It sounds like the plot from an Ace Ventura movie, but for the Sanders family this is their reality.

And now they’re asking the public for any information to help them locate their missing family member that may potentially be in the Southern Highlands.

On January 11 2019, Emma and Michael Sanders were making their way down to Sydney after losing everything they had in Gladstone, QLD when Rookie, their 11 year-old Terrier cross, was accidentally left behind at a service station in Taree. 

The Sanders family raced back to the stop 20 minutes later after realising their mistake but unfortunately Rookie couldn’t be found.

The family had posted to local Facebook groups, searching for the missing dog and initially sightings left them hopeful of a quick reunion but after three nights of sleeping in the car in Taree while searching for Rookie, the Sanders family left for Sydney broken-hearted.

The determined family then traveled back to Taree for a further 12 days chasing leads but ended up chasing their tail instead.

That’s when Arthur & Co Pet Concierge got involved. Emma Sanders, reached out to the pet detective service, who offered their services pro bono, to help them locate their beloved Rookie.

It was then that Emma had received a peculiar Facebook message by someone allegedly living in the Southern Highlands, saying that her dog had been hit by a car and killed. However, when Emma tried to get more information, she was told that the account had been hacked.

The blow comes after the Sanders family lost some of their most valuable possessions to termites at the start of the year. The family had moved to Sydney from Queensland and had left what they couldn’t bring with them in a container. When they went back to collect their items, they discovered that the termites had well and truly gorged themselves.

Emma and her family still have hope that their dog can be found. Their unwavering devotion has brought them to the highlands to put missing posters up in the streets and in vets.

“It’s been devastating,” she said. 

“I didn’t think that this happened, we just want our dog back.

“We’ve lost everything. The dog means more to us than anything else, we would give everything up to have him back.

"We aren't going to give up."

Rookie is a male de-sexed terrier cross and 11 years-old. The family has updated his microchip information and have reported him as missing.

Anyone with information please contact, Arthur & Co Pet Concierge on 0406 834 001 or get in touch with Emma via the ‘Help find Rookie lost in Taree’ page on Facebook. Alternatively, Rookie can be dropped off at a vet, no questions asked.