Reunite a Family with Their Cherished Dog Tessa

My name is David Olsen. I live in Bennington, Nebraska. The cover photo is a picture of my son with his beloved Goldendoodle, Tessa, on the day we brought her home.

In 2016, I was blessed to be able to work hard and save enough money to purchase Tessa from a wonderful breeder and surprise my two children. Tessa is a huge part of our family.

In 2021, I was traveling to Georgia and thought it would be fun to take Tessa on the trip with me. I had friends that lived there. I had to do some further travels and I left Tessa with my friends in Georgia as they were dog-sitting for me while I was traveling. On my return to Georgia they called me to tell me that Tessa had run away in the last 24 hours and they could not find her. I was 10 hours away and was panicking.

When I arrived, I spent an entire week there going through the woods, going door-to-door, hanging posters, joining lost pet sites, and going to veterinary clinics to get any assistance. Unfortunately, I was never able to find her, and I had to return to Omaha without her. I had to break my children’s hearts and tell them that Tessa had run away.

Fast forward to September 16, 2024, while looking at Facebook, a random photo of a mini Goldendoodle with the caption Tessa popped up. A person had posted this photo after Tessa had been at a groomer. As I investigated with authorities in Georgia, I came to find that my friends who had Tessa had not really lost her; they either gave her away or sold her because she’s a very rare and somewhat pricey dog for that region.

I want nothing more than to bring Tessa home to Nebraska and to her family and to my children who have been so miserable for a couple of years now missing her.

They've admitted in writing that Tessa is my dog and they took her, but they refuse to return her. I'm heartbroken, and my children are devastated. Because of the two-year statute of limitations for criminal prosecution for animal theft, my only option is to fight this in court. I need to hire a lawyer and travel to Georgia, but I simply can't afford it. I'm desperate to bring Tessa home, and I'm reaching out for help.

Any animal lovers that have lost a pet, had a pet stolen from them, from their family, and their children, I’m just asking for help to bring Tessa home. Thank you!

Any money donated and not used will be split and donated to Little White Dog Rescue in Nebraska and Angels Among Us Rescue in Georgia