Day 14: Searching for dog Petco lost

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Walking through 90 degree heat Tuesday, Joseph Cho repeatedly called out the name Dolly.  Anyone in Walnut Creek Park could hear the name echoing.

Dolly, 3, went missing two weeks ago from the Petco in Tech Ridge.  Groomers said somehow Dolly got loose and ran into the field behind the store in the morning of May 8.

Despite a thorough search by Cho, Dolly, a retriever mix, has yet to turn up.

"Lot of help from my friends and a lot of support from my friends [is getting me through this]," said Cho of his exhausting search.

Cho and his friends have been posting up hundreds of fliers with Dolly's photo and his phone number.  Many tips are pouring in, which led him to Walnut Creek Park.  The park is two miles away from the Petco store and Dolly would have had to cross Interstate 35. A husband and wife called Cho over the weekend to tell him they spotted Dolly near the creek but only realized the dog was missing when they stumbled upon a flier.

But not all tips have been good to hear.

Another woman phoned Cho telling him a dog matching Dolly's description was hit by a car on Yager Lane last week. He did call 311 for help and was told dogs killed that are not wearing collars are not scanned for microchips. Dolly does is micro-chipped but did not have her collar on because groomers had taken it off her.  The dog that was hit has already been disposed of and there is no way of verifying whether or not it was Dolly.

Dolly"s microchip number is 4961295801.

Cho told KXAN he even received a phone call at 3 a.m. a few days ago that his dog was spotted. He got out of bed, jumped in the car and drove to the area.  When he got to the area of the sighting, to his dismay, it was not Dolly but a dog that looked like her.

"It's an emotional rollercoaster.  Yeah you get excited and then ugh. I am trying not to get that excited anymore when I get calls," he explained.

Cho checks area shelters and animal hospital daily.  Dolly has not turned up at any.

On Tuesday, Cho spent hours approaching cyclists ready to hit the trails at Walnut Creek Park.

"I was wondering if you could keep an eye out for my lost dog?" he asked one cyclist. 

Everyone Cho approached agreed to keep an eye out on the winding trails.  Even strangers are volunteering their time to pass out fliers.  Cho told KXAN News Petco has yet to apologize to him but that they did put up fliers offering a reward this week.

Petco returned KXAN's phone calls and emails regarding Dolly last Friday.  Kevin Whalen/Petco Spokesperson said:

"When something like this happens we take it very seriously," Petco spokesperson Kevin Whalen said.

In regards to how Dolly might have gotten loose to begin with, Whalen said the company is investigating the incident and they are taking a close look at their procedures and protocols to determine what lead up to the dog getting loose.

The company plans on reviewing the surveillance video and continue to conduct internal interviews to determine how Dolly was able to get away."

Cho is working with an attorney and has yet to see surveillance video.

He is remaining hopeful Dolly will be found.  He is tossing bags of dog food and toys scented with his cologne into the woods. 

He wants to tell anyone who spots her that she does not bite, likes music and should answer to her name.

Anyone with information about Dolly's whereabouts is urged to contact Cho at 512.850.9294.