Days before a trail to determine if Phineas the dog will be euthanized for allegedly biting a child, the dog has disappeared. INSIDE EDITION has the latest.
Eight-year-old Lexi Sanders is begging for the return of her beloved Labrador Retriever, Phineas.
"I want Phineas to come home," said Lexi.
You might remember the dog was sentenced to doggie death row for allegedly biting a little friend of Lexie's. Supporters took to the streets in July, calling for Phineas to be set free.
But now, the case has taken a mysterious and potentially tragic turn. Someone took Phineas from where he was being held. That's right, someone broke into a veterinary clinic and walked off with Phineas. Lexi's mom fears the worst.
"There's several people that have made comments about wanting to harm him—that they'd like to put a bullet between Phineas' eyes," said Lexie's mom.
As she searches the woods near Salem, Missouri, Phineas' lawyer Joseph Simon agrees someone took the dog and killed him.
"I do not think he's okay. There have been so many threats against Phineas that I fear the worst," said Simon.
While Lexi is heartbroken about her missing dog, J.J. Tune took care of Phineas for more than a year while he was on death row.
"We are devastated. He's been here a long time and we're all attached to him, so we're upset about it," said Tune.
The sheriff says there are no leads. So the search for the death row dog continues.
