Since her dog disappeared on Friday, Denise Cardinale, of Cutchogue, has been searching frantically.
The dog, a three-year-old neutered male Lhasa Apso who answers to the name “Mello” was last seen on April 3.
“He literally just took off,” Cardinale said. “He was on the line in front of my house, he broke the line, and he kept going. One minute he was there and then he was gone. He disappeared.”
Although he likes to be outside, Cardinale said Mello is always back within seconds. “He would always come back. He’s a lap dog. He’s not really an outdoor dog.”
Devastated, Cardinale has put up a sea of posters around town, including two large billboards in the Mattituck and Jamesport shopping centers. “He’s a sweetheart,” she said. “He follows me everywhere, in the house, when I’m watching TV. He sleeps with me every night. He’s my little love.”
Her kids, 17 and 21, are inconsolable over his disappearance. “They love that dog,” she said.
Cardinale said she’s following up on every phone call, every lead, in the hopes of bringing her dog home safely. But the wait has been agonizing, she said. “Today is Day 4.”
Her dog, she added, is microchipped, so he can be traced back to Cutchogue easily.
Mello loves people, Cardinale said. “He’ll lay in your arms. He’s the most trusting dog. My niece holds him on her shoulder like a baby. You can’t help but fall in love with that dog.”
Concerned that someone may have picked him up and taken Mello home, Cardinale is imploring the public for help — and offering a $1,000 reward.
She’s frantic over the thought of her little dog outside for so long. “He loves being home,” she said. “I can’t even imagine how he must be feeling if he’s outdoors. He’s not an outdoor dog.”
Cardinale said she won’t give up her search. “I feel like I lost a limb,” she said, her voice breaking. “I’m heartbroken.”
Anyone who sees Mello or finds him is asked to call Cardinale at 631-553-3591 or return him to 350 Highland Road in Cutchogue.
