Houston man goes to incredible lengths to find beloved dog, helps save 15 others
HOUSTON - "I show up to Gallery Furniture and there's a little scruffy looking dog in the parking lot and he's trying to jump up and hug on anybody who will get near him," said Max Stubbs.
It was love at first sight for Stubbs who named his new best friend Zeus just two and a half years ago.
On Aug. 12, Zeus, who is microchipped, got out of the yard through an unlatched gate.
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"We looked into the wee hours of the night we looked all the next day," Stubbs said.
The day after Zeus went missing Stubbs had signs made.
"We ended up putting up 700 signs," he said.
Many of the signs were placed in public easements and the city threatened to take action. "They said 500 dollars per sign per day you do the math on 7 hundred signs," said Stubbs.
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The signs prompted hundreds of calls and Stubbs said he checked out all credible sightings.
"A lot of times these dogs don't have anywhere to go or the person who called doesn't have the ability to take the dog," he said. "So what are you going to do leave the dog on the street."
With the aid of rescue groups, Stubbs helped save the lives of 15 dogs that look like Zeus.
"I've had more than one person say you've got to stop you've done more than anyone I've ever seen to try to find an animal," Stubbs said.
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But Stubbs says he can't stop looking for two good reasons: his 7-year-old daughter and Zeus.
"He has a family and I have a daughter who loves him more than anything and you've taken that from her and you've taken that from me and that's selfish and wrong," Stubbs said. "You need to do the right thing and return Zeus to his family because he has a family."