The tiny black and white dog, named "Oreo," managed to bolt out her front door somehow after being chased by a cat she shares the home with.
This happended at about 11:30 a.m. yesterday. She was last seen running northbound, then she darted off and a friend lost sight of her.
There's some history with this feline housemate of hers. In her photo here, she's wearing a protective collar while her eye socket heals -- the cat literally scratched her left eye out and it could not be saved.
"It's not noticable right away because she has black fur around her eyes," Stronge said.
Oreo went back to the vet Friday for a check up and all was good. With some warm weather approaching, Strong decided to bath her a couple days ago and shear off her fur. She removed the 15-month-old pup's collar with tags for the grooming session.
Alas, Oreo is out in the wild world without ID, but she's readily identifiable. Plus, she's wearing Pokémon "Pikachu" character pajamas that are striped black and yellow like a bumble bee. Adorable!
"I'm holding her collar in my hands now," laments mom.
There's another little doggie in the household and the cat chases it, too. So for now the cat she rescued is in a cage and Strong is looking to rehome it.
"The cat is good with other cats and people, but not dogs," Stronge says.
When the canine -- known historically as "the little lion dog" and also the "chrysanthemum dog" skittered away from home, Strong was in Rochester and she returned to learn of the bad news an hour later.
She did everything she could think of: called the animal shelter in three different communities; contacted law enforcement; put up a notice on a lost pet website; scoured parks; looked around wooded areas in the vicinity; and even drove to Alexander on a sighting tip that didn't pan out.
Let's all keep our eyes peeled for Oreo.
If you spot her, give Nikkie Stronge a buzz or text her at (347) 702-1222.
UPDATED 11:28 a.m. April 8: Below, photo of Oreo in her Pokémon "Pikachu" character pajamas.
