A local Red Deer woman is missing her four-legged companion after a man reportedly took her dog from the Three Mile Bend off-leash park.

Colleena Wardell was out of town when her sister took her own two dogs and Wardell’s dog Amigo to the dog park on Jan. 28th.

“It’s a regular thing for my sister to take Amigo to Three Mile Bend,” said Wardell.

Amigo has bad hips and Wardell describes walking him as difficult and often more painful for Amigo than it is worth. “He can barely walk around the block and if he does, he can’t walk the next day.”

Wardell said her sister let the dogs out to play and they were running around. One other vehicle was in the parking lot with a man standing beside it.

“My sister said it looked like he was changing his pants or shoes or something and had both back doors open on the car but he had no dog with him,” said Wardell.

The car is described as a grey Honda civic.

Wardell said the dogs all noticed the man and ran over to greet him.

“Amigo is very friendly and my sister said the man took a liking to him especially. She was putting blankets down in the back of her vehicle and when she called the dogs only her two came,” said Wardell.

When Wardell’s sister looked, the car was gone and Amigo seemed to have gone with it as he was nowhere to be found.

“She wouldn’t know to be suspect of this man. When I go to the park I’m always petting other dogs or they run up to you. It’s just a space where you feel safe to play.”

Wardell said simply that she never would have imagined that someone would or could take her dog from a public park such as Three Mile Bend.

Amigo has since been reported missing to many local veterinarians, kennels, and Wardell has posters up in many busy shopping areas and at Three Mile Pend. Amigo is also posted as missing on the reputable web site PetLynx.

Wardell has offered a $500 reward for the safe return of her dog who she describes as being “something else”.

“I need my dog back, simply, this isn’t just any ordinary dog. I’ve had Amigo since he was eight weeks old and he’s almost three,” said Wardell.

Wardell said Amigo is a friendly dog that will come when called. He is all black with a white patch under his chin and on his chest. He has been described as looking like a Labrador/Newfoundlander cross.

“He loves to talk. He will talk to you all day no matter who you are. Maybe he’s just too friendly,” said Wardell.

Amigo is not chipped or tattooed but has recently been groomed and has a collar on with his rabies tag on it.

“If he had just been lost, running loose, by now he would have been reported as running at large,” said Wardell.

Tara Palardy, dog trainer at the nearby 4 Paws Dog Daycare, said it’s hard to believe someone would have the audacity to just take a dog from Three Mile Bend.

“I’ve heard of people going into yards and letting dogs out but never someone blatantly taking an animal from the park,” said Palardy.

Palardy said tattoos and chips are really important too because a dog with no identification really has no way to get home for sure.

For information regarding Amigo’s whereabouts please contact Colleena at 403-505-7010.

kpalardy@reddeerexpress.com