After Her Dog Walker Lost Her Beloved Mini Goldendoodle On The Streets Of New York City, Her Friend Helped Raise Over $20,000 To Hire A Pet Detective
As a dog owner living in New York City, one of my biggest fears is losing my little dog in the chaotic city streets. It sounds like a nightmare.
That nightmare became a reality for Shira Meged, a mental health clinician living in New York City, after her pet sitter lost her beloved Goldendoodle, Rosie, during a walk in Central Park in late November.
While losing a dog and desperately trying to find them in a city as big as New York can feel like an isolating experience, the community has stepped up in tremendous ways to help Shira bring Rosie home, including raising over $20,000 to hire professional trackers and put money toward a reward for finding her.
Shira was out of town on November 25th, 2023, when she received a heartbreaking call that the pet sitter she had hired to watch Rosie, a cream-colored, three-year-old mini Goldendoodle, lost her during a walk in Central Park.
Shira lives on the Upper East Side and immediately sprung into action along with family and friends when she realized Rosie was missing. She spent hours combing through Central Park, organized search parties, put up flyers, and called shelters and animal rescues in an effort to find her.
When Rosie hadn’t been found by early December, one of Shira’s good friends created a GoFundMe page to spread the word about Rosie’s disappearance and get Shira some help.
“As of December 5th, Rosie has been missing for 11 agonizing days in the vast expanse of New York City,” wrote Shira’s friend.
“We can only imagine the heartache and worry Shira is feeling as she tirelessly searches for her furry friend. The search has taken its toll emotionally, physically, and financially. Shira has had to take time off work to focus on finding Rosie, and the mounting expenses are becoming overwhelming. That’s where we come in as a community of compassionate individuals who can make a difference.”
On the GoFundMe page, Shira’s friend explained that the money donated to finding Rosie would go toward essential elements in their effort. Shira used the money to hire Jim Tierney, a certified Missing Animal Response Technician with a reputation for reuniting lost pets with their owners.
pololia – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person or dog
She also put the money toward a reward that would be given to the person who brought her Rosie back, in hopes it would inspire people to find and return her. The money was also used to get more supplies for flyers and create a website that listed all the resources people needed to identify Rosie.
“Every dollar contributed will make a significant impact on Shira’s ability to bring Rosie home,” wrote Shira’s friend.
“No amount is too small, and every donation is a step closer to reuniting Shira and Rosie.”
The New York City community, especially dog owners, quickly showed up to help Shira, and her GoFundMe page has raised over $20,000 in donations. Since then, Jim Tierney has put up cameras in the park and is working hard to find Rosie.
Additionally, more search parties have been organized. Rosie’s story has become well known in Shira’s neighborhood, and various New York-based news outlets have written about her.
According to the latest press release posted on Shira’s website, BringRosieHome.com, as of January 10th, 2024, the search for Rosie is still in full effect, and everyone is still waiting for her to be brought home.
It’s hard to imagine the feeling of losing your beloved animal in such a vast and busy area like New York City. But hopefully, with all the compassionate people determined to reunite Rosie and her owner, the little Goldendoodle will eventually make her way home safe and sound.
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