ELK GROVE, CA - Adele Spears was on her final day of vacation at Disneyland when she got a call from the Grantline Veterinary Hospital that her dog, Gusty, was missing.
"We packed up from the hotel. We had to leave without staying that night and raced down Interstate 5 to Elk Grove and the Wilton area," said Spears.
According to Spears, a handler was walking Gusty and her other dog, Breezy, at the property on the 9000 block of Grant Line Road on Christmas Day when Gusty was spooked by a passing vehicle. The handler lost control of Gusty who ran across Grant Line Road and disappeared into a field.
"I think what happened is something startled him. Shetland sheep dogs are known to be timid and high strung," Spears said.
Gusty, who is black and white, was last seen wearing a blue and brown Lupine collar with a red, white, and blue dog tag. He also had a microchip tag and rabies tag.
Spears, her husband, and Breezy, spent Thursday afternoon looking for Gusty near Pleasant Grove Elementary School, the area where Gusty was last spotted.
"He's been a member of the family for two years and he's a best buddy of our little dog, Breezy. They are inseparable and bonded," Spears said.
Spears said the dogs arrived at the veterinarian's office about three days before Gusty went missing. She said she chose to board her dogs with Grantline Veterinary Hospital because it provided good services. She had used the vet hospital for boarding her dogs once before.
Spears said she has no desire to hurt the veterinarian's reputation, but says the incident could have been prevented with better protocols in place.
"You could make sure that you only take one dog out at a time when something like this happens - you make sure that the area you're walking is secure," Spears said.
"(I'm) just hoping that something good will come out of this. If we don't find Gusty maybe something good will happen," Spears said.
Gusty will also answer to "Cookie" and may be dragging a leash. He may be wearing a bow with a Christmas design on his collar.
A reward is being offered for Gusty's safe return, but Spears did not provide any monetary amount. If you have any information, call (916) 708-5454, (916) 708-5485 or (916) 687-6913.
News10/KXTV