New Jersey pet owner's Mini Goldendoodle dies after disappearing while in pet sitter's care

ByKemberly Richardson WABC logo

Thursday, July 8, 2021

Owner's beloved dog goes missing after leaving with pet sitter

A dog owner is desperately trying to find his beloved pet after it went missing in the care of a posh pet service in Jersey City.

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (WABC) -- A man's desperate search for his beloved pet after it disappeared while in the care of a pet sitter in New Jersey came to a tragic end Wednesday when the dog was located, but ultimately died.

Diego Chaves shared on his Facebook page that he got a call informing him that his dog, Mac, had been brought into a veterinarian's office where the dog died.

Chaves urged his followers not to harass or threaten the pet sitter.

Mac was just eight weeks old when Chaves brought home the Mini Goldendoodle with a sweet disposition.

"Usually, I hear his leash or his collar jingling, him walking around the apartment, it's quiet and its very obvious he's not there, it's tough," Chaves said.

His heartbreaking saga began after connecting with a posh pet service that one website gave it good reviews.

Chaves was going out of town and met the owner, Micaela, at a high rise in Jersey City on June 30 and handed over Mac.

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"No red flags, everything seemed great, she was kind, seemed genuine," Chaves said.

He got home Sunday, July 4 and reached out to Micaela about picking Mac up Monday, between 10 and 10:30 a.m. back at the high rise.

But the following day he received texts, saying she wanted to shift things to 1:30. Chaves said "no," and he said she replied "ok, be there in 15 minutes," but she never showed up.

"I was hopeful her phone just died and she would just show up," Chaves said.

He tells Eyewitness News that when he finally made contact with the woman through email, she had an explanation, but he's still not sure if it's the truth or a tall tale.

"She responded Tuesday morning saying when going to drop another dog off, Mac jumped out of the car and ran away," Chaves said.

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