A Pet Owners Worst Nightmare

On 25 December 1999 (Christmas night) our then 20 month old Alaskan 
Malamute, Jackson, was stolen from our backyard. I live in Wauchope on 
the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. I checked Jackson 
at 10.30pm before I went to bed and then my partner, Brad, went out 
to check him at 11.00pm. When he didn't come to the back door Brad knew 
something was wrong and went driving around town looking for him. He 
thought someone had just left a gate open and he'd gotten out. I went 
to the neighbors houses thinking he might have run to someone else's 
backyard but there was no sign of him. Then I got out the torch and 
checked the fence on the advice of a neighbors. The fence had been cut 
at the back corner with wire cutters and Jackson had been dragged 
through cut wire with the hole barely being half his width. As a result 
blood and fur was on all of the wire. 
We rang the police who came straight around. It was then time to ask 
ourselves who would do this. Neighbors? We were friends with them all 
and they all loved Jackson. Someone who wanted him? We live in a small 
town and I don't think anyone would be stupid enough to think no-one 
would notice him. We were down to the few depressing possibilities 
left: he was sold to illicit breeders, was shipped overseas, was taken 
for fighting or was simply sold to an organization wanting large dogs 
such as guard training companies. There are other stories we were told 
about what they do with stolen Mals but I try not to entertain such 
ideas as I get too depressed. What hope did we have of getting him 
back? I advertised in the local paper and spent weeks driving around 
checking out suspected sightings. I sent pictures and information to 
all the dog shelters and pounds in our state and notified every 
organization I could. There was no sign of Jackson. My best friend in 
the world was gone. And so was Brad's. 
Around 2 weeks after Jackson was stolen we had a call at 2am in the 
morning from a lady in a nearby town claiming our dog was in her front 
yard creating all sorts of havoc. It certainly sounded promising but 
we didn't want to get our hopes up. I told her to go outside and call 
'Jackson!' and he would come to her and she could put him in her 
backyard. Well the dog did! We drove to her house in the middle of the 
night with our reward money sure she must have Jackson. Only it wasn't 
to be. The malamute she had in her yard was red and white (and shaved) 
and ours was gray and white. He was an obedient dog though! We went 
away disheartened. 
A couple of months after I got another call from another nearby town. 
A man had picked a male malamute up on the road and no-one had called 
to claim him. I asked him to describe him but knew he wasn't ours. 
However the RSPCA (Royal Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 
- Australian) rang me also and asked if I would look after him for a 
week as they didn't have room. I agreed and went to pick the dog up. 
Well what do you know? It was the red and white malamute only with 
more hair. I started calling him 'Big Red' but we named him Houston 
as he was picked up from Houston-Mitchell Drive. 
Its been two weeks now and no-one has called to claim Big Red. I have 
agreed to adopt him from the RSPCA. Brad is having a little trouble 
coming to terms with having another malamute and doesn't want to keep 
him but he'll come round. I fell in love with Big Red the day I picked 
him up. I think I was missing something that only feels complete when 
I'm with a mal. 
I still cry for Jackson most nights and I try not to think what may 
have become of him. My only hope is that he is being treated well and 
he has someone who'll give him some affection. My only dream nowadays 
is that one day I will be reunited with him.