Scammer hits man who is searching for his lost, blind dog

The story of Paul Rush and his dog Spot took an unfortunate twist recently.

Rush, who had his truck stolen from the Sandoval Regional Medical Center while his best buddy Spot was inside on Jan. 31, is still searching for Spot.

Rush, who lives is Anthony, New Mexico, and was in Rio Rancho for a doctor’s appointment, has owned Spot for 16 years and the two are inseparable.

“I’ve had him since he was 2,” Rush said. “He’s 18 now; he’s blind and he’s a little old and might be going a little deaf, too. He has selective hearing, let’s put it that way. But he’s my best bud and he has to go everywhere I go.”

While many people have reached out to help look for Spot, a Cocker Spaniel, one person scammed Rush out of $100.

A man contacted Rush saying he knew the whereabouts of Spot but was scared because his boss found the dog and wanted to keep him. The scammer said his boss offered him $100 to keep quiet about where Spot is.

“He said, ‘I have a problem because it’s my boss. I don’t want to lose my job; I have a 4-month-old baby,'” Rush said of the scammer. “He was really good. He told me he couldn’t sleep at night knowing that he has your dog and you’re still looking.”

Rush is offering a $500 reward for the safe return of Spot and offered the man $100 on top of that to help get Spot back. After the man received the $100, Rush called the number to find it had been disconnected.

“That’s pretty low,” Rush said.

It hasn’t all been low for Rush, who said many people have contacted him with legit Spot sightings and a group of five or six have been looking daily in the areas Spot has been seen while Rush is recovering from a recent eye surgery. Rush will be back in Albuquerque Friday to search for Spot, who has been seen on the Sixth Street Frontage Road near the Big-I.

“It’s been unbelievable,” Rush said. “Where we’ve been looking, there’s a lot of homeless in the area so it’s been kind of dicey. I just tell them to be careful. But it’s wonderful.”

Rush said the truck still hasn’t been found by police yet but his only concern right now is for Spot.