Owners of Dixie are worried sick about what appears to be the theft of their dog and are disappointed there has been no response to their offer of a $5,000 reward for her return, no questions asked.

Ten days ago, Dixie, a white Maremma who turns three years old on Dec. 14, disappeared at the Big Hill Springs Provincial Park. Her AirTag was woven through her collar and was found discarded along Hwy. 22 just north of Cochrane shortly after 10 p.m. the same evening.

A heartbroken Aynsley Foss says Dixie is not only a highly-trained livestock guardian but a valued member of their family.

"She's a livestock guardian but I would say she's different than most livestock guardians because she comes inside and she's tucked into bed every night. A lot of the livestock guardians just kind of roam, where we know where she is at all times and we have a tracker on her, so it's a bit different. I would say she's part livestock guardian, part family dog."

Random people and social media groups of others who have had their dogs stolen have been attempting to help. Several sightings of white dogs have been reported, but still, no luck.

Foss says she's shocked by how frequently dog thefts occur. Some are transported outside of the province, making it even more challenging to recover them.

"This is a bit of a unique case because we're offering a reward, so we would think that whatever they could sell her for would be less than the reward we're offering. We're stumped and I think these organizations are stumped because it's so underground."

Anyone with information is urged to call 403-477-3929.

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