B.C. woman enlists helicopter, bloodhounds to find missing dog

It'sbeen seven days since Kate O' Sullivan's three-year-old goldendoodle vanished in the woods near Whistler.

Since then, herefforts to locate her beloved Scout including ahelicopter flyover and putting two bloodhounds on the trail have bordered on superhuman.

O'Sullivan, 35,also cancelled a vacation to Hawaii and spent more than $5,000 in her bid to locate Scout.

Scout is "not just a dog," O'Sullivansaid. "They are family members, such a part of our life."

O'Sullivanlearned Scout was missing last Friday,the first day of a planned nine-day vacation in Hawaii with her mother and five-month-old son. When her plane landed in Honolulu, she saw texts from her dog walkers telling her thatScout had disappearedon an afternoon walk on a trail north of Whistler.

Ran off after walk

When the walk ended, Scout didn't want to get in the truck and ran off.

O'Sullivan said she didn't think twice about cancelling her vacation. She caught the next flight back to Vancouver.

"If he is found in the time we are travelling. wonderful, we will spend our vacation my mom was with me with the dog and hang out inWhistler," she said. "If he's not, I'm here to search."

In the last week, O'Sullivan, a nurse, has camped out most nightsat the spot where Scout disappeared,hoping the dog will emerge from the woods. Her mother is at her home caring for her baby boy.

She's set up agofundmepage, and she said she is grateful for the more than $5,500 that has already been raised to help find Scout. She said she will donate any leftover moneyto an animal shelter.

Hired pet searchers

On Monday,O'Sullivan hired a pet search company at$2,900 for the day that set two bloodhounds on the trail where Scout wentmissing. Yesterday, she and her boyfriendpaid $711 fora half-hour helicopter flight to scour the mountains from the air.

"I think he is scared," O'Sullivan said. "I think he has made himself into a little ball to be warm. And I think he is too scared to move, or else he ran and ran and ran and he's run the wrong way and there's nothing outthere.

"It's the worst. This is day seven."

Today,O'Sullivan is back at the site whereScout disappeared. She's brought her carand filled it with clothes, hoping the scent will draw Scout back to her.