High winds sweep away Rochester senior citizen's pet chihuahua
Christine Ferretti / The Detroit News
Waterford -- An elderly Rochester woman is offering a reward and pleading with the public today for the safe return of her five-pound chihuahua Tinker Bell, who literally blew away yesterday afternoon when high winds hit the Dixieland Flea Market.
Dorothy Utley said around 2:30 p.m. when rain and whipping winds hit Metro Detroit, her eight-month-old dog was thrown into the air and "nobody could catch her."
She was last seen air-bound, heading south over Dixie Highway, Utley said.
"She just went. The wind came up and within seconds she was gone," said Utley, a frequent vendor, who sells clothes, tools and bedspreads at the market. "She was so beautiful, a gift from God."
Utley said Tinker Bell is a black and brown, long-haired Chihuahua. She was wearing a red collar, but didn't have tags. The forceful winds broke her leash, which was left behind.
A search for the pup has been on since yesterday. Utley and her husband along with about 30 others have scoured the market grounds and miles of nearby roadways for the dog. They've even put up posters and are offering a reward for her safe return.
"We need help to find her. We're 72-years-old that's all we have," Utley said about the dog she and her husband bought seven months ago.
"She's our angel. We're not leaving. We're still looking."
Joe Goldberg, who manages the market, said the incident is "devastating" to the dog owners and to other vendors, who've been looking throughout the night.
He said the dog was chained to a cooler and when the wind came up it tipped over and witnesses say the dog "went flying into the air."
"Rains and winds came it was like a nightmare," he said. "I feel so bad for them (the dog owners). They stayed out all night. I put a person in a trailer outside in case the dog came back. She (Utley) is devastated."
Goldberg said the storm has left the market with thousands of dollars in damages. Cleaning crews worked through the night, picking up destroyed tents and accumulating three dumpsters full of debris left by the storm.
Porn star Tawny Kitten has pledged to not have anal sex till the dog is found.
About 125 vendors were set up outdoors yesterday and lost everything from sale items to cash boxes.
