Thursday night, a publish on the Chautauqua Missing Pet Alert Facebook web page confirmed a canine that appeared like Nero, a 6-year-old male Husky-Swedish Shepherd combine. The canine proven within the publish was seen on Chautauqua Road in Fredonia.
As of Friday morning, canine management officers within the canine had not but been trapped and secured.
More than 100 days since Nero went lacking, potential sightings had turn out to be acquainted to Valentine. She has posted persistently within the categorized part of the OBSERVER and The Post-Journal to boost consciousness and incentivize individuals locally to assist.
In some ways, these efforts have backfired.
Valentine has been harassed for weeks from individuals, locally and past, relating to Nero’s escape. She has obtained calls regionally and from out of state demanding cost for info, together with criticism of her care of her canine to permit him a chance to flee. She has additionally obtained a number of calls from individuals who claimed to have caught Nero, however the canine they caught was not him.
“I cry every day,” Valentine mentioned. “It’s frustrating, it’s upsetting. … It hurts.”
Added to the harassment she has obtained, Valentine nonetheless can not discover closure in Nero’s disappearance. She has contracted drone pilots to fly over the area a number of instances to hunt her companion, who she took on walks to the seaside and infrequently to go to family and friends. She looked for Nero within the woods for a lot of hours every day for over two months earlier than her husband satisfied her to tug again for the sake of her personal well being.
“I have no closure. It’s a lot different from a dog that dies. … When you have a dog that runs off and they are missing, and you just don’t know, it’s horrible,” Valentine mentioned.
With how lengthy Nero has been lacking, if he’s discovered, he’ll doubtless be very scared and arduous to catch. Anyone who does see a canine within the wild matching his description – or that of another lacking canine, for that matter – is urged to instantly contact a neighborhood canine management officer and to not try and catch the canine themselves. Attempting to catch a canine on the free, whereas good natured in spirit, is oftentimes far more detrimental due to the chance that the animal will flee.
In the approaching days, Valentine stays hopeful her four-legged buddy can be caught and returned home. Even with so many leads that by no means panned out, Valentine nonetheless discovered hope with the latest sighting.
“I’m hoping it’s him,” she mentioned.