A doctor in Manhattan has started a personal investigation after her dog was reportedly stolen following the use of a walking service.
Dr. Autumn Brewer moved from Texas to Manhattan in May with her dog, Stella. For the first time since moving, she had hired a dog walker to walk Stella while she went to her first shift at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, according to Upper East Site. However, after returning home, she found that Stella was gone, along with her leash and collar.
The dog walker was hired via the walking service Rover and reportedly dropped the dog off several hours before Brewer returned home to find the pet missing, according to Upper East Site. (RELATED: Dog Patiently Waited Outside Hospital For Days While Owner Received Treatment)
The walker explained that she encountered a woman with a dog, who held the door as she entered Autumn’s building, according to Upper East Site. The dog walker also saw the woman upon returning to the apartment. This time the woman reportedly blocked her path as she tried to enter.
After pushing her way past the woman, the walker had difficulty getting Brewer’s door to unlock, according to the outlet. When exiting the apartment, the dog walker found Brewer’s lockbox in a different location from where she believes she had placed it upon entering.
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Brewer came to her apartment five hours later to find Stella, along with her leash and harness, gone but her apartment was locked, according to the outlet. She described Stella as friendly and told Upper East Site, “I could see a stranger walking in and she’s not going to not bark at them.”
Brewer has reached out to neighbors to check their surveillance video, but said that so far building personnel have been unable to help her, according to Upper East Site. She has started an Instagram page to help find her dog.
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“First and foremost, we join with Autumn in hopes for Stella’s swift and safe return home. We are actively helping Autumn with the search by offering a reward, paying for posters to raise awareness, and posting in online pet locating platforms,” Rover told Upper East Site. “While we have no reason to believe that the sitter on Rover is involved in any wrongdoing, we are investigating the issue and should the need arise, we are ready to assist law enforcement to the fullest extent legally possible.”
Rover has issued a $1,000 reward for Stella’s safe return, according to Upper East Site.