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The rescue organization is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to answers in the case.
Mama Maisie, a foster dog who was reported stolen while on a walk with her foster caretaker. New York City Second Chance Rescue
A foster dog who was reported stolen during a hike in Saugus on Wednesday was found dead the following day in a nearby pond, according to the rescue organization caring for her.
Mama Maisie, a French Bulldog mix living with a foster family in Saugus, was found floating in Hawkes Pond around 8 p.m. Thursday, New York City Second Chance Rescue announced in a statement.
“Mama Maisie deserved the chance to live the happy life she had finally found,” NYCSCR Founder and President Jennifer Brooks said. “What happened to her has devastated everyone who knew her and the thousands of people who followed her story. We are asking anyone who may have seen something, no matter how small it may seem, to come forward.”
According to the rescue, witnesses reported that an indentified man approached Mama Maisie and her foster caregiver during a hike Wednesday, picked up the dog, and ran away with her.
“She walked right up to the man who would ultimately, cost her her life,” the organization wrote in an Instagram post Friday. “After everything humans had already done to her, Maisie still believed every person was a friend. A dog who had every reason not to trust people, yet loved them anyway. That was Maisie.”
Law enforcement officers, rescue volunteers, local residents, and thousands of supporters who followed the case online spent more than 24 hours searching for the missing dog before she was found dead near the area where witnesses reported she had been taken, according to the rescue.
NYCSCR said Mama Maisie’s disappearance sparked a wave of support, with volunteers distributing flyers, reviewing surveillance footage, and sharing her story across social media.
A necropsy will be conducted to determine the dog’s cause of death, the rescue said.
The organization has released a sketch of a person of interest and is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to answers in the case.
A flyer depicting the sketch of a person of interest and the $10,000 reward. – New York City Second Chance Rescue
“Maisie deserves answers — and we WILL get them,” the rescue wrote on Instagram.
Mama Maisie was surrendered after being discarded by a backyard breeder while suffering from severe medical complications, including deceased puppies still inside her body. She had developed sepsis, and doctors recommended euthanasia, according to the rescue.
“But we said let’s try. Let’s fight for Maisie. She fought right alongside with us,” the organization said. “Against all odds, she survived.”
Before living to her foster home in Saugus, Mama Maisie spent two months living with a pack of dogs in New Hampshire, where the rescue said she finally began experiencing a better life.
The organization said on social media that the dog may have been targeted because of her breed.
“It is devastating that she was targeted for her breed by greedy monsters not once, but twice,” the organization said. “The first time, she survived. The second time, she just didn’t stand a chance.”
The investigation remains ongoing.
The Saugus Police Department did not respond to requests for comment or provide a police report Sunday night.
“We are taking today to process this unimaginable loss, speak to law enforcement, and continuing our rescue work behind the scenes. Because the animals in our care still need us,” the rescue said. “But tomorrow? We start the fight for justice.”
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