Hình ảnh được cung cấp bởi Ilona Krijgsman từ Pixabay
We’re not trite when we say that a dog is man’s best friend. We know you love your dog, and you would go to the ends of the earth for them. This is why it’s completely plausible that if your precious pooch got lost, you’d offer a reward to motivate people to help ensure his return. How much do you offer though? You want it to be enough that people will be galvanized, but not so much that you’re spammed with scammers.
If you have any experience in how to find a lost dog, then you know it takes more than just the promise of money. Finding a lost dog requires checking shelters regularly, talking to neighbors, and getting the word out as far and as wide as possible. However, in cases where a dog has been taken rather than lost, then the larger the reward, the greater the incentive to return the dog. Here are some examples of dog parents who upped the ante on their rewards as a last resort to get their dog babies back.
- £2000 for a missing Chihuahua
Mark Trowsdale reported that his chihuahua Gizmo ran away in September 2019 and offered a £2000,($2566 USD), reward. Trowsdale considered Gizmo, his child; he’d had him ever since he was a baby. Trowsdale currently lives on the street, and Gizmo is his only companion. A community member generously offered the reward. However, as of this writing, there is no news on whether they found Gizmo.
- $5000 for the safe return of Ondrea
Ondrea is not just an ordinary pooch. She is a trainee puppy at Seeing Eye, a non-profit organization that trains seeing-eye dogs. One June morning, she pushed through a door latch and ran away from her foster home. They initially offered a reward of $500, but they then increased the amount when two weeks went by without any sign of Ondrea. After twelve weeks, the reward was increased to $6000. Unfortunately, as of this writing, Ondrea is still missing.
- £7500 offered for return of stolen dogs
David and Natalie Taylor had their home broken into, and their dog and BMW stole in November 2019. Four-month-old Indie, a pug, was taken along with his dog bed and David’s wallet. They initially offered a cash reward of £5000 for the puppy’s return but then increased the reward to £7500. Thankfully, Indie was later found and returned safely by an anonymous source.
- $7000 reward for stolen Australian Shepherd
A woman in San Francisco had her Australian Shepherd, Jackson, stolen from the parking lot outside a grocery store. She had tied him to a bench and gone inside for what she said was a mere five minutes. When she returned, the dog was gone. She offered $7000 to the person or persons who took Jackson. There is no news, as of this writing, about whether they ever found Jackson.
- $10,000 offered for Bella
Ben Brengle’s truck was stolen outside a Lowe’s store in South Carolina just before Christmas 2019. Brengle’s 2-year-old yellow lab mix, Bella, was in the car at the time of the theft, and he desperately wanted her back. He offered $10,000 for Bella’s safe return and an additional $5000 for the identity, arrest, and conviction of the person who stole her. Unfortunately, Bella was not recovered alive, but they did catch the man who took her.
- Tory Burch offers $10,000 for her missing poodle
Fashion designer Tory Burch lost her dog Chicken in October 2019. According to Chicken’s missing poster, she was last seen in the company of a couple around midnight. Burch subsequently offered $10,000 to the couple for the pup’s safe return. Thankfully, Burch and her pooch were reunited a few days later.
- £20,000 for the return of two missing dogs
Edward and Georgie Bell originally offered £1000 for any information leading to the safe return of their border terrier dogs, Ruby and Beetle. They later increased the reward to £5000 and then, as a result of donations from across the country, raised the reward to £7500. The dogs were thought to have been stolen from the couple’s yard on December 28, 2019. As of this writing, they are still missing, and the reward has increased to £20,000.
- $500,000 Hong Kong dollars for missing mongrel named Ci Ci
Ci Ci was a guest at the Petworld Resort, a pet boarding facility in Yuen Long, when she escaped on May 27, 2019. Hotel staff chased after Ci Ci but quickly lost sight of her. The hotel offered $500,000 HK ($64,357 USD), for the dog’s safe return. There is no news as to whether they ever found Ci Ci.