The search for a lost Italian greyhound ended sadly for owner Karen Depietro when she received a phone call January 5 from two men who claimed to have found a deceased dog on South Mountain in Salisbury Township.
The men, identified only as Chad and Eric, told Depietro they were hunting with a group of six men earlier in the day when Chad came across a little black dog lying under a bush. The two remembered receiving the flier of Depietro’s missing dog, Antonia, in their mailboxes. Eric carried the dog back to his home. The pair found the flier and called Depietro.
Depietro offered the men the $500 reward for finding Antonia, but they would not accept the money, she said.
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Although the outcome was not what she had hoped for, Depietro said she was happy that at least her beloved dog Antonia was found and that she “could be put to rest properly.”
Antonia had been missing since December 14. Depietro is not exactly certain how or when her dog perished, but she believes the cold is probably the cause of death. She said Italian greyhounds have very little fur to protect them from the cold temperatures.
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Depietro took Antonia to the veterinary office Sunday where she will be cremated. As a standard measure, the veterinary office scanned the dog’s microchip and confirmed it was, in fact, Antonia.
She said her other Italian greyhound, Alfonso, is crying constantly for his friend Antonia. She has been trying to console him and give him more attention.
Depietro said she wanted to express heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped look for her dog. Numerous strangers called her wanting to help. She said many people had seen the fliers about her lost Antonia, heard through word-of-mouth or read about her on Salisbury Patch.
“I appreciated everything everyone had done for us,” DePietro. “We have had a lot of support.”