CLEARWATER, Fla. — A family searching for their lost dog for more than a week got the reunion they were waiting for Friday afternoon, but they’re still searching for answers from the Clearwater veterinary clinic where the dog went missing.
Earlier in the week, Cari Clark stood along a busy stretch of Sunset Point Road, steps from the last place she saw her family’s one-year-old French Bulldog, Gracie.
“She’s our baby. She’s my daughter’s baby, my daughter is only 10-years-old,” Clark said. “I don’t think I will ever forget my daughter’s reaction when I had to tell her what happened.”
Clark said last week, she noticed the pup wasn’t acting like herself.
“She’d been having a lot of severe neck pain, really wasn’t walking,” Clark recalled.
On Jan. 22, she dropped Gracie off at a veterinary clinic specializing in neurologic issues, Specialists in Companion Animal Neurology, known as SCAN. Clark said the next morning, Gracie was supposed to go under anesthesia for an MRI and possible surgery, but what she thought was a check-in call from the doctor turned out to be something else.
“The doctor said that she had something else to talk to me about,” Clark recalled. “Our vet tech took Gracie outside to use the bathroom before her procedure, and she got away from her and she’s now missing.”
The family started searching nearby businesses and neighborhoods. They even hired a drone company to help cover more ground.
“He could zero in and see rabbits, possums, but not Gracie,” Clark said. “We just are really looking for closure, hoping she’s still alive.”
Clark said SCAN helped look and reached out to other vet clinics. Clark said she still has a lot of questions, she claimed she hadn’t seen surveillance video from the clinic and doesn’t understand why Gracie was even outside.
“Gracie had already been prepped for surgery, and what the doctor told me she still had her IV in her and her catheter,” Clark added.
SCAN is part of Ethos Veterinary Health which touts being a network of more than 140 specialty and emergency vet hospitals across the country.
SCAN turned down a chance to do an interview and instead sent a statement from Hospital Director Heather Birkhimer:
We are deeply concerned about the recent incident involving Gracie, a cherished member of her family who got loose while in our care. Our team has been actively supporting the search and remains fully committed to bringing her home safely. The well-being of every pet entrusted to us is our highest priority, and we are doing everything possible to assist in this effort. We are a team of dedicated caregivers, and our commitment to compassionate, high-quality care remains unwavering.
The email from their spokesperson went on to say, “I understand that this may not answer all of your questions, but we are unable to provide any additional information at this time as our primary focus remains on doing everything in our power to help locate Gracie.”
SCAN is licensed by the state, but in Florida, fenced outdoor areas are optional.
“The alarming thing to me is I honestly just assumed they had a fence,” Clark said.
While Gracie is small, she’s a big part of the Clark family, even more so since they lost their home in Hurricane Milton.
“Gracie has always been a huge emotional support for our daughter and for our family,” Clark said.
On Friday afternoon, hours before this story aired, the family got what they hoped for: Gracie was found alive not far from the vet clinic.
"For this to be something that just didn't have to happen is really giving us all a hard time,” Clark said.
When a pet goes missing, Pinellas County Animal Services recommends putting up signs and reaching out to local vets and animal shelters. If someone finds the pet, the county said it’s animal service agents can help reunite the pet with their family.
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