To my little Trudy

 I am looking for ANY information on what may have happened to my Miniature Chihuahua between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 8:20 a.m. on Saturday, March 5th. She went missing from the 16th block of Jefferson Street in Paducah, Kentucky. She did NOT run off.

Allow me to give you a little background as to how I know this:
We walk a lot through our neighborhood in the summer and Trudy HATES it. She is petrified of birds, leaves, wind, sticks, dandelions, rocks, fences, lawnmowers, and everything else to do with the outdoors. She gets no pleasure from running, sniffing, peeing, chasing cats or any other dog-like activities. On the 4th of July I have to keep her in my shirt the entire time the fireworks are going off. When people say their dogs are scared of storms I laugh to myself because I know they have NO idea what a storm-scared dog is! I think that someone almost had to have picked her up because I KNOW she wouldn't have strayed further than the sidewalk (if she were feeling very wild). She hides during storms, she doesn't explore. I guess what I'm trying to get at is that I can't imagine her walking off.

I have tried looking in the sewer drains thinking she might have fallen in trying to get out of the rain. I've thought maybe the neighborhood alley cats attacked her, or that she burrowed under an old house's foundation and her collar got stuck on something where she couldn't get out. My husband has looked under our house. We've looked in neighborhood trash cans and dumpsters. She doesn't come when she's called,  she hides when anyone talks to her but me. When people try to pet her while I'm holding her she sticks her nose and eyes in my armpit. She is literally in my lap before I sit down. She sits on my chest with her head under my chin the entire time I'm at home, until we go to bed, when she then sleeps as far into my (pardon my vulgarity) butt-crack as she can squeeze. In the car she rides between my back and the headrest. When anyone (including myself) tries to pick her up she tucks her tail in, lays on her belly and hides her face. She sits on my lap while I use the bathroom. She jumps up on the side of the tub and waits for me while I shower. She doesn't like to be petted, she cries out in an odd-sounding yelp when you do.

I think someone has her, and thinks they are Paris Hiltonish or that they can sell her to someone (like Paris), or breed her and make big bucks. Another theory is that if a huge animal lover got her, maybe they think she's been abused because of her timidness and they don't want to give her back. Maybe someone in good-faith picked her up and fell in love. Maybe an out-of-towner rescued her and doesn't know where to return her. All I know is that I am miserable. I can't imagine what a parent that loses a human child must feel, because this is next to unbearable.

When I woke up and realized she wasn't in bed with me at 8:16 a.m. Saturday I knew she was gone. I checked her pee pad and her food area and she wasn't there. I immediately began searching on foot. First our garage, front porch, back deck, under the house, under the shed, etc. I walked the four block radius around our house three times, including every alley. I then got in my car and branched a little further. I came inside and called Animal Control and the local veterinary offices' Telephone Answering Service to have them screen calls. I swamped Facebook with photos and "lost" messages. I "liked" every "page" belonging to a Paducah based business or group and added her info to their "walls". I contacted all of the local animal rescue groups. I then made fliers and posted them in the streets closest to my house, as everyone assured me that someone would drive around looking for her owner. I did the neighborhood walk-through again. I posted her information on topix.com, craigslist.com, westkystar.com, wpsdtv.com, flealess.com, americanclassifieds.com, petfinder.com, and humanesociety.com, submitted an ad to the Lone Oak News, put an add in the Paducah Sun, went door-to-door and posted fliers at Walmart, Pet-Smart, Kroger, Noble Park, City Hall, McNabb Elementary, the library, post offices, both doughnut shops, several gas stations, real-estate offices, car washes, restaurants, dollar stores, check advance places, hair salons, bars, and restaurants. I faxed copies to churches, schools, photographers, vets, flower shops, restaurants, supply companies, Dr.'s offices, etc. I've emailed her photos and the flier I created to every email address I could find, including strangers. I emailed her info to all radio stations and WPSD, begging them to broadcast her info. I sent emails to EVERY city official listed on the city's website, including the mayor. I have spoken with all Western Kentucky animal shelters and humane societies. I have looked at "found" and "for-sale" classifieds from every city I could think of in the quad-state area, everyday. I don't know what else to do.

I guess the only thing that I can do is to keep my eyes and ears open and pray, hope, wish and dream that someone will have the kindness to tell me something. I cannot rest until this is solved. Someone HAS to know something. Your friend has a "new" dog you've never seen before, you work at a vet or pet store and see a tiny, bony, tan, female Chihuahua, you are a city employee and you see a carcass in the trash, you work on a road crew and see a dead dog...SOMETHING. There is a cage on our front porch. Put her in it in the middle of the night. Talk to the person you think has her and try to explain my grief. I will buy them a new Chihuahua from where she came from and trade. If they don't want that they can have cash. If you she was ran over, or eaten by your big dog just let me know! Send me a letter with no return address. I will not blame you for not stopping in a thunderstorm to track her owners down, a lot of people wouldn't. If you are too ashamed to bring her back after this long drop her off at Lone Oak Animal Clinic or somewhere that will keep her safe until I'm contacted. If you don't feel sorry for me, please feel sorry for her.

I can't imagine going on without her. I honestly feel naked, or more like I've lost an arm or leg. I've haven't slept without her (other than while on vacation) since August 15th, 2005. I will NEVER forgive myself for allowing her to slip outside. I was the ONLY person, place or thing in her entire existence that she trusted and I allowed her to become lost. For as long as I can imagine I'll look for her. Every time I see a big tan leaf blow across the grass, a little tan kitty in the distant bushes, or the sound of a tiny dog whimper I'll continue to get a little flutter of hope in my heart. Trudy, I am so very sorry.