A famous therapy dog has gone missing in Orange County and his owner is desperate to find him because he requires a special diet.
Teddy, a miniature poodle, has traveled to disasters all over the West Coast as part of a nationwide dog therapy team called HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response.
In August 2013, Teddy was seen giving cuddles to grieving students at Santa Monica College following a deadly campus shooting.
"Teddy is a little dog they can pick up and hold him and put him on their shoulder. We call it Teddy hugs because he'll stay there forever," his owner Katherine Jarrett said.
The service dog has comforted hundreds of people over the past 3 years, including hospice patients, disabled children, fire victims and students at Isla Vista following the 2014 shooting rampage at UC Santa Barbara.
But, Teddy went missing from the Huntington Beach condo where his family had just moved in the area of Goldsport Circle and Talbert Avenue on Saturday. Jarrett says a cleaning crew may have left a gate open and Teddy hasn't been seen since.
Jarrett is recovering from back surgery at a rehab facility in Fountain Valley and she's desperate to find the little dog who has given so much love to so many.
News
Top news of the day
"Going home and him not being there is going to be very hard for me.. very very hard," she said.
Volunteers are putting up missing posters around Huntington Beach and time is of the essence because Teddy has health problems. He suffers from a liver defect that prevents him from processing protein so he requires a special diet.
"With his condition he wouldn't live very long … please somebody, help me find my dog."
The pup was not wearing his identification tags when he disappeared, but he does have a microchip implanted with his owner's phone number.
If Teddy or any lost dog is found, a vet or animal shelter will scan the microchip for free.
A reward is being offered for Teddy's return and anyone with information is asked to call Kimo Jarrett at 714-476-3822.
