue professional and are offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who can find Scoobee.
“We will continue to make it our priority to help locate Scoobee and work directly with her family during this difficult time to offer any assistance and support we can,” Banfield said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Darcie Chontas’ family, which includes a 4-month-old baby boy, is going through a tough time. They also have a dog named Coco, a Chihuahua/Jack Russell terrier mix, who, like Scoobee, is 9 years old and misses her sister.
“I’m honestly just heartbroken,” she said. “Our family is broken right now. We’re just keeping our prayers up and hoping for the best outcome.”
