Dog missing in frigid Chicago weather after escaping South Loop doggy daycare
A search is underway to find a dog that escaped from a South Loop dogy daycare over the weekend, and is now lost in dangerous cold conditions.
Time is ticking for Minnie in the frigid temperatures across Chicago this week, after she escaped from a PUPS Pet Club, a doggy daycare in the South Loop. Her owner said she'll stop at nothing to find her.
"She's there for us when we need her, and we need to be there for her now that she needs us," Laura Simpler said. "She's our heart and soul."
Minnie is like family to Simpler.
"We know that she's finding herself shelter and warmth, and just praying that someone has hopefully even already found her. Maybe she's sitting on someone's couch right now," Simpler said.
The dog escaped PUPS Pet Club boarding site in the South Loop near Michigan Avenue and 13th Street. She's a mixed breed with a black coat and white fur on her chest and three of her paws, except her front right foot. She's also not wearing a collar.
Dan Rubenstein, CEO of PUPS Pet Club, said the horrible incident happened at 3 a.m. on Sunday, and no one was there to stop her.
Rubenstein said Minnie opened her crate, opened several of their doors, and got out through an adjacent building's lobby.
Surveillance video shows the very smart girl make her dashing escape. She was able to jump up and open the doggy daycare's door with her mouth. Another angle shows her running in the lobby of an adjacent building. And the third camera shows her opening an emergency door and running north on Michigan Avenue.
"The focus is trying to find Minnie. And so we're sorry for what happened, and we wish we would have prepared better. This is not what we stand for as an organization. We want to take care of dogs, and we want people to be able to trust us, and so we will make the necessary changes and learn from this," he said. "Just to know that she's out there right now in this weather is breaking my heart."
Rubenstein said exterior cameras show Minnie ran north, headed towards Roosevelt. He and his team have been out searching Grant Park and the South Loop area alongside Simpler.
"The whole South Loop community and Chicago at large has had our backs helping, canvassing. People we've never met before are bringing out their dogs to come search. It's a beautiful thing in the sight of this obvious tragedy," Simpler said.
Simpler asked anyone who sees Minnie to give her a call immediately at 415-717-6650 or 410-960-1516.
Rubenstein said he hopes to work with the company Smithicair, who recently helped find another lost dog using a thermal drone.
