Jersey City Dog Missing, $500 Reward Offered, Son 'Keeps Crying'

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Jessyca Palafox's son Alejandro, 10, "is crying so much" since his shih tzu dog got lost on Friday, she said, and they're both desperate to find him. They're offering a $500 reward.

The family bought the white dog, Bailey, as a puppy 2.5 years ago in Pennsylvania, Jessyca said, after her son — an only child — kept asking for a pet.

"He takes care of [the dog]," Jessyca said Monday. "He gives him food. It's like his friend. He doesn't have any brothers or sisters. He kept asking for a dog to play with."

She posted photos on Facebook of her son crying and of the missing posters.

Bailey got out on Friday at 4 p.m. after hearing fireworks, Palafox said.

"I can't even do anything to make him happy again," she said. "The only thing he wants is his dog."

She moved to her current home in the Greenville neighborhood of Jersey City only 5 months ago, she said, so her neighbors aren't familiar with her or the dog. She has put up flyers in her current neighborhood as well as her former neighborhood in Jersey City.

But she said that in four days of posting flyers and contacting the Jersey City animal shelter and animal control, she still haven't gotten one sighting.

She said the animal control office called her Monday morning for an update, but she had to tell them she had no information.

If you have information or can help Jessyca search, please call her at 201-691-5614.

To keep up with local breaking news when it happens, and get a free local newsletter each morning, sign up for Patch breaking news alerts and daily newsletters. Got news? Email caren.lissner@Patch.com