Woman desperate to find beloved dog that vanished in Queens park with pet sitter
KISSENA PARK, Queens (WABC) -- A dog owner in Queens is pleading with the public to help her get her best friend back.
Phoebe, a poodle-bichon mix, is barely 4 months old and seemingly vanished while with a dog sitter in Kissena Park.
"I'm trying to avoid thinking about her, because it's just really, really hard....sweetest little thing ever," said Jenn Gallegos.
Gallegos thought she was doing the right thing when she hired a sitter for Phoebe through the popular pet-sitting site Rover.
"She had good reviews, she has about 28 different reviews from family saying what an excellent pet sitter she is," Gallegos said.
Gallegos lives in College Point and also liked that the sitter lived in nearby Flushing.
She dropped off Phoebe on Dec. 27 so that she could join her family on vacation in Colombia and all seemed to be going well at first. That is until the sitter texted on Jan. 2 and said to call and it was an emergency.
"She told me, 'I lost her,' I started crying. I was like, 'no, no, no...there's no way, like, there's no way you did, what do you mean? You lost her?'" Gallegos said.
She says the sitter told her Phoebe disappeared from the pet stroller while they were at Kissena Park.
Gallegos cut her family trip short and is now offering a reward for Phoebe and has hired a private investigator.
In a statement, Rover says it's "hoping for a safe and immediate reunion" and that "this is truly an unusual experience on our platform."
It has also taken down the sitter's profile, posted flyers, is offering a reward and has refunded the $65 daily booking fees.
"I just care about getting her back, the money is...I guess it's important, but not as much as my Phoebe," Gallegos said.
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