B.C. couple offers Taylor Swift tickets to anyone who can find their missing dog
When Dustin and Holly Gilding adopted a great Pyrenees puppy in March of 2022 they knew George would grow into a very big dog.
“Dustin and I are both around 6' tall, so we like having a big, cuddly guy,” said Holly.
George eventually grew to a whopping 115 pounds. On Sept. 18, a family member took him for a walk on the Matsqui trail in Abbotsford. About two kilometres in, they came upon a coyote.
“George, being the guardian dog that he is, kind of took off after the coyote kind of in defence of the family member,” said Holly.
Despite an extensive online and on-the-ground search, there has been no sign of George since he bolted that day.
“It’s been it's been just shy of three weeks by now. Hope is starting to fade a little bit, we can't lie,” say Dustin. “But at the end of the day, we are just kind of thinking what kind of Hail Mary can we throw out there to at least make sure that as many people as possible know about this situation.”
Holly knew she had something very valuable she could offer as a reward, something Dustin had surprised her with on her 29th birthday: tickets to Taylor Swift’s final Eras Tour concert at BC Place on Dec. 8th.
“What’s going to get people's attention? What’s going to get clicks?" Holly said, describing her though process.
"Any time that you see Taylor's name attached to anything, it gets some attention. So being able to associate her star power to our little dog — it’s worth a try,” said Holly.
So she decided to blitz social media with an enticing offer: find and return George, and the upper bowl tickets — which Dustin was fortunate enough to buy at face value — will be the reward.
“Holly kind of was the one who came up with the idea, and at this point the tickets are hers. So I supported it completely,” said Dustin. “The resale value is high, the value of going to the show is high, but at the end of the day, I don't think there's really any reasonable price that we wouldn't pay if somebody had information to lead us to George."
The couple believes someone may have taken George or he could be surviving in the bush around Matsqui trail.
“He’s definitely a robust guy. He's a Great Pyrenees mix. They're very smart dogs. They're very resourceful,” said Holly.
They hope the lure of impossible-to-get tickets will bring Swifties to the search, and bring their big dog back home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Auto theft probe leads to arrest of 59 suspects, recovery of more than 300 stolen vehicles: Toronto police
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
Ont. woman posed as registered nurse in Simcoe County for 4 years: OPP
An Ontario woman is facing serious charges after police allege she pretended to be a registered nurse at several Simcoe County facilities, despite being unqualified.
B.C. mayor's 'luxury' trip to Dubai climate conference was against ethics rules: commissioner
New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone's all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai for a climate conference last December violated the city's Code of Conduct for Council Members and the Community Charter, the city's ethics commissioner has ruled.
WATCH 'It's mind-boggling': Drought reveals U.S. town submerged in the 1940s
Hundreds of people are flocking to see a rare site in Pennsylvania: remnants of a historic town that is usually underwater.
Democrats Abroad Canada warns U.S. voters to take action ahead of possible Canada Post strike
Democrats Abroad Canada is warning Americans that a potential postal workers strike this weekend could affect the ability to vote in next week's election.
Caught on camera: Edmonton police run over woman during welfare call
An Edmonton Police Service officer was caught on camera running over a woman with a marked cruiser last month.
Orphaned squirrel who became social media star was euthanized after being seized from New York home
An orphaned squirrel that became a social media star called Peanut was euthanized after state authorities seized the beloved pet during a raid on his caretaker's home, authorities said Friday.
B.C. landlord who evicted longtime tenant, hiked rent and re-listed unit ordered to pay $16K
A landlord from B.C.’s Lower Mainland who evicted a longtime tenant only to rent out the same unit months later for more money has been ordered to compensate him $16,480.
Secret Service report offers new details on failures during Trump assassination attempt
A new Secret Service report into the July assassination attempt against former U.S. president Donald Trump said multiple staffers knew about clear line-of-sight risks but found them 'acceptable' and that farm equipment intended to obstruct the view from the nearby building where the gunman opened fire was never used.