A heartbroken West Village family is offering a $1,000 reward for the recovery of its beloved pup, Moey, a poodle-y Bichon-shih-tzu-mix who disappeared Wednesday evening from Perry St.
While walking Moey on his block, Peter Falk , 52, who has lived on Perry St. since the 1960s, tied the dog to a fence and crossed the street to speak briefly with some construction workers around 6 p.m. June 25. When he turned around, the 16-pound white and cream-colored pooch – attached to a red leash and multi-color collar dangling Moey’s rabies tag, dog license and a name tag – had vanished, recounted his wife, Yelena Falk, 49. Adopted four years ago after being rescued from a puppy mill, and already dubbed “Moe” in tribute to the character played by Moe Howard in the “The Three Stooges,” the cuddly canine is also micro-chipped, said Yelena, a social worker in the New York City public schools.
The Falks live on the same charming, chummy West Village block that was depicted as Carrie Bradshaw’s home in “Sex and the City.” The dog-napping has vandalized the sense of safety they once enjoyed in a low-rise, low-crime neighborhood where Peter organized “Stoop Days” to have everyone come out of their homes and kibbutz with their neighbors. While the block was once under siege by tourists (“young girls wanting to take pictures of where Carrie lived”) Yelena doesn’t think a tourist took Moey. “What would they do with him?” she asked.
Moey is the rare canine who loves the racket of skateboard wheels. “When he hears a random skateboard, he goes, ‘whoo hoo!’ and looks out the window, because he thinks Ethan is coming home,” said Yelena, referring to her 13-year-old son, who is desperate for his pet’s return. Moey hates the family hamster but is highly attached to his Perry Street family and home, said Yelena. Since his disappearance, the Falks and their friends have put up 400 posters, reported his loss to police and Animal Control, unsuccessfully checked the area surveillance cameras that might have captured evidence and aggressively networked on social media in an effort to secure his return.
Ethan just graduated middle school, but the Falks don’t feel they can celebrate their sons’ achievement with a trip. “My husband is devastated. None of us are eating,” said Yelena. “We can’t go anywhere. We can’t take a vacation. We’re afraid to step away from the house,” in case someone comes forth with information that could lead to the recovery of their missing family member.
Anyone with information about Moey is asked to call 917-239-3496 or email yfalk@hotmail.com.
