Nov. 22 update: Annette Poitras and three dogs have been found safe. Updated article here.

Search and rescue crews are scaling back the search for a dog walker missing more than 24 hours in Coquitlam, but plan to resume at full strength on Wednesday.

Officials with Coquitlam Search and Rescue and RCMP said Tuesday afternoon they'd have to put efforts on hold as the sky darkens.

Crews have been looking for Annette Poitras in the Westwood Plateau-Eagle Mountain area since Monday.

Poitras was walking her own dog and two of her clients' Monday afternoon and told friends she'd be in the area of the Westwood Plateau golf course.

She was expected to return home before dark, so by 5:30 p.m., her husband was worried.

"I text her and say, 'Hey, are you OK? How's it going?' And tried calling her a few times," Marcel Poitras said.

Marcel drove to the area and found her empty van. That's when he called 911.

"We're obviously very concerned. The bush is heavy, the weather is bad with the rain and the cold. This is something we need to address right away," RCMP Cpl. Michael McLaughlin said.

He added that police don't have any reason to believe there was foul play or "anything nefarious going on." They believe her cellphone is with her, but they haven't been able to get in touch.

A team of about 20 volunteers spent the evening searching the area for signs of the 56-year-old, hoping she'd stopped to take care of one of the animals but was unharmed herself.

"One of the dogs is 13 years old and we've been told that it can only go for about two hours," Coquitlam Search and Rescue manager Michael Coyle said.

"That also leads us to suspect that that's the dog causing trouble and it's probably just decided not to move anymore."

Coyle said they believe she was with three dogs at the time: a boxer, a collie and a puggle. They're hopeful she's hunkered down somewhere with them and using them for warmth.

"Eagle Mountain has an incredible network of trails of all different sorts. It's got mountain bike trails, dog walking, hiking trails, there's the compressor plant up there… It's a crazy maze of trails," he said.

"And it's surprisingly rough very quickly."

Annette wasn't found overnight, so search and rescue crews from the North Shore, Surrey, Ridge Meadows and Lions Bay joined in the effort Tuesday morning. Dozens of police officers and a search and rescue helicopter were also brought in to help the search.

Mounties said they have no specific evidence to indicate where she is.

Marcel said she often walks the older dogs near the course because the trails are easier. She knows them well, he added, but was not prepared to spend the night outside.

"She's usually home by 4, picks me up from the train," he said through tears.

His wife worked at a grocery store for years, but became a dog walker when she retired because she'd always dreamed of it. The couple has a 19-year-old daughter who's holding up better than he is, he said.

Annette is 4-11 with blonde hair, blue eyes and a medium build. She was wearing either a navy blue or pink rain jacket when she left the house.

"If you find anybody on the mountain, grab them and bring them down," he said.

Anyone who has seen the missing woman in the last 24 hours is asked to call 911. Mounties said volunteers are not required in the search and asked the public to keep the area clear so rescue crews can focus on their efforts.

With reports from CTV Vancouver's Breanna Karstens-Smith and Ben Miljure