Aunt, nephew’s 2-year search for their missing dog saves the lives of hundreds of other dogs

HOUSTON - You might think this is a story about a boy that’s playing basketball with his dog. But the story is about a dog that’s not here and all the lives that dog has saved.

Tuesday marked the two-year anniversary of Mia disappearing.

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"Mia has been very busy," said Karen Kiesling "She may not be here physically, but she’s here in spirit."

In February 2020, we told you how Kiesling and her 13-year-old nephew, Ian Wyble, put Mia’s picture on a billboard along I-10 near Beaumont. Then she started a Mia’s missing FaceBook page.

"And that took off and people were sharing it all over the place, hundreds of thousands of shares, and then people started tagging me on dogs that looked like her," Kiesling said.

Every time she hears about a possible sighting, the aunt and nephew would go check it out.

"We’d go out in the woods and trap dogs," Wyble said.

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Kiesling and her nephew would never leave a dog behind. She or others would foster until every dog she was told about got rescued.

"It makes me feel good that they won’t get euthanized," said Wyble.

To date, the search for Mia has saved the lives of 202 dogs.

"She would be very happy," Wyble said.

"It’s almost like we’ve been led like a calling," said Kiesling. "Some of the things that have happened have been God-like things that happened, that shouldn’t have happened, and that just makes your spirit keep going."

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The pair say they will never stop looking for Mia.

"We’re going to find her one day. I have no doubt," Kiesling said.

All the dogs and puppies seen in the report are available for adoption.

For more information, visit the Beaumont Pets Alive Facebook page or visit the Sauver Des Chiens German Shepherd Dog Rescue Facebook page.