LANCASTER, N.Y. (WKBW) — A 6-year-old Hamburg pup, who was one of seven dogs seized from a home in Lancaster, is on the road to recovery.
Nyxxi, who is a Terrier mix, stayed at a dog-sitter's house, while her owner Keith Linkner was away on business.
Little did he know, he would be on a quest to find his beloved dog, whom he hadn't seen for two months.
Linkner said when he went to pick her up, the dog-sitter said she ran away, but police believe she was being held captive in an abusive home.
Now, the community's Buffalo Strong spirit is shining bright, helping cover the pup's medical costs.
He found Andrea White, who was Facebook friends with a family member, offering to dog-sit.
Linkner said, "So, we connected through social media. Then we started texting each other; questions about her experience or if Nyxxi would be safe in her home."
When Linkner returned, he said White started making excuses about why Nyxxi could not come home.
Linkner said, "At the 3-week mark, she had told me Nyxxi and her dog Remi had run away near the Bills stadium. Nyxxi, as you could see, isn't much of a runner. She's much of a lover."
According to Lancaster Police, the dog was found with eight other dogs, in a Lancaster home.
They said the missing dog suffered serious injuries while in White's care, including a neck laceration, missing teeth and even a broken leg.
Linkner said, "According to the vet, she may or may not have had a rope tied around her neck. When I dropped Nyxxi off, she had her Bills collar on, that she always wears. She doesn't have a collar on right now because the vet said to keep everything off."
A GoFundMe created to help cover Nyxxi's medical costs has raised more than $3,000.
Christy Miskell and her son, Jaxson, created a lemonade stand outside their home in Cheektowaga, in the hopes of helping Nyxxi.
"I started following her story through Facebook when she was supposedly missing," mother Christy Miskell said. "Yesterday, he wanted to find a way to raise money and he asked me if we could do a lemonade stand to raise money for her medical bills because she probably has to get her leg amputated."
The two were able to raise $600 in one day, and with this, Jaxson had one message for others to remember:
"Be kind to and help people," he told Pheben Kassahun.
Andrea White is now charged with grand larceny and police say more charges could be coming.
