While in Japan, Zoe and Ying left their dog, Haku, in the care of a sitter through the pet service, Rover. They were notified while on their trip Haku was gone.
HOUSTON — Husband and Wife Zoe and Ying are desperately searching for their beloved dog they said was lost by their pet service sitter.
About six years ago, the couple adopted their border collie mix, Haku.
“I spend pretty much all the days with my dog because I work from home,” said Ying Shi.
Zoe and Ying said on any given day you can find Haku sitting in his favorite spot, a pink bean bag chair, but that hasn’t been the case for the last few weeks.
“We are trying our best not to, you know, get too emotional every time when we look at things, because these remind us of him,” said Zoe Huang.
The couple went on a trip to Japan last month and said they normally put Haku in a boarding facility but wanted to try something different. So, they chose the pet service Rover.
“Like a home environment with a place that he can just simply run around and can cuddle with people, basically,” said Zoe.
The person set to watch Haku was about ten miles from their apartment. The couple said everything was fine until they were notified that Haku was gone.
“It didn’t hit me right away. In my head, I was like, how could that happen,” said Huang. “It sounded like what actually happened was, her own dog opened the door and left with my dog.”
Zoe said the sitter’s dog was found, but theirs wasn’t. They returned home as soon as they could and for the last few weeks, they’ve been searching everywhere for their dog.
He was last seen near Biscayne Way in north Houston.
“We been visiting all of the, the local, shelters and, there’s a lot of information that’s been provided by them,” said Huang.
KHOU reached out to Rover, who said to support search efforts their team offered a reward for information on Haku’s location and even purchased flyers.
Read the full statement below:
We join Haku’s family in hoping that he will be swiftly reunited with his family and those who love him. To support search efforts, our team has offered a reward for information on his location and purchased flyers to be hung in the search area. In addition, we’ve posted in community forums and with specialized online pet locating services, which communicate directly with shelters and veterinarians in the area, as well as alerted members of our community so they can assist in the search.
Rover prioritizes the safety of people and pets in our community and values the trust pet parents place in our marketplace. For additional context, Houstonians have booked over 520,000 services through Rover, with 98% of reviewed stays receiving five stars.
Zoe and Ying say being without Haku has been difficult for them.
“I still have the habits, you know, because I’ve been having them for six years to take walks in the morning but now it’s without the dog take a short break, after lunch time again, without the dog,” said Shi.
The couple is staying hopeful as they continue their search.
“He’s family to us,” said Huang.
The couple says Haku is microchipped, so they hope that will help bring him home.