EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – A Turkish migrant family, who requested asylum at the Ysleta Port of Entry in January, is calling for the Borderland’s help to locate their dog, who they allege was stolen by a Texas National Guardsman who has refused to return the pet. 

“We are all in a very bad state mentally. Our longing for Alice (the family’s dog) has increased,” a family member said. 

The family did not want to be identified as their asylum case is pending. 

Bridge Pups Rescue, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to helping migrants reunite with their pets after being separated while requesting asylum at ports of entry, is assisting the family in getting answers. 

“When the (family) arrived at the border seeking asylum, they were immediately told by the Texas National Guard and Border Patrol Agents that they would not be able to cross with their dog, but leaving the dog behind was not an option for them,” said Ruby Montana, founder and director of Bridge Pups Rescue. 

A family member explained that the older brother in the family decided to stay behind to figure out a solution. 

They allege a Texas National Guardsman then approached the older brother of the family offering to care for their dog while he awaited to be processed and released.

“My older brother told me that (the National Guardsman) gave him a bottle of water and made herself seem like a very good person. She told my brother that she had two dogs at home and that she could take care of our dog until my brother was released,” the family member said. 

The family said they reached out to the National Guardsman 13 days after the older brother entrusted the dog to her care, when she told them the dog had died of “depression” at an animal clinic in East El Paso and even provided information on the veterinary clinic. 

“We do not believe this; no one believes this lie,” the family member said. 

Montana said the family, who are non-English speakers, were able to get assistance to contact the animal clinic where the National Guardsman allegedly told them the dog had died, and discovered that there was no record of their dog ever being treated there. 

Since they discovered that, the family said they have been unable to contact the National Guardsman. 

“It was pretty promptly after this that the specialist then decided to block the family from all forms of contacting her, which is incredibly cruel. Since then, this family has been feeling immensely helpless. They felt like they had nowhere to turn, no one to help them. She had no right to take the dog upon herself, especially with no paper trail, with no record of the dog whatsoever,” Montana said. 

Montana said that she has actively tried to reach out to the woman since the family contacted her for help, but to no avail. 

She added that they received a prompt response from Texas National Guard, and were told that there was an “ongoing investigation” and that the woman now claims to have given the dog away. 

KTSM did reach out to the Texas National Guard for comment, but have yet to receive a response. 

Montana said that the U.S. Border Patrol follows a protocol where they reach out to El Paso Animal Services, with whom her organization is partnered with, so that they can see that they find foster care for the animal while their owners are processed. 

“Border Patrol agents, or anyone at the border need to take the animal in and immediately contact El Paso Animal Services. That way, there is a clear record, a clear paper trail of where the dog is,” Montana said. 

Montana said that since she tried establishing contact and demanding answers from the Texas National Guardsman, she’s received “suspicious” and ”intimidating” texts from someone posing as a military police, trying to “obstruct further inquiries into the incident.”

“Our pets are our family members; it would be anyone’s greatest fear to hear that their family member has gone missing after trusting an authority figure to safeguard and protect them,” said Montana in a separate statement. “The Texas Army National Guard appears to show little regard for the property and rights of immigrant families. We demand for the specialist to do the right thing and return Alice to his family.”

Montana and the family ask that anyone with information to reach out to Bridge Pups Rescue at their email: bridgepups@gmail.com. 

Or by visiting their social media pages: https://www.instagram.com/bridgepupsrescue/

https://www.facebook.com/BridgePupsRescue