Florida woman seeks to find missing dog after fatal crash

DELAND, Fla. (AP) — A central Florida woman is hoping that someone has found a 2-year-old dog that bolted from his family’s car after a fatal crash a month ago.

The Shih Tuz, named Alfred, ran from the family’s SUV after it was rear-ended by a pickup truck early in the morning of June 4, The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported.

Valerie Boldt, of DeLand, heard about the incident and is hoping that someone will return the dog. To help, she created a Facebook profile under the name “ HelpBring AlfredHome.”

The crash happened around 1:30 a.m. on June 4 along State Road 472 near Orange City. The truck failed to slow down as it approached the 2018 Toyota RAV4, in which the dog and his owner, a 13-year-old girl, were riding, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a report.

The crash sent the SUV off the road and into a tree. It overturned and caught fire, troopers said. The driver and the 13-year-old girl died in the crash. Everyone else in the SUV suffered minor injuries.

Boldt told the newspaper she reached out to the girl’s family and is helping lead a search to bring Alfred home. The dog is neutered and microchipped.

She said a couple of people reported seeing the dog after the crash, walking alone a roadway.

The newspaper reported that a professional tracker’s dog picked up Alfred’s scent along State Road 472 about a week after the crash. But the trail abruptly stopped, leading Boldt to wonder if someone picked up the dog.