Woman desperately searches for missing service dog near Woodland after crash: "She's my family"
WOODLAND -- A woman's medically necessary service dog has been missing for a week after a rollover crash in Woodland.
Amanda Moulton is offering a desperate plea to the Yolo County community to help her find the dog she calls her lifeline.
"She'll put this on and she knows the difference between working and non-working," said Moulton, holding her dog Harper's service dog vest.
The patches on the vest display that Harper is a medical alert dog and an autism service dog.
One badge reads, "In case of an emergency, do not separate service dog from handler."
Moulton said that she feels lost and scared without Harper.
"Your animals are your children, your best friend or your family. That's what she is to me. She's my family. I don't have anybody else, I don't have anybody here," said Moulton.
Harper is trained to alert Moulton when she is having a heart issue or if she is about to have a seizure. She is even able to fetch bottles of medication for Moulton.
"I feel alone with her gone. I don't know what to do," said Moulton. "She's my world. She's my lifeline."
Moulton says she was driving to a funeral the early morning of May 16 when she slammed on her brakes to miss a car that had slammed on theirs in front of her. She veered into the shoulder to avoid hitting them and instead rolled into the embankment off of I-5 and County Road 102 in Woodland. Her car came to rest on its hood right outside of the Chevrolet car dealership.
"I shouldn't be alive and neither should my dogs," Moulton said.
Two of her dogs, Harper and Zoe, were in the car at the time of the crash. Two strangers came to her rescue afterward.
"They helped me get out and I just started panicking, where are my dogs, where are my dogs?" Moulton said.
The men were able to wrangle Zoe but Harper was nowhere to be found. Moulton was sent to the hospital for two days after the accident and when she went back to the crash site to search for Harper, she had no luck finding her.
Other members of the Woodland and Yolo County community have continued to search the area for Harper, sharing the information as well all over social media. Moulton said the Woodland Police Department and Yolo County animal services are also involved.
"We've passed out flyers, so I have to rely on the kindness of people in Woodland," Moulton said.
Harper is a brindle boxer, wearing a purple collar with white markings on her face and a white chest.
She is not just man's best friend, but man's helper: a dog this owner can't live without.
"I need people to help me find her. I'm scared to death I'm not going to get her back," Moulton said.
Moulton said that as a trained service dog, it's not likely Harper will run up to people in the area. She said that if you spot Harper, take a photo of the exact location.
Tips on Harper's whereabouts can be sent to the Woodland Police Department, Yolo County Animal Services or emailed to CBS13 reporter Ashley Sharp at ashley.sharp@cbs.com, which will be passed on to Moulton and authorities.
Moulton is currently working to raise money to offer a reward for Harper's return.