Amy Martinez has spent every free minute over the past four months searching for Zen.

"I love him and he's my best friend and I know I'm gonna find him. I know he's out here somewhere; scared; alone.” she said. “I think someone took him.”

Zen, a shepherd mix who was microchipped, disappeared from Martinez’s backyard enclosure in October while she was living near Platte City. The dog owner feels it is very unlikely he made it out of his cage and ran away, especially after hiring a private investigator to help with her search.

"His trail or scent ended in the road in front of our house, which led her to believe he was put in a car and stolen,” said Martinez regarding several search dogs that attempted to sniff out Zen’s whereabouts.

Martinez hired Karin TarQwyn to help, a private investigator based in Nebraska, who told 41 Action News she’s been helping families across the country search for lost pets since 2005. She also feels the Midwest, rural areas in particular, have been easy targets for pet thieves.

"I have seen an increase in theft in the Midwest over the past five years, especially in rural areas,” she said. "Basically the most important thing is to not leave your dog unattended in a place that is visible from the street or the public."

While pet theft certainly isn’t new, one has to wonder if the crime is as prevalent as ever. 41 Action News reached out to the ASPCA, which said pet theft data is not tracked. However, countless missing dog posts are shared on social media daily, including this video below from California posted last week which shows a brazen stranger hopping a front-yard gate, picking up a family dog, and driving away with it in his truck.

41 Action News also spoke with Kristie McClendon from KCMO last month, who said her family’s four-month-old puppy was stolen from inside their home in January while they were gone.

"Make sure you have eyes on them at all times,” said Tori Fugate with KC Pet Project.

KC Pet Project is one of the largest no-kill shelters in the country, housing roughly 10,000 dogs each year. Fugate said they hear about dog theft quite often; missing or stolen, they have paid staff to help.

"We have a lost and found coordinator that works here. She's full-time and her job is to try to reunite people with their pets,” said Fugate.

And while Martinez isn’t going to stop looking for Zen, she’s also keeping a very close eye on her two dogs still with her.

"I refuse to give up. He's my son. He's my kid,” she said. "I won't be leaving them in the yard alone. They're all gonna be inside."

TarQwyn believes it’s likely someone drove off with Zen but feels he may have later escaped his captor(s). There have been possible sightings of Zen near Cliff Drive in Northeast Kansas City.

For missing animals, you can reach KC Pet Project at 816-513-9821.

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Josh Helmuth can be reached at josh.helmuth@kshb.com

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