NY couple says Wag dog walker lost their Chihuahua

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - A little pooch named Norman has been missing since last Friday night.

"We Love him so much and we want him home," said owner Nicole DiCarlo. She and Cody Hunt say their Chihuahua escaped his harness and ran off while a Wag dog walker was taking him for a stroll on East 88th Street and First Avenue.

"This dog walker was extremely irresponsible, didn't put the harness on the right way it appears," Hunt says.

DiCarlo and her boyfriend went out on a date on Friday night so they decided to use Wag, an app and website where you can find a dog walker, that has sometimes been referred to at the Uber for dogs. They've used the service numerous times. DiCarlo claims she has never had a problem until last week. She says they usually try to book a specific walker, but this was last-minute.

The dog got loose around 11:50 p.m. DiCarlo says Norman was captured on surveillance camera running on East 91 Street and Madison Avenue towards Central Park at 12:03 a.m. That was the last time he was seen.

"Maybe someone has him, and that putting him in the public eye would maybe help them realize that we are not bad dog parents," Hunt says.

A spokesperson for Wag told Fox 5 the company is doing all it can to find Norman by organizing numerous search parties, distributing 2,000 fliers, posters and banners, and hiring professional dog trackers. Wag even set up a Facebook page and a 24/7 tip line.

We ask if this was the first time Wag has lost a pooch. The company acknowledged that it has happened in the past but didn't tell us how many dogs were lost.  Other media outlets are reporting this is the fourth dog the company has lost.

Wag is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who can lead them to Norman. The walker who lost the pooch has been suspended pending a review.