(WTNH) -- A Connecticut dog recovery organization has issued a warning to pet owners: Missing dogs are being found with altered appearances.
"It didn't even look like the same dog," said Melanie Heltke, with the Connecticut Dog Gone Recovery Volunteer Network. "There was a white dog that was completely shaved, so you didn't even know it was the same dog."
Heltke, a volunteer with the group, said there have been several incidents across the state in recent weeks in which missing dogs have been found with their hair or fur dyed or cut.
One such case involved 8-year-old Marcus from New Haven, whose appearance was drastically changed from brown to purple when he was found.
The WTNH video below is from May 8.
Krizzia Fajardo, whose dog Nemo went missing from her Bridgeport backyard four months ago, said, "He's probably a whole different color."
"I was like constantly looking out on the street thinking I'm going to see a white dog. I never really pictured someone would do that," said Fajardo. "I follow up with every single lead, even if a dog doesn't look like Nemo. I know it doesn't look like him, but I'm going just to make sure."
For weeks, Fajardo drove around searching for Nemo. She showed people his photo, knocked on doors, and repeatedly put up posters. However, she said her hunt has been hindered.
"I had a lot of posters made, and I was putting them up around our neighborhood. I noticed a lot of my posters were being taken down," said Fajardo.
"Possibility someone in the area has the dog," said Heltke.
While the motive behind the altered appearances is unknown, Heltke wondered, "Change their appearance to what, to keep it?"
Fajardo knows she'd do anything to have her fur baby back home. "You're going through such a drastic measure to conceal how they look, that's really sad," she said. "You should just return them. We miss him. We want him home. I'm even offering to give a reward, no questions asked."
Heltke said the best way to prevent your dog from going missing is never to leave them unmonitored, even when in a backyard. And as a precaution, you could also buy a GPS tracking collar.
