Thieves steal dog, but not owner's determination: 'Bring Moxie home'

BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Ever since his fiery little Chihuahua named Moxie was stolen from a downtown Bellevue hotel lobby, Chance Frenette has endured guilt, panic, heartbreak, and even a man who called to demand $3,000 "or I'll kill your dog."

The man was a prankster. Now a social media tidal wave -- search "Bring Moxie home" -- has created an army of helpful fans and a $1,500 reward, no questions asked.

Tips and possible sighting have sent Frenette to the Canadian border, central Washington, Olympia and everywhere in between.

"'Hey! Is this Moxie?!'" he quotes Facebook tipsters. "I immediately drop what I'm doing and race to whatever location to go see the dog and, lo and behold, it hasn't been Moxie just yet."

Even though it's been six months and two days, he vows to keep searching for Moxie until he brings her home. Frenette is an intense person driven as much by a love for the little rascal as he is driven by guilt for indirectly causing it to happen.

It was the night after Halloween when Frenette and a girlfriend were staying at the Hyatt in downtown Bellevue. After an night of celebrating and drinking, he got into an altercation with some guys in the massive atrium lobby at Bellevue Place. Both sides were pulled apart by security. But in that brief, irresponsible moment, Frenette let Moxie out of his sight for a moment.

"That night, I actually, in anguish, walked around the building wondering if she had just picked a corner to hide, walked around whistling, calling her name, until sun break. It was really, it was heartbreaking," he said. "Moxie is nearest and dearest to my heart. For sure."

Does he miss her? "Terribly! Everyday. Everyday there's a missing shadow."

Nearly a month later, a Bellevue police detective showed him security video barely showing two women, blonde and brunette, with three other people, pick up Moxie after the altercation, walk down a hallway and out the doors. Bellevue police failed to get video from five other cameras that might've captured faces. So Frenette called the Bellevue Place managers.

"As soon as I heard the footage got purged the day before I requested it, it just felt like Moxie getting stolen all over again," he said.

Since then, Moxie has earned a thousand followers on her Facebook page. Thousands of flyers have been posted, and tips have streamed in from across western Washington. Though, one of those calls shocked him.

"He said he has the dog and is going to kill the dog unless I bring $3,000 cash right now," Frenette said.

Frenette got the cash and drove where the caller ordered him. Six hours later, the caller admitted he was calling from Ohio.

"And he later admitted 'hey man, I was just pranking you. I'm sorry.' And I said 'hey, don't apologize, man. I hope you had fun. But for the last 6 hours, I thought I was getting my dog. So thank you," Frenette said.

He got another call from a Tacoma man who said he found Moxie.

"He thought I was going to have thousands in reward money. I walk into a dark garage. He presents an animal. It wasn't Moxie. It was an emaciated little dog that could barely walk," Frenette said.

He handed the guy $50 and took that little dog home to keep. He named her Betty. Now Betty has tripled in weight and offers comfort during his search for Moxie. He holds no ill toward the people who took Moxie.

"That's what's going to bring Moxie back," he said. "To be the bigger, better person in every chance I get. Moxie's coming home."

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