A Morgan Hill family is frantically combing the streets looking
for their dog, lost on Thanksgiving when a door was left open to
ventilate cooking smoke from the house. Deborah Suzuki said
“Patch” or “Patchie” was not wearing a collar but can be
identified by a tattoo.
A Morgan Hill family is frantically combing the streets looking for their dog, lost on Thanksgiving when a door was left open to ventilate cooking smoke from the house.
Deborah Suzuki said “Patch” or “Patchie” was not wearing a collar but can be identified by a tattoo.
Patch is a small purebred Shih Tzu, caramel and white in color with black on the tips of his ears, 9 pounds when healthy. He is an unaltered male, with a small tattoo on his underbelly. By now the dog could be quite dirty and matted, having been on his own for two weeks through cold and rainy weather.
He has been seen on Bender Circle, near Llagas and Hale avenues, on Peak and Crest avenues, near P.A. Walsh school, Nob Hill Terrace and Spring Avenue but the Suzukis have been unable to find him in time. On Thursday he was seen at Albertson’s and at Monterey and Main by Public Works employees.
Suzuki was a founder of the South County Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness Project that prepares residents to face local disasters safely.
Patch needs regular medical care and has complicated grooming needs, Suzuki said.
Shih Tzus make wonderful companions, Suzuki added, but are high-maintenance dogs that must be groomed every six weeks, by professionals.
The family is offering a generous reward for Patch’s return; all reports will be handled confidentially and carefully. Additionally, they need help from the community.
“We need help on two fronts,” Suzuki said. “If you hear a new dog barking in your neighborhood, please safely investigate. If you see a small stray dog that could be mine, please appr-oach him slowly, offer him some food, and try to pick him up, or lead him into a confined area, and call me immediately please. He is a gentle, skittish dog.”
She said people she doesn’t even know have helped look for the dog.
“One woman drives with her Shih Tzus and a picture of Patch, looking for him about five hours each day. Another family offered to give us a Christmas present of paying for an insert in the newspaper,” Suzuki said.
Besides the community disaster project, Suzuki has been involved in many other community projects. She was honored on Dec. 16 as Volunteer of the Year by the Emergency Manager’s Association.
Deborah and Jared Suzuki Family, 779-1722 or 839-5152 cell; js*****@ga****.com email/
