I just spoke to my friend who is a groomer and part of a legitimate rescue. I told her about the effort to find Cookie. Here are some things she brought up--
Cookie may have been dropped off anywhere, not necessarily returned, so there 's still that hope of finding him in that area. Especially since he was neutered. No big profit in a neutered male.
It's time to go national. We need all of your help. Watch for ads in your states. I don't mean to upset Gen but the chances of Cookie still being in Florida get slimmer as time goes on if he was taken by professionals, especially if there was no ransom call.
Not all rescues are legit rescues. Some are hoarders and sellers looking for small dogs to make a buck. Do your best to check these. Find references.
Pay attention to ads that say '
Can't afford him any more' and ask for a price to re-home them.
Report these ads to the local SPCA, they more than likely are for a stolen dog. Real people don't offer a dog because they're broke and then ask for money. I just saw one of these this morning in North Carolina
Yorkshire Terrier For Sale : Oscar needs a good home.
There are several different types of chip makers/databases. If your vet chips your dog, make sure to register the chip otherwise you've just had it done for your own peace of mind. An unregistered chip is worthless.
If your dog was taken or lost, continue to pay for the coverage, even for a few years after it's gone. It's a very modest amount. If a new 'owner' re-chips a dog, an old chip will also be picked up by the scanner because they always check to make sure it's reading correctly. It might be yours, but if you drop coverage then the database entry will be dropped. Chips are just about impossible to remove and an old one will stay active.
I'm still trying to help.