Despite their best efforts to find their dog who disappeared from Dulles International Airport (web|news) over two weeks ago, the missing dog's owners left the area. 

John Weisner, an Army soldier, had to report to duty over seas. His wife, Ronia, had to return to their home in North Carolina, but was coming back to the D.C. area to continue the search for Jeddah.

Numerous citizens and animal rescue organizations have vowed to continue to search for Jeddah in the absence of the owners. The most recent citing of Jeddah was on July 26 in Centreville, Va. Volunteers are still needed to help canvass the Centreville-area. Anyone who wishes to participate in the ongoing search can do so by clicking below.

» link - help find Jeddah

If she's spotted, Jeddah's owners the Weisner's advise a ginger approach. "Try to turn in the other direction, basically not towards her, keep calling her, tell her you have a treat. Maybe squat and wait for her."

Bloodhounds were searching Reston and picked up Jeddah's scent and a day later, a number of volunteers also contributed to the searching efforts. Still, Jeddah has not been located.

The bloodhound searching group came from Maryland after a number or residents in Reston claimed to have seen Jeddah in their yards. A website dedicated to finding the missing dog was also started, in addition to a Twitter account where people can get real-time updates on the search. Hundreds of posters have been printed and were posted in the area and at veternarian offices to help spread the word of Jeddah's disappearance.

» web extra - print/post missing signs

E-mails have been pouring in to the helpfindjeddah.com website and the site received around 40,000 hits on one day alone. A

number of sightings have been reported. Media coverage from CNN to an article in the Washington Post helped to spread the word on the missing pup.

The dog's owners put their lives on hold as they try to track down their beloved pet who has been gone for days. "We don't have kids, we have Jeddah," said owner John Weisner. "She is my child, she is. She's everything to me. I don't know how I can go on without her. I have to find her," said owner Ronia Weisner.

Four-year-old Jeddah was supposed to be on a United Airlines flight with Army soldier John Weiser who was en route to Saudi Arabia (web|news) for a year long assignment, but the beloved family pet never made it on the plane. "Something happened. Something went terribly wrong and my dog is missing," 

The incident started Thursday night when an employee told Weisner and his wife that their kennel didn't meet FAA (web|news) requirements because it had no screws in it. They had to buy a crate approved by the airlines.

The couple switched the dog to the other crate. "The kennel was no way secure as ours was."

Just as Weisner was about to board, he said the airline told him Jeddah was missing. "My dog was in their care for less than an hour probably. They lost my dog." 

» link - keep track of efforts

"Breaks my heart now to just imagine that she is out somewhere hungry, thirsty and scared to death and nobody is doing anything in my mind"

United Airlines said the dog somehow escaped, but the family said it appears the kennel was damaged, not by Jeddah. "There's no way, no something hit it, bended it inward."

United said, "We deeply regret what happened and are working closely with all other airlines and businesses at the airport in an ongoing extensive search effort."

"She's probably equipped to survive out in the woods, but she's never had to do that."

"We looked around in the dark til about 1 in the morning.We came at 6:30 this morning and searched again." The couple was allowed to search the tarmac with an escort, but they said they haven't seen the type of full-scale effort Jeddah deserves. 

» link - donate money for search efforts

"You would expect that an airline is gonna treat an animal with the same level of dignity and treatment they're giving a passenger," John said.

"I'm just going minute by minute here wondering what she's doing out there, how scared, how more scared she is at this point," Ronia said.

The Weisner's created fliers offering a $2,500 reward that United has offered to match for a total of $5,000. The fliers are up at construction sites and ramp areas at the airport to alert workers. Unites said all pilots at Dulles are aware, along with air traffic controllers.

"She's not going to be in and around the terminals because of all the planes, all the noise. She's going to be out and away," John said. Ronia said she's not going anywhere until Jeddah is found. "Deep inside, I think she's here. I will stay here as long as it takes." 

United officials told the Weisner's they will start searching the woods surrounding the airport on Tuesday afternoon. The Weisner's said they wish the search of the woods happened five days ago, when Jeddah first disappeared. United said it had someone searching every day since it happened with some employees even helping out on their day off.