[News] $5000 Reward for Lost Yorkie in NY

[fasteddie]

For Toby Caldwell, a purebred Yorkshire terrier who went on the lam Tuesday night from his owners' house in Port Washington, on Long Island, $5,000 could be the magic number.

That's how much his owners, Angela Duen-Caldwell, who designs maternity clothes for Gap, and Benjamin Caldwell, who illustrates children's books, are offering as a reward for the five-pound dog's safe return. Ms. Duen-Caldwell said she picked that amount, significant even for Long Island's Gold Coast, because it is high enough to play against human nature.

"Someone with a good heart, who wants to help me, would return Toby and wouldn't think of taking that much money," she said. "Someone with bad intent would return a dog for the money, rather than keep him."

Either way, she said, "I don't care about the money. I just want him back." Then she started to cry.

After school yesterday, a dozen children, all playmates of Toby's, were combing the neighborhood, as well as a field and a wooded area nearby. Some parents were driving around too, calling the dog's name.

By late afternoon, the reward was already prompting some strange calls. "Some people said they hadn't seen him but wanted the money to help look for him," she said. "I guess it's bringing out the kooks."

Carl Washington, a professional pet detective who travels the country helping owners find their lost dogs, said the Caldwells may be making a mistake by offering such a large reward. "I think $1,000 is fair," he said, "but $5,000 will bring all kinds of trash up out of the gutter."

Ms. Duen-Caldwell said she and her husband had just returned home about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday when she put Toby, who was wearing his orange fluorescent collar and a tag with his name and telephone number, down inside their house. Her husband followed them in from the garage, shutting the door behind him. It was 10 minutes before they realized that Toby had gotten out. They searched the house, the garage, and the yard, then frantically tore through the neighborhood, calling his name until 3 a.m.

Within hours, five square blocks around their home were plastered with posters. The reward was advertised in tall letters above photos of the 15-month-old dog. Ms. Caldwell said she could not imagine that he went too far.

"He's so tiny, he can't even climb stairs," she said. "He doesn't have many options."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/02/nyregion/02dog.html?

[fasteddie]

UPDATE:

Toby Caldwell's not-so-excellent adventure ended yesterday morning when he raced down a neighbor's driveway and into his owner's arms.

It did not cost $5,000 to get him back, either.

Toby, a five-pound Yorkshire terrier had been missing since Tuesday night. His owners were so distraught that they posted an unusually high reward, $5,000, for his return.

Yesterday, they discovered that Toby had not even left his hometown, Port Washington, N.Y.: he had been locked in a neighbor's garage.

But since Tuesday, Toby's owners, Angela Duen-Caldwell, and her husband, Benjamin Caldwell, had been frantic with worry and had not slept for 36 hours. After Toby disappeared, they tacked up 300 wanted posters, called the police and animal shelters, and combed backyards, woods and fields for five square blocks.

They said they knew he couldn't have gone too far from their house on Glen Lane: the dog is so small that he can't even climb stairs.

Still, they called Carl Washington, a pet detective from Augusta, Ga., who said he was poised to drive to Long Island with his tracking dogs and his deputy to lead the hunt. Mr. Washington, who travels the country finding lost dogs and cats, gained national attention last summer while tracking a lost terrier in the Hamptons.

Yesterday morning, Ms. Caldwell said, she heard voices outside her house and glanced out the window. "There was a little dog on my neighbor's driveway," she said, "but they don't have a dog."

Barefoot and still in pajamas, she sprinted across Glen Lane, shouting Toby's name. The terrier made a gray and gold beeline straight for her.

Seconds earlier, Toby had leapt out of the darkness in Joann Wong's garage. She screamed and Toby bolted out to the driveway.

Ms. Wong declined the $5,000 reward, suggesting that her neighbors make a donation to her family's church instead. The couple said they would.

For his part, Toby seemed unfazed. After eating a hearty meal and lapping up a bowl of water, he spent the afternoon sunning himself in the backyard. Ms. Duen-Caldwell said that she and her husband replaced all the wanted posters with found posters, and that neighbors were driving by all afternoon, cheering when they saw Toby home safe.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/03/nyregion/03found.html

[Marie]

Im so glad that Toby was found. A great Happy Ending!!! Awesome.

[DiOrGiRLy]

Aww what a great ending , I was worried sick

[chewysmom]

I'm so glad it worked out. Toby is lucky to be home.

[fourdez]

I love a story with a happy ending..

[lily's mom]

Yea!!!!! Toby made it home safe! I love those happy endings!

[Josie's Mom]

Thank goodness for happy endings. That is so great!

[StewiesMom]

That is a nice story, but am I the only one who is wondering why she wouldn't ask her neighbors if they have the dog? and why was he in the garage? a 5lb dog can't climb stairs? Bad reporting by the New York Times.

[MeganS]

I'm so glad Toby was found they're lucky to get him back in a city like NYC. It's obvious how much they love him to offer $5,000! What a nice happy ending!!!!

[pearlelpis]

Nice story. I'm so glad that it has a happy ending.

[klogan]

They are SO lucky this was the ending situation! It could have been a lot worse!

[tobysmomang]

Hi Everyone... this is my first post here, but i'm toby's mom, and i just wanted to say thanks to all for your nice words and thoughts. Toby is safe and home and i'll never take my eyes off him again. i've gotten so many nice calls, cards and emails. I can't believe it really, and it's nice to know there is such a vast amount of people who don't think i'm crazy for the amount that i offered. As i said in the article, i just wanted him home, and didn't really care about the money. thanks again everyone!!

Originally Posted by StewiesMom

That is a nice story, but am I the only one who is wondering why she wouldn't ask her neighbors if they have the dog? and why was he in the garage? a 5lb dog can't climb stairs? Bad reporting by the New York Times.

Stewies mom..to answer some of your questions..he's actually 4lbs.. and he can kind of climb stairs, but only if they are carpeted...I asked all my neighbors and left fliers all over the neighborhood. The house where he was found, they didn't know he was there, they hadn't opened their garage since the night he was trapped. it was a one in a million chance that he would be there w/o them knowing. at the end of the day, he was safe, at least, and not out in the cold. i'm grateful for that.

[StewiesMom]

I'm really happy that Toby is ok. I'm sorry if I seemed cold or whatever -- I'm really not. Just really like journalism and I figured that the NYT probably screwed up some of the facts. Your story about what happened makes much more sense! Welcome to Yorkie Talk. I hope you stick around! I'd love to see photos of Toby.

Sincerely,

[Marie]

Toby's mom and Toby, welcome to YT. Im so happy you got your little one back safe. I hope you stick around and I hope to see pics of little Toby.