The owner of an 8-year-old Jack Russell Terrier that went missing during an Easter egg hunt said he will “pay anything” to have the beloved pet back.
Wellington man Judd Baker has advertised a $5000 reward on Facebook for anyone who could return his dog, Locky, with no questions asked.
He has also offered a $1000 payment for information that led to Locky being found.
On Sunday, Baker was setting up an Easter egg hunt for his children across his one-acre property in Mākara.
Locky was following him around while he hid the chocolates, but soon ran off by himself. It was normal for him to roam the property by himself, so Baker did not think much of it.
He did not think Locky would have eaten any chocolate as he always hid them out of his reach.
Halfway through the egg hunt, Baker’s wife tried to call Locky home but he did not show up.
Baker went out wearing a headlamp and searched for his dog as night fell, checking spots Locky regularly spent time in as well as areas he had never seen him enter.
“We were really worried, he has never been out that long before,” he said.
The next day, his family looked for Locky for six hours, searching through the neighbouring farm, the Mākara wind farm and the local beach.
“I feel like we have looked down every rabbit hole, every nook and cranny for as far as our eyes can see,” Baker said.
He initially wondered if someone had stolen Locky but did not find any evidence to suggest that was the case.
“He is a bloody beautiful dog, and, if people knew Jack Russells, they would never steal them because they’re really hard work.”
Locky was last seen on Baker’s property on South Mākara Rd, which is near the Mākara cemetery.
Baker hoped people would look out for his dog and contact him if Locky was spotted, but did not want people trying to physically catch him.
He said many people had contacted him since he posted on Facebook, expressing their condolences and sharing advice on how to find his dog.
He was initially “really reluctant” to publicise the reward on social media because he thought he might get “all sorts of idiots” trying to claim the money without having any useful information on Locky.
So far, no one had tried to make false claims to get the cash, but neither had anyone come forward with credible leads.
Baker said Locky was “the centrepiece of our family”.
“He is really, really loved ... Everybody adores him,” he said.
“He holds us all together, he’s caring, he loves to sleep with people and cuddle them.
“I will genuinely pay anything to have my dog back.”
Last month, precision helicopters were able to find a pet border collie who had been missing for a week after falling 55m down a West Coast waterfall.
“If I knew that [a helicopter] would get him home, I would definitely do it, it wouldn’t even be a question,” Baker said.
A few people recommended he contact well-known dog tracker Don Schwass for advice to help find Locky.
Schwass is based in Richmond, where he runs a fish and chip shop, and spends his spare time helping people across New Zealand reconnect with their dogs.
Baker said Schwass took time to understand his family, his dog and his property before giving practical, personalised advice.
He said Schwass specifically warned him away from sending lots of people out to look for his dog, because that could scare him away.
He also reassured him that dogs could survive outside for a while, which Baker said made him feel “a lot more hopeful” that Locky would eventually come home.
Janhavi Gosavi is a Wellington-based journalist for the New Zealand Herald who covers news in the capital.