Dog owner puts missing pup on weed baggies
A Manhattan woman searching desperately for her missing dog took an unusual approach to spread the word — printing the pup’s photo on marijuana-themed baggies — but the effort has led to dozens of prank calls instead of solid leads.
Garbiella Fussner says she has received about 50 hoax calls since the bags began circulating last week. Many of the callers pretend they’ve found her dog, only to bark into the phone before hanging up.
“I’m already down. I don’t understand what you’re getting at,” Fussner told The Post.
The baggies, featuring a photo of Appa, were distributed over the weekend, about a week after the 5-year-old Shar Pei ran off from her boyfriend’s backyard in Corona, Queens. Fussner said a neighbor set off fireworks, frightening the dog and sending him through a hole in the fence.
Appa had escaped before, but previously stayed nearby and was found within 30 minutes. This time, he hasn’t returned. Fussner worries someone may have taken him, noting that she has heard of dogs being stolen in the area.
“I am worried someone might have picked him up because a few people have told me that around Corona, there’s a thing where people steal dogs,” said Fussner, 27, a ceramic artist who lives in Manhattan’s Financial District.
The idea to put Appa’s image on the bags came from Fussner’s boyfriend, who asked a friend with nearly 13,000 social media followers to help promote the missing dog flyer.
The friend, an artist who goes by Yo Chill, decided to print the image on marijuana-style packaging to draw more attention. Yo Chill said the bags were intended as a publicity stunt and denied selling any illegal substances.
“I just like to do things my own way,” he said, adding that he believed the unconventional approach would reach a wider audience than a standard social media post.
Fussner admitted she was initially surprised by the tactic but ultimately supported it if it meant more people would recognize Appa. However, the prank calls have taken an emotional toll.
“People say, ‘Oh, I think I found your dog. Can you say your dog’s name to confirm?’ I’ll say, ‘Appa!’ And then they start barking,” she said. “That’s been super frustrating and exhausting. But at this point, I just want as many people as possible to see what he looks like. I’m up for anything.”
In her search, Fussner has even consulted two pet psychics. One suggested Appa might be hiding in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park.
Appa — named after the flying bison from “Avatar: The Last Airbender” — holds deep meaning for Fussner. She said the dog helped her cope with her mother’s death and a past breakup.
“He has been my main source of family,” she said. “He’s been there through so much.”
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