When Doug Ashby decided to walk Bear at the La Chua Trail at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, he assumed it was a safe place to bring his rat terrier.
Ashby, who traveled to Gainesville with his wife, Cindy, for a business seminar, said older people were walking the park trails.
And it was safe, until a bison crossed Ashby and his 30-pound, black-and-white dog’s path.
“I didn’t want to run to agitate him,” Ashby said. “I stayed still.”
Ashby said the bison came toward him and rammed him in the back, tossing him and Bear into a nearby canal. Struggling to stay afloat in his coat and hiking boots, Ashby made a split-second decision to let go of Bear’s leash.
“He just took off. He was spooked. I don’t know why nobody stopped him,” Ashby said, frowning. He’s told the story one too many times.
Bear has been missing since Feb. 3.
Ashby and his wife called pet private investigator Tammy Wozniak-Reed instantly.
“That first week, Doug, Cindy and I literally spent every single night and day here — without sleep,” Wozniak-Reed said.
The trio set up feeding stations and motion-censored wildlife cameras throughout the park. The last confirmed sighting was at Boulware Springs Nature Park, two days after Bear went missing.
“We need sightings,” Wozniak-Reed said.
Bear is skittish but smart, Ashby said. He has hope that his dog of three years is able to find water and food.
Sara Vinson heard about Bear through posts on a Gainesville Pet Finder Facebook page. Mother to four dogs, Vinson felt inclined to help.
She reached out to other volunteers via Facebook and took part in all-day searches Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There have been a few leads, but nothing solid has surfaced yet.
Wozniak-Reed said it’s not uncommon for dogs to go missing for weeks without being detected.
“We’ve been looking like crazy,” said Ashby, who drove back to Texas last week but returned this weekend to search for his dog.
The Ashby family is offering a $2,000 reward. Anyone who sees Bear can call 214-597-5315 or 214-597-5299.
[A version of this story ran on page 9 on 2/16/2015 under the headline “Texas family continues search for dog after bison scared him off"]
The Ashby family is offering a $2,000 reward. Anyone who sees Bear can call 214-597-5315 or 214-597-5299.
A flyer depicting Bear, a 30-pound rat terrier, hangs on a wooden pole on Sunday morning in Boulware Springs Nature Park, the last place he was sighted. Bear went missing on Feb. 3.
