$200,000 reward for missing dog

A Kingston family is offering a $200,000 reward for the safe return of their beloved Shih Tzu poodle, Genuine, who vanished from her Old Stony Hill Road home on Monday, October 19.

Genuine was last seen on the family’s surveillance cameras at 5 p.m. Despite extensive searches throughout the neighbourhood, no trace of the dog has been found.

Since the dog’s disappearance, her owner, Ikolee Bennett, said the family has been devastated and is appealing to whoever may have the animal to bring her back home.

“I am praying that the person who has her will find it in their heart to bring her home,” the distraught owner told THE STAR. Bennett said the family has come to regard Genuine as a member.

“I could buy another dog, but Genuine is not just a dog, she is family. She is like my first child. She is the puppy that greets you with love when you get home and she is a part of everything that we do. We are all crying. We just have her for a year and two months but she is just full of light,” she said.

Bennett said Genuine quickly became an important part of the household, sharing a close bond with every member of the family.

“Genuine would race with the kids and just play. She could come in my bed, and she would just come and cuddle up with my husband and I. She is not just any dog. We really love her,” Bennett added.

The distraught owner recalled the moment she learnt the puppy was missing. At first, she believed Genuine was somewhere nearby, as the dog occasionally ignored calls from family members. However, as time passed without any sign of her, concern quickly turned to panic.

“Genuine has a little attitude sometimes when you are calling she will hear and not respond. But, when half an hour passed and she still was not seen, it started to send trauma through my brain,” Bennett said.

The missing dog was wearing a name tag bearing her address and contact information. Bennett said the ordeal has been so traumatic that she intends to place tracking devices on her other pets to prevent a similar situation in the future.

“What I should have done was to buy a tracker to put on her and I am going to place it on the three other big dogs because I really don’t want to relive this trauma. Please bring her home, she has a family and we really miss her. We are not the same since she has gone missing,” she said.

Anyone with information on Genuine’s whereabouts may contact her owner Ikolee Bennett at 876-477-3315.