Missing Dogs Spark Fear in Choctaw

BY JESSI MITCHELL, News 9 

Fear is growing in Choctaw, after dozens of pet owners say their dogs have mysteriously gone missing.

Theories range from birds to coyotes to thieves as the culprits. Social media posts have brought more stories forward, and they are all eerily similar.

Rhonda and Jerry Williams are still holding on to the hope that they'll find their 3-year-old chihuahua Missy.

“It’s not a dog. It’s our baby,” Rhonda Williams said.

The couple told News 9 they let Missy out early Wednesday morning, and minutes later she was gone.

“Maybe somebody’s driving around the neighborhoods,” Jerry Williams said. “I don’t know if they live in the neighborhood or what, and they’re taking them and selling them or something. We don’t know.”

Since posting notices on street corners and on Facebook, the couple has gotten more than 30 calls from people living nearby, saying their dogs have also vanished in the early morning hours. Choctaw police, however, said they have only received two reports.

Some people told News 9 they did not file a report because they thought the small dogs were picked up by some sort of predator.

“I would go with the person before I would go with the animal,” said Choctaw animal control officer Kenneth Grant. “You see it all the time.”

The Williams decided to offer a $250 reward for the safe return of Missy as an incentive.

“Figured if they were selling her, (they would) probably sell her for $100 to $150,” he said.

“We’ll give you more than what you can sell that dog for,” Rhonda Williams said.

Other pet parents say they are now keeping a closer eye on their own dogs.

“If we’re not out there with them, we have to lock them in our house. They can’t even go out in their own yard. It’s terrible,” said Corey Deal, owner of three dogs.

In the meantime, animal control is having a hard time investigating. A neighbor of the Williams' did see a thin, white man, possibly driving a white Ford Taurus at the time of Missy's disappearance.

"There’s a white car down the road from here. White car, no license plate, no physical description besides white. There are white cars everywhere,” Grant said.

The Choctaw Police Department does encourage anyone who has lost their dog recently to file a report as soon as possible. That way they have a better idea of the area in which these cases are happening and they can hopefully get more witness information.

To report a case, call (405) 769-3821.