Military Family Needs Local Help Finding Lost Pet

A tire blowout leaves a pregnant mother, traveling through Shreveport with her 2-year-old son, searching for the family's beloved pet.

Amanda Middleton of Charleston, South Carolina, was driving through town on July 23 on the way to be reunited with her military husband at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. A tire blowout on I-20 near Pines Road forced her to stop at Wal-Mart to have the tire changed.

While she was waiting, Libby, a mostly-black spayed female lab, jumped from her arms. The mostly-indoor pup has been missing since last Thursday, as temperatures in our area continue to hover in the triple-digits. After failed attempts to find the dog, the family had to leave Shreveport.

The family is sick with worry. Mary Diemer, Amanda's mother, posted the story of the lost dog from her Charleston home to local Facebook pages, including the Humane Society of Northwest Louisiana. Karen Day Rice, a lost pet rescuer, and other residents have been driving around trying to find Libby.

In a Facebook post, Amanda writes:

"My 2-year-old asks about her every single day. Our family is broken without her. Libby is not just a dog, she is part of our family. I looked for her while pregnant carrying my 2-year-old son. I was vomiting and getting cut by thorns. Leaving her in the woods (behind Walmart) was the HARDEST thing I have ever had to do.... I am at the (Sheppard) Air Force base right now, but I will do everything and anything I can to find the missing piece to our family. I am crying as I type this. Thank you all for helping look for her."

The family is offering a $100 reward for Libby's safe return. If you have any information about her, call the Humane Society of Northwest Louisiana at 318-219-7387.