*found*Rs 25000 award for Lost dog Max in Noida

Hi Madhu and All,

We had pasted around 300 posters across Noida besides an advert in Noida times (56,000 circulation) since last 7 days.

I had about three false leads but yesterday at 11.20 AM onwards there was this person who asked whether Max would respond to his name and would show some familiar gestures upon using his name. I replied in the affirmative and asked whether I too could help him confirm without being aggressive/demanding for fear I might scare them away. The reward was compelling and this ensured the person called me again to cite that his neighbor seems to have come to possess a dog similar to Max. He also said that since the neighbors’ house is locked he would call back in the evening. That’s when I requested some information on the location etc still being cautious not to put him off.  He blurted out Nizam Hospital at Bhorrolla Village, Noida. I took my car and roamed all the thin gulley’s/lanes etc hoping that Max would recognize my car engine sound and might bark etc. I was not lucky and again requested the person who calls himself as Sumit to give me specific address location etc. He was a bit rude saying that I have to be patient and that he is busy etc and would call at 4 PM.

Around 4 PM he called and said that there is no dog at the neighbor’s house and that police had taken away at 11 AM as someone else took the dog away saying it belongs to them. I asked for the police station address and was told it’s the sector 49 station. On enquiring at the said police station, I was informed that the police did no such action for the dog at Bhorolla area. I was once again called Sumit who then made me go around three different police check posts enroute to sector 108, Bangel and told to drive towards the market area. This was around 5 .30 PM and then was called on my phone to stop where ever I was and alight from my car. The person was standing 100 meters away and waved towards me to meet him up. I had two other friends from office with me and we walked to him. Sumit was joined by three other men all locals of the area. One person amongst them was trying to say that Max came to his house by himself and since four days he had fed him etc and today some other person came and took him away. Upon requesting to see the dog, they took me to a shop to confront another person who had taken Max. That person began questioning me about Max, etc and that’s when we asked them that once Max sees me, they can then decide who is the owner, etc.

We were taken to a three storey dingy house terrace where Max was tied to the terrace barricade. Upon me calling his name, he just tried to rush to me and cuddle me. There were no doubts that this was our Max and that’s when I just took him downstairs, straight to my car and drove to the closest ATM to pay off the reward.

I just did not care whether Sumit was part of the gang or everyone was play acting about Max being with them since 8 days and just wanted to go home with him safe.

What worked is the spreading the message loud and wide – via posters, newspaper adverts, word of mouth, searching in the proximity of 5 to 10 KMs of home. Once the news is spread, the greed for reward is compelling as witnessed in my case where it seemingly meant one neighbor sneaking on their neighbor about the presence of Max to me. I did register a complaint to the police station in sector 39 and now making efforts to communicate to all who helped in y search for Max.

Now that Max is back, we as a family are also concerned that people around should not get the misconception that the reward was too high for a dog and that we don’t value money. No way, it was a calculated call taken by us to see that we get Max back as he means more. We are going to more careful hence forth.

Hope this helps….

Thanks and Regards,

Angiah