$100,000 reward for missing dog

They say a dog is a man's best friend, and Steve Weinstein is the living proof of that phrase.

For almost two weeks, the Westmoreland resident has been a broken and distraught man. His dachshund/cocker spaniel dog Kaya did not return home from her regular morning walk.

Weinstein told THE STAR yesterday that he is offering J$100,000 for the safe return of his dog.

"She has another little partner called Tina, and every morning they would go out and do their morning business. But Kaya has a habit of going out on the road and sniff along. She wouldn't go very far, though, as they would both find their way back home. She is usually back in the yard by 8 a.m., which is less than an hour's walk but on February 1st, only Tina returned," he said.

DOGNAPPED

Weinstein said after probing the neighbourhood on his motorcycle for a few hours without any sign of Kaya, he concluded his 'child' was dognapped.

"I don't have any kids as yet, so for now, she is my child. She is my comfort and I feel very lost without her. Without her I can't sleep at nights. I am very sad," he sighed.

Weinstein stated that a day after Kaya's disappearance, he offered a reward of $20,000 for her return. But the figure increased drastically after he got assistance from several social media users.

Weinstein said a spiritualist after using her special powers told him that the animal is afraid and hungry and wants to go back to the beach with her master.

He said the spiritualist gave him a description of Kaya's captors and the house where she was being held.

Weinstein said that he strongly believes Kaya was taken to a location outside of Negril, because days after she went missing, he used a town crier to make the announcement of the reward, but no information was forthcoming.

"People are hungry around here and if they know there is, $100,000 reward if they find the dog, they are going to find her and bring her to me," he said.

According to Weinstein, six-year-old Kaya is a celebrity. She is often seen wearing sunglasses and riding along with him daily.

"She is seen everywhere with me. She likes to swim, so whenever I take her to the beach, persons, especially tourists, are always coming up to me and asking questions. She is friendly and is attracted to people's smiles, so everyone loves her. I have met a lot of foreign friends because of the dog," he said. "The bike taxi guys call me 'dog man', and whenever I go to the bar to have a drink with my friends, she is there with me. She has the personality of a human."

He said that he has no intention of taking legal action, as he is only interested in Kaya's return.

"We just want her to be back home with her family. Tina misses her a lot, and it's like she doesn't know what to do with herself now that Kaya is not here. She is scared, and it's like she is wondering if she will be next," he said.

Anyone with information on Kaya can

call Weinstein at 858-1906