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When 24-year-old Josh Merrell adopted a dog five months ago, it was because he was suffering from post traumatic stress. He says the dog, Raven, has been his savior. But now, she’s no where to be found after a car crash in Farmington over the weekend.
Merrell never made it overseas. The Army put him on veteran status because of his anxiety attacks during basic training. For the last five months, he says Raven has become his partner in crime. He says he trained her to help him get through his attacks and things just haven’t been the same since she went missing days ago.
Merrell was in the army for a little over a year. He struggled with post traumatic stress disorder and ended up adopting, Raven, to help him through.
Merrell said, “She kept me calm. She's watched my back. She's like my friend when I need someone by me to keep an eye on me.”
But now Merrell is going through a different struggle. He was involved in an accident over the weekend near the intersection in Farmington. He says Raven got off her leash and ran off into the woods, making the pain even worse.
Merrell said, “It's been exhausting. It's been tough. Between the pain and the fact that I don't have the dog with me is tough not having her around.”
Merrell and his friends have been searching for Raven for the last three days.. But still she's no where to be found.
Merrell said, “It's getting harder and harder. There are no words to describe how much I love having that dog around.”
Raven’s little sister, Echo, is also struggling without Raven. They are trying to find comfort in each other. For now, Merrell is relying on tips from the community, hoping the right one can lead him to his best friend.
Merrell said, “I'm hoping someone finds her and captures her. We need to get her. There's really no word to describe how important she is.”
Merrell says there have been several sightings of the dog throughout the area but so far nothing has led them to Raven. If you have any information about the dog that was last seen around Route 332 and NY 96, call Merrell at 831-6039 or Bayley Wilson at 645-2320.
