News

Actions

Blind 12-year-old dog missing in East Grand Rapids

Posted at 10:43 PM, Dec 06, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-06 22:54:00-05

EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — With temperatures in the upper 20s, and wind chills in the teens, it’s dangerous for anyone to be outside long in West Michigan – including pets.

And that’s why Cathy Bissell, who heads the Bissell Pet Foundation, is so concerned. She says her daughter Alissandra’s dog, Abby, has been missing since late Tuesday afternoon.

Compounding the problem is that Abby went blind about two months ago from SARDS, which stands for ‘Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration’. Cathy says Abby also suffers from Cushing’s disease,
which usually strikes older dogs, and comes a variety of symptoms.

She says Abby went out in the yard to go to the bathroom, and normally never wanders very far. But Cathy believes, because of the strong  winds Tuesday, the dog may’ve become disoriented.  Her home is in the area of Reeds Lake Boulevard and Hodenpyle Woods SE.

Abby is 12 years old. She’s a black-and-brown Brindle Australian Shepherd mix, and weighs about 30 pounds.

Cathy says that Abby wears a tight collar with the owner’s phone number engraved on it. In addition, the dog is micro-chipped. Friends, family and strangers have mounted an extensive search.

Late Wednesday night, Cathy told FOX 17, “We just got home, and people are still out looking. We’d like people to continue to check, because Abby will be looking for a warm spot.”

Cathy Bissell said the photos she posted on her Facebook page have gotten more than 2-thousand shares. “Social media is great, but no one has seen her yet.”