A woman who is homeless and battling cancer is seeking the public's help in finding her possibly stolen therapy dog, Clyde, after he went missing from her friend's yard in Riverside.
"It's been really hard," Julie Treadwell, the victim whose dog was possibly stolen, said. "I'm really depressed. It's made me sick; my cancer cells are acting up more now."
Clyde, a 3-year-old Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix, was last seen on Aug. 9 playing in Treadwell's friend's gated yard with the victim's other dog. The woman searched for her beloved pet but was unable to find him anywhere, leading to her suspicion that he was taken.
Treadwell is a two-time ovarian cancer survivor who is currently battling the disease again. She relies on her two dogs for comfort during difficult times, she said.
"Well, they just cheer me up and it makes me feel better," Treadwell said. "It gives me hope and they just comfort me a lot."
The woman has been searching for her pooch every day ever since his disappearance. She was able to raise $100 as an award in an effort to encourage anyone to bring her missing dog.
"I feel empty inside," she said. "I've had a hard time sleeping and it's made me very worried and depressed."
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The Riverside Police Department are investigating the pup's disappearance and also believe the pooch was stolen.
"It does appear that somebody may have actually taken the dog instead of the dog just getting out," Ryan Railsback of the Riverside Police Department said.
Treadwell has family out of state and plans to reunite with them once her treatment is over. She hopes Clyde will either be with her by the time she leaves or hopes he is safe.
"I just hope and pray that somebody has him and is taking care of him right now," she said.
Anyone with information regarding the dog's disappearance is encouraged to contact the Riverside Police Department at 951-826-5700.
