'My heart is completely filled': Months after dognapping, Phoenix woman and service dog reunited

A Phoenix woman and her service dog have been reunited following six months of separation after the pooch was dognapped during a park visit.

Mya, a female American Bully who aids Lindsay Deyo, 35, with her seizures, went missing the morning of Nov. 9 at a dog park off Interstate 17 and West Northern Avenue. An animal search and rescue volunteer leading the missing dog case found Mya on May 16, some miles from where she disappeared.

Dog and owner were reunited that same day.

“The hole in my heart is completely filled right now,” Deyo told The Arizona Republic about having Mya by her side again.

On the day of the reunion, Deyo woke up to a knock at the door with two volunteers for the Phoenix-based nonprofit Humane Animal Rescue and Trapping Team (HARTT) telling her they had a surprise for her.

“I kind of freaked out because I kind of knew what it was, you know? And then they brought Mya out of the car and I just started crying,” Deyo said. “I've always had hope that one day soon we’d be reunited. I wasn't thinking it was gonna be this soon.”

After being briefly distracted by a cat at the doorstep, Mya licked Deyo’s face as she wagged her tail. Mya appeared to have lost some weight, Deyo said, mentioning she planned to get a full veterinary checkup on her this week.

“We've just been hanging out and it's been awesome,” Deyo said.

Spotting Mya on the road

According to HARTT President Cheryl Naumann, a volunteer spotted a dog that resembled Mya being walked by a man when driving on Indian School Road near Seventh Avenue.

The volunteer had been helping search for Mya since Deyo reported her missing.

Deyo quit her part-time waitressing job to look for Mya, who would warn her of seizures and get her medication while she experienced a seizure. The woman would think back to her dog to hold back on seizures. The stress led to Deyo suffering a miscarriage, she told The Republic in April.

Deyo looked away briefly while at the dog park and then Mya was gone. Six months later, just as suddenly, the volunteer found Mya on the side of the road.

According to Naumann, the man walking the dog did not fit the description of the man seen with Mya after being dognapped.

Approaching the man and dog with dog food, the volunteer asked about how the pup came into his life, the man said he had bought her a few months earlier.

The volunteer "was pretty excited by this. This could actually be this missing dog," Naumann said.

With the use of the microchip scanner, the volunteer was able to confirm the dog was in fact Mya. "Like a lot of our volunteers she always has dog supplies in her car," Naumann said about the microchip scanner.

But parting with Mya did not come easy for the man."He said, 'Please just take her back to her family and get her out of here before I start crying,' and (the volunteer) said his eyes started tearing up" as she took Mya, Naumann said.

How to keep dogs safe and from going missing

Dogs should wear a snug-fitting collar with updated contact information on the tag, especially when traveling, Naumann said.

"Sometimes they get away. Someone can quickly reunite you with your furry family member," Naumann said.

Also, teenagers and adults should walk dogs as they will be able to hold onto a leash tighter than a small child can, Naumann said.

To avoid pets running away, Naumann explained that owners should keep their homes secure. Naumann mentioned how some circumstances like parties or family get-togethers may make pet dogs and pet cats nervous and cause them to flee. Visitors, she pointed out, may not be careful with closing doors.

"Anytime the environment as a whole changes, it's important to be vigilant," Naumann said.

Owners, she said, should regularly check for broken fence panels where a pet may dig themselves out or for nearby objects which a pet may jump over.

"Never take your eyes off" your dog at a park or other public space, Naumann said. "It's really easy to become distracted and talk to people around you and watch other pets playing."

If someone appears to be approaching your dog, then immediately go to them and ensure the pet is secured in place, Naumann advised. And pets should never be off leash anywhere but their own yard with locked gates, she added.

"A good-meaning person might assume this is a stray that needs help or needs a home because the dog is not in the vicinity of an owner," she said.

Over 120 volunteers on the lookout

Naumann said the organization's volunteers are always on the lookout for a stray while driving down a street or browsing online for found pets.

HARTT has more than 120 active volunteers in Maricopa County and in Arizona’s Rim Country, according to Naumann. Volunteers reunite pets with owners, they rescue dogs and cats and their work has led to a yearly recovery of 800 at-risk animals, Naumann reported.

Deyo said HARTT’s continued efforts to find Mya kept her optimistic throughout the ordeal of having the service dog away. And Deyo is striving to keep Mya from going missing again.

“I always have my eyes on her at all times,” Deyo said of Mya.

For owners who have lost a pet, “my advice would be just to stay positive. Just spread the word as much as possible on Facebook groups, and just try to get the word out there,” Deyo said. “Contact HARTT because they are awesome.”

Those interested in learning how to help HARTT’s mission through education, volunteering, animal adoption or donations can visit azhartt.org.

Reach breaking news reporter Jose R. Gonzalez at jose.gonzalez@gannett.com or on Twitter @jrgzztx.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix woman and service dog Mya reunited after 6-month search