The Tribune

TWO weeks after surviving a harrowing ordeal at the bottom of a well, a beloved dog has disappeared from his Gleniston Gardens home without a trace. His distraught owner, Brendan Nutt, is appealing to anyone who may have seen Rojo to come forward, and is offering a substantial reward.

Mr Nutt and Rojo met by chance and in extreme circumstances. “My friend and I just happened to be walking near an abandoned reservoir on an empty lot near my house when we heard this faint scratching and splashing sound and decided to check it out,” he said. The sound turned out to be the young pit bull male, who Brendan would later name Rojo, struggling frantically to keep his head above the stagnant water.

“We have no idea how he got in there but you could see he couldn’t keep it up for much longer,” Mr Nutt said. “It is truly a miracle that Rojo survived. He could have been down there for hours. People are almost never around the area and we just happened to pass close by.”

The pair first threw old furniture into the well to give the dog something to cling to. Then, after several attempts, they managed to hook a rope around Rojo’s midriff and haul him to safety. “He was so friendly and grateful to us for saving him. You could tell how scared he had been - his paws were torn and bloody from trying to fight his way up the sides.

“At first I was going to put him up for adoption but we bonded right away and I decided to keep him,” Mr Nutt said. Rojo spent nearly two happy weeks at Mr Nutt’s home, where the two grew quickly attached. Then, on Tuesday, he disappeared from the yard.

“He was grateful to be here and you could tell he felt safe,” Mr Nutt said. “I hope someone kind found him. I can’t imagine that he survived everything he did just to end up hungry and suffering on the streets.”

He is particularly concerned as the dog needs regular medication for a serious illness. He urged anyone who has information on Rojo’s whereabouts to call 457-2717, 446-0800 or 376-6959.