Oconomowoc family desperately searching for stolen service dog

HARTLAND -- A Hartland family is desperately searching for their dog, which was stolen from its owner's front yard. The dog is a service dog in training, meant to help a woman with autism. 

Over the past two weeks, the Hoyer family has been hanging and passing out flyers in Waukesha County in the hopes of bringing their one-year-old service dog home for Christmas.

On Wednesday, December 12th, Sharon Hoyer and her daughter Annelore went door-to-door near Highway 16 in Hartland searching for their missing dog -- 11-month-old Baileighjo, a Samoyed.

Baileighjo was snatched from the Hoyer's yard in Oconomowoc, after the put her outside on a tether. 

Even though the Hoyers are just now physically looking for Baileighjo, in a way, the family has been searching for a dog like her all of Annelore's life. 

Annelore has Aspergers autism -- a condition that makes social interactions more difficult. Baileighjo was training to be Annelore's service dog.

"It's has been really hard on all of us. She's Annelore's everything. She's Annelore's child," Hoyer said.

With that in mind, the Hoyers are searching for hope and help. 

"No matter where she goes, some day we're gonna get her back," Hoyer said.

Anyone with any information that could help the Hoyers is asked to give them a call at (414) 614-0125.