Home a sad place without `Tommy’

Days have been long, and nights longer for Josie Graziosi whose life is not the same without her lovable Poodle mix, Tommy. It was an emotional wrench how Josie and husband Brian Miles came to discover that their dog had gone missing on May 24. Tommy was lost by a dog walker near the Scarborough Bluffs and his owners, away in a foreign country, weren’t told until two days later!

Josie and Brian were attending a business conference in Barcelona, Spain in late May when they learned of their family pet’s disappearance. Devastated, the couple booked an early flight back home where they immediately started a campaign to find their lost family member. The dog walker they had hired apparently removed Tommy’s leash during an outing on Sunday, May 24, in a park near the Scarborough Bluffs. The couple were told by the dog walker that two children with sticks had frightened off their dog, who then bolted out of sight up Chine Drive. The caramel coloured Tommy is an 18-month-old Shihtzu-Poodle cross, all personality staring out from the most soulful eyes. You can see how handsome Tommy was just two days before disappearing by logging onto HelpFindTommy.com. There’s a $3,000 reward with no questions asked if you find him. Trying to help bring Tommy home are Pauline, Dave and Bobo, Canada Free Press friends at pet store Bobo Canada. “I once lost my Mimi (a mixed Japanese terrier) and it was extremely sad to me, so we hope you can extend your help to Josie,” said Pauline. The Tommy trail has had moments of hope during the time he’s been missing. First seen on May 27 in the Danforth Road and Birchmount area. He was spotted again on May 30 at the Danforth Avenue and Dawes Road area. With the help of tracker dogs, Tommy’s scent was picked up and followed to a parking lot behind Shoppers World at Danforth and Victoria Park. But the grass in the area had only recently been cut and the tracker dogs lost the scent. Josie and Brian have tramped all their neighbourhood putting up posters. They have posted on social networking sites like Craiglist and even sent out a direct mail campaign to 10,000 residents and businesses. No stone has been left unturned in their sad search for Tommy. Every time they log on to Tommy’s own website, they hope for the best. Since leads are drying up, they can only conclude that Tommy may have been taken into someone’s home by people who may not know about the heartbreak of his true family. Tommy can’t talk, but if he only could he would say that he misses Josie and Brian as much as they miss him! Perhaps someone has told you about sheltering a lost dog they found roaming somewhere in the Scarborough Bluffs and surrounding area. The inconsolable couple are asking anyone who spots Tommy to contact them immediately and not approach or attempt to capture their dog as he may run away. Anyone with information is asked to call 416-606-4349, 416-580-3699 or email info@helpfindtommy.com.

Judi McLeod——Bio and Archives -- Judi McLeod, Founder, Owner and Editor of Canada Free Press, is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years’ experience in the print and online media. A former Toronto Sun columnist, she also worked for the Kingston Whig Standard. Her work has appeared throughout the ‘Net, including on Rush Limbaugh and Fox News.