A Toronto resident is proving that dogs really are a man's best friend after he offered $15,000 for the safe return of his pet pooch.
Huckleberry, a three-year-old chocolate Labrador, went missing Saturday morning while he was in the care of a dog walker.
The handler tied the dog up to a pipe outside a bakery in Rosedale at about 9 a.m. but when she came back out he was gone.
The dog's owner, 37-year-old Bert Clark, was in Florida at the time. He rushed home when he heard the news.
"I'm absolutely devastated and there's nothing I want more in the world than to get Huckleberry back," he told CTV Toronto.
He said he believes his dog was taken by a stranger and he's hoping the money will be enough to urge people to "do the right thing."
"The number I hope is just enough to motivate the people who have done this, or those around them who may know of Huckleberry's whereabouts, to do the right thing and bring him home," he said.
Clark spent Sunday putting up missing posters across the city.
Several people called in with tips but none of the leads have led to Huckleberry. Police are reviewing surveillance video tapes from the surrounding area including a Toronto Transit Commission station.
Two boys were seen petting the dog before he disappeared. Clark said if his dog is returned safely, there will be no questions asked.
Huckleberry weighs about 85 lbs, he has a silver of white on his chest and was possibly sporting a green collar.
