Girl laments lost dog, hopes for its return

Tina Marie Harris, 18, lives in a group home. She can't walk, she can't feed or dress herself.

But, if he was placed right on her arms, she could hold her little dog Pee Wee. She could pet him and she could love him.

But now he's gone.

When Tina's grandmother Mary Harris got a toy fox terrier, Keylo, six months ago, all Tina could talk about was getting one of her own.

"She would say that she was going to call it her baby," Mary Harris said. "And she did."

As an early birthday present, Mary Harris gave Tina her own black-and-white toy fox terrier puppy Aug. 20.

But when Tina's caregiver, Paul Lucero, put him outside for a moment Monday, Pee Wee disappeared.

Lucero believes the dog escaped under the fence of the home on Cortez Street near Sonoma Street.

The dog has identification tags with information and a phone number.

"We just have a feeling someone picked it up and is keeping it," Mary Harris said. "It was a cute little thing."

She said it came at an especially bad time as Tina, who suffers from cerebral palsy, is living in her third home in six months.

"She needed something to love," Mary Harris said.

Tina was devastated when she realized her dog was missing.

"She just cries all the time about her dog being gone," Mary said. "I'm very upset for her. I've always been Grandma and I can fix things, but there's nothing I can do about this."

Mary Harris said anyone with information should call and there will be no questions asked if the dog is returned.

Tina is hopeful someone will find her missing puppy.

"I'm hoping he's out there somewhere," she said. "I love him."

TO HELP

If you have any information about the missing black-and-white toy fox terrier, Pee Wee, call Mary Harris at 629-0384.