'Can't live without her': Bay Area veteran's service dog taken from park

MILL VALLEY, Calif. - A Mill Valley man is desperate to find his missing dog which he believes was taken from a dog park.

Steven Parker is heartbroken.

"I can’t live without her," Parker said about his service dog, emotional support animal, and most importantly his best friend.

"She’s all I have," Parker said.

Wiggles was taken Dec. 9, 2023 from a dog park in Vallejo. (KTVU)

The 66-year-old disabled Marine Corps Veteran hasn’t slept for days, ever since his 6-year-old Chow Chow named Schakti, who goes by the nickname Wiggles, went missing.

"My whole life revolves around her," Parker said.

He took the dog to the Wardlaw dog park in Vallejo on Saturday, which is gated, and let her run around while he sat in the car to rest his injured feet.

"I thought she was in a safe space," Parker said. 

When he went back to get her, Wiggles was gone. 

"And I’m calling her and calling her," Parker said. "She wasn’t there. Somebody took her."

A witness told Parker; they saw a family take the friendly dog from the park. 

The family mentioned they thought the dog was abandoned, and they would return her to her owner.

"Her address, all her info was on the collar. She’s chipped, and I haven’t heard a word," Parker said.

Wiggles

His neighbor made close to 200 flyers that they’ve been posting around Vallejo for days.

"I’ve lived here for 4 years and he just he’s really good to me and my dog as well, so yeah, he’s like my dad," Mayalani Callaghan said.

For now, Wiggles’ bed sits empty.

Her dog bowls haven’t been touched in days.

The bicycle trailer she rides in hasn’t moved, and Parker’s life hasn’t been the same.

"Please return her," Parked pleaded. "Please send her home."

Parker filed a police report with the Vallejo Police Department and checked with the animal shelter.

He is offering a $2,000 reward for Wiggles’ safe return.