BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A tiny Chihuahua named Esteban has gone missing in Bedford-Stuyvesant, its owner said.
The 3-pound, 3-year-old gray and white dog disappeared Wednesday night after Tina Vaden tied him outside a local corner store for a quick stop, she said.
Vaden, 32, has had Esteban since he was a puppy, carrying him around in her tote bag and backpack.
“He’s an extension of me, I take him everywhere I can,” she said.
“That’s why I know he doesn’t just run away. I can walk him without a leash. He would’ve come to me.”
Vaden took the pup out for a walk to a store on Bedford and Lexington avenues on April 20 around 9:15 p.m., she said, leaving him tied near the door.
“If he did get loose he would have come in, he doesn’t run so I don’t imagine he would have gone far with me calling for him,” Vaden said.
“I went inside for at most, seven minutes, and when I came outside, he was nowhere to be found.”
The owner believes Esteban was taken and doesn’t think he’s micro chipped.
Photo credit: Tina Vaden
Vaden spent Wednesday putting up signs around her neighborhood and is offering a cash reward for the dog’s return.
This weekend, she’s hoping to visit nearby shelters to file reports, she said.
“He has a home and whole family of people who love him, and I just want to get him home.”
Vaden is asking anyone with information on Esteban to call or text her at 626-485-5608, or send an email to teamtee@gmail.com.