CEDAR CITY — A California couple is holding out hope for the safe return of their dog who disappeared in the aftermath of a car crash on Interstate 15 near Parowan.
Haley Warner and her husband Jerry were taken to the hospital after the crash the morning of June 9, but their 1-year-old Chihuahua-terrier mix, named Flynn Rider, apparently ran off following the incident and hasn’t been seen since.
She said one of the first things she remembers after the crash was screaming, “My baby! Flynn!” and hearing the EMTs and other people at the scene tell her they were looking around for the dog.
The Warners adopted Flynn last August from the San Diego Humane Society. The puppy and his sister had been thrown out of a car into the street.
“We fell in love with him instantly,” Haley Warner said. “I’ve always loved pets. I got diagnosed with anxiety and depression, so I got Flynn as a companion to keep me company. I trained him myself and took care of him, as my husband left for a seven-month military deployment soon after.
“Anytime I got anxious or cried, Flynn would be there to cuddle me and or, as we say, ‘give me kisses.’ Going through this traumatic experience is hard enough. I wish I had my Flynn with me. I tell people he is the love of my life and my whole world. He is my child, my baby. We buy him clothes, treats, food, toys, he is a very spoiled and loved pup.”
Flynn is a small dog with golden-tan fur and large ears, and was wearing a blue collar and ID tags. He also has an embedded microchip.
“He’s very skittish around new people but will probably come to you if there is a treat involved,” stated one of the numerous online posts made by Warner family members and friends.
“We just want our baby home,” Haley Warner said. “We have bags packed ready to go pick him up and bring him home.”
The couple, who live in San Diego, had been heading north on I-15 to visit family when the rollover occurred at about 8 a.m. between Summit and Parowan (see map for approximate location).
“I have a concussion, so I’m not able to remember how the accident happened,” Haley Warner told Cedar City News. “I just remember driving and the car rolling over. My husband was asleep and woke up when he said he heard me scream, and said we were sliding sideways. I smashed my face into the steering wheel, knocking myself out.
“When we stopped rolling, Flynn wasn’t in the vehicle with us,” she said, adding that the vehicle ended up in the center median in between the northbound and southbound lanes. “We don’t know how or when he got out of the car.”
Bystanders, EMTs and police officers at the scene all helped in the search for Flynn. The Warners are hoping other witnesses may have seen the crash or its aftermath, and might even have video showing which direction the possibly injured dog went.
Since returning home to California, the Warners have traveled back to the area of the crash. They have called multiple animal shelters and law enforcement agencies and have posted on numerous social media pages and websites devoted to finding lost pets.
Haley Warner says she appreciates the efforts of all those who have expressed love and concern and have helped in the search for Flynn.
“My heart is filled with joy as to how many people have been searching for my baby,” she said.
The couple has another dog named Chewbacca, and when they showed up back at home without Flynn, “Chewie immediately started sniffing us and looking around the house crying. It broke our hearts. He is here in my room everyday looking for Flynn, and lays on his blanket.”
Anyone with information about Flynn is asked to contact the Warners through the dog’s information page on the website lostmydoggie.com.
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