Pittsburgh man pleads for return of missing German shepherd
A Beechview dog owner is asking for the return of his 7-year-old German shepherd.
It's been nearly two weeks since Frank Gale's dog, Flame, disappeared, and the waiting has become unbearable.
"I just can't, I can't." Frank Gale hangs his head low and continues, "It's too much."
"I feel like I lost a child. He's our boy. That's my wife's constant companion, and now they just stole him from me basically. They stole my child," Gale explained.
They've had Flame since he was a puppy.
The German shepherd disappeared during the Dec. 13 storm. He opened the door from the family's den to the garage and escaped.
"I haven't seen him since," Gale said.
From utility poles to tree trunks on and around Rockland Avenue, signs are posted, each one a plea to bring him home.
"I'm just completely devastated," Gale continued, "I don't know what to do because everybody I went to just passed me off to another, and when I went to the police, they said it'll go to the bottom of the pile. My dog deserves better than the bottom of the pile."
On the day Flame was last seen, a Reddit user made a post, asking if anyone in the area had lost a dog.
Gale said his family didn't immediately see the post, but once they got wind of it, they reached out and were told conflicting stories.
"I think the only reason why he hasn't found his way back home is that someone's holding him," Gale explained.
Gale is offering a reward for Flame's safe return, but while it's meant to help, it has also triggered false claims.
"It's caused me tremendous pain. Every phone call, every follow-up, it's just another blow to you. It just takes hope from you," he added. "Send him home for Christmas, please."