Tampa couple searches for puppy who escaped under the care of a … are pleading for help locating their Bernedoodle puppy, Blue, who escaped while in the care of a Rover pet sitter on the evening of Jan. 28 in Tampa.

The couple says that 504 hours have passed since Blue disappeared. Blue was last seen in the 800 block of Fletcher Avenue near the I-275 overpass, and Caldwell and Evers have offered a $4,000 reward for his safe return.

Caldwell described Blue as a roughly 30-pound Bernedoodle with black, white and gray fur, a couple of pink spots on his nose and mismatched eyes — one blue and one brown. Video the couple shared appears to show an SUV strike Blue; he stumbles, gets back up and runs off along Fletcher Avenue, according to the account provided to local reporters.

“We looked on multiple websites and ended up finding this particular Rover. She had fabulous reviews. She actually offered to do a meet and greet,” Caldwell said, describing how the sitter was chosen. The couple booked the sitter through the Rover app, a choice they made after thoroughly vetting candidates based on factors such as proximity and suitability.

Caldwell has repeatedly urged caution for anyone who might spot Blue. “If anyone does see him, please do not chase him. He’s terrified right now, but take a photo, take a picture, and then contact me immediately and try to stay as close as you possibly can if you do see him,” she said, adding an emotional plea: “He’s our baby. He’s the love of our life, and all we want to do is bring him home safely.” Whether successful or not, the emotional toll of such searches is significant for pet owners.

Search efforts have focused on the Fletcher Avenue area near the I-275 overpass, where the couple says the dog ran off. The video element in the couple’s account is a central piece of the appeal to the public; it is cited by the owners as showing the sequence in which Blue was struck and then fled the scene. Common safety measures for pet sitters, such as conducting security checks of all doors and windows before and during visits, are vital in preventing such escapes.

Caldwell and Evers have asked neighbors and drivers in the area to check security cameras and social media pages for sightings and photographs. They described the strain of the search in personal terms, saying that “Just knowing that he’s out there is absolutely heartbreaking. We feel so hopeless, and we want nothing more than to bring him home.” They are acutely aware that pet sitters have legal responsibilities in such situations, as they may be held liable for a lost pet if negligence is proven.

The couple engaged a sitter through the pet-care platform Rover. Their statements about the incident and the sitter’s account of events have been central to their appeals to the public as they continue to search.

Local reporting has carried the couple’s request for help and the descriptions they provided of Blue. Tampa Bay 28 has published the owners’ account and the video they shared, which Caldwell says shows what happened the night Blue ran away.

Blue’s disappearance came on the evening of Jan. 28; the couple has marked the passage of time in hours and offered the reward to incentivize tips. They have asked anyone with information, photographs or a live sighting to contact them immediately, emphasizing not to chase the frightened puppy and instead to document the sighting and stay nearby if it is safe to do so.

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Original reporting: view the original article.