Aynsley Foss is still desperately looking for her dog Dixie, who she’s sure was stolen from Big Hill Springs Provincial Park on Nov. 27.
“We know Dixie was stolen because her Apple AirTag was manually removed from her collar. The AirTag was in a case that was weaved through her collar and could only be removed by a human,” Foss said in an email.
An AirTag is a device used to track missing animals.
Reached by phone on Dec. 5, Foss was driving to the Siksika Nation east of Calgary, tracking down a lead.
“We’re about an hour and a half away from the Nation, so I'm hoping that we get there before the daylight ends,” she said.
Foss said all she had was a blurry picture, so she was trying not to get her hopes too high.
“The lady that’s seen the dog – no one else has seen the dog, so hopefully it's her,” she said.
She’s been on an emotional roller coaster for the last few days.
“I was really hopeful each day and then Sunday and Monday were really rough,” she said.
“I just keep praying for her that she comes home.”
Dixie, a Maremma, is turning 3 on December 14th and she is and used as a livestock guardian at Foss’s farm.
“Not only does she protect our farm, she is well loved by all of us and the animals at the farm. Each night when we night check our animals, she even makes sure that the cats who are following us make it safely into the barn for the evening,” Foss goes on to say.
The AIrTag was discarded on Highway 22, just north of Cochrane around 6 pm. After an extensive search they found her AirTag later that evening around 10 pm.
Dixie was reported stolen to the RCMP.
Foss is doing an extensive social media campaign, door knocking, posting flyers, and reaching out to rescues and vet clinics.
They have even gone so far as speaking with animal communicators who specialize in lost pets.
“During our search, we have heard from several other people who have had their dogs stolen. Some were later found in another province that were sold. Some show up months later. And some never to be seen again.
“Dogs with jobs, like Dixie, who are specially trained are at a higher risk to be stolen, along with non-spayed females to be used in puppy mills or expensive purebred dogs,” Foss said.
They have put up posters all over town offering a $5,000 cash reward for whoever returns Dixie, with no questions asked.
“With the growing number of stolen dogs in the province, we think it is important for the public to be aware so that they can be on the lookout for suspicious activity regarding dog theft, along with taking steps to protect their own dogs,” Foss said.
Foss is asking anyone with questions or comments to contact her at 403-477-3929 or email at [email protected].
“It’s probably been the worst week of my life,” Foss said. “I’m just so tired.”
