Simon Flarity’s beloved service dog, Tito, has been missing since July 4th, when he was startled by some fireworks on a pier in Fairhope, Alabama.
Flarity has had Tito, a Pit Bull, for 10 years. Tito is a service dog who helps Flarity deal with severe PTSD that’s a result of two deployments serving in Iraq in the US Marine Corps.
On the morning of the 4th of July, Flarity and his fiancee took Tito out on a friend’s boat. After returning to the dock, they were standing around talking when a neighbor shot off some fireworks, which startled Tito. A few minutes later, the friend left with his boat and Flarity and his fiancee realized that Tito was nowhere to be found. There haven’t been any confirmed sightings of him since.
Flarity has started a Facebook page, Finding Tito, to help receive tips on where people think they may have seen him. Currently, the page has an impressive following of over 12,000 people, and Flarity asks anybody with any information on a stray dog (which may or may not be Tito) to please contact him. The dog dad says that he’s not afraid to go on a wild goose chase, since any lead might be the one that brings Tito back home.
Here’s a video with Flarity explaining what people should do if they see Tito, or any dog that might be him, and why it’s so important to find him.
(To turn on the sound, play the video then click the speaker icon in the bottom right corner.)
Flarity is offering a $1000 reward for information leading to Tito’s return home. Flarity and Tito have an irreplaceable bond with each other.
According to the veteran in a story by AL.com:
“I’m a dog person, but Tito and I communicate on a level that’s hard to describe. It’s something I’ve never felt before. We can have conversations. It’s weird. It’s amazing.”
Tito is a dark gray and white 50-pound Pit Bull with large ears and a stub tail. He’s neutered and microchipped and was wearing a black nylon collar when he disappeared. If you think you’ve seen Tito near Fairhope, Alabama (or anywhere else), please visit Finding Tito or contact Simon Flarity at 251-214-5176.
Share this story, and together, we can help get Tito home!
(H/T: AL.com, Finding Tito)
via Whisker Therapy