Black Diamond man turns to social media to find missing dogs

A southern Alberta man is desperately pleading for help to find his two missing dogs, which he believes were stolen this month.

Michael Lacey says the 14-month-old Karelian Bear Dogs, Willow and Aspen, went missing May 6 from his home near Black Diamond.

He had fed them around noon and went inside to have a shower, before going back outside 45 minutes later to work in the garden. That’s when he realized they were gone.

“I knew something was up for sure because they’ve never spent a night away from home,” he said. “They ’ve never roamed so far that I can’t call them back. They always stay within earshot.”

A week after he last saw them, Lacey turned to Facebook seeking the public’s help. His post has since been shared about 12,000 times.

He’s offering a reward for anyone who helps bring them home, but so far hasn’t had any luck.

“They have such distinct markings and they’re such a rare breed that if people are watching for them, somebody will eventually see them,” Lacey said.

“I just need one person to see them and get me in the right location and start looking from there.”

Lacey said he has received plenty of messages from strangers across the country telling him they’re keeping their eyes peeled.

“Anyone who’s ever owned a dog, I feel, understands what it’s like or what it would be like to get your pet taken like that,” Lacey said.

“It’s tormenting. It’s always on

It’s tormenting. It’s always on my mind. As I drive around, I’m always scanning everywhere I go. I have nightmares at night about them.

my mind. As I drive around, I’m always scanning everywhere I go. I have nightmares at night about them.”

Lacey had cared for the dogs just one week shy of a full year before they were taken. He says they’re more than just pets to him and planned to take them travelling to Alaska and across Europe.

“They were like service dogs to me,” he said. “My dad passed away from cancer last year in September. It kind of spiralled me into a depression having to watch that happen and those dogs were like my coping, my way of continuing to find a reason to smile. They were my therapy dogs.

“I just need them back.”