AUSTIN, Texas — Update: On Sunday night, Melissa Turrentine posted on Facebook that Jolene was back at home. She confirmed to KVUE that Jolene was recovered and said she plans to pursue legal action against the person she says took her dog.
A North Austin woman has been looking for her 6-year-old Yorkshire Terrier named Jolene since Thursday, when she claims an Amazon Flex driver took her.
“I’m devastated,” said Melissa Turrentine, Jolene’s owner. “Just give me my baby back.”
Turrentine was out of town when Jolene got out from the house of her friend, who was watching the dog. They were able to get some security footage from neighbors, where they saw a black SUV with an Amazon Flex employee.
The video is grainy, but Turrentine said she sees Jolene in the top right frame disappear behind the car. After a few seconds, the car drives off and she can’t see Jolene anymore. Turrentine believes the driver picked up Jolene and drove off with her.
Right after Jolene went missing, Turrentine immediately boarded a flight home. She has been working with friends and neighbors to do everything to try to find her.
“They put out fliers, a million fliers, and went door-to-door looking for footage. And we’re still doing that,” Turrentine said.
A police report has been filed, but in the meantime, Turrentine and her friends are still looking for more footage that shows a better view of what happened.
They just want to see Jolene come home.
“She’s like my family. I mean, I have a daughter and grandkids, but they don’t live close by and she’s just my love,” Turrentine said. “She’s like my heart and soul. She’s my ride-or-die.”
Turrentine was planning to go on a cross-country road trip with Jolene when she retires in two days, so just talking about being without Jolene brought her to tears.
“I mean, this is a live 'human' thing – you know, it's not a person, I get it, but it's an animal and it deserves all the courtesy of any person should,” Turrentine said.
She has contacted Amazon, who told her the man on the video is a Flex employee, but it is still investigating. KVUE also reached out to Amazon to ask about the investigation, but we are still waiting for a response.
Turrentine is offering a $1,000 reward, no questions asked, for anyone who finds Jolene. You can call either 512-294-5428 or 512-576-5830 with information.