‘Do not chase’: French bulldog on the loose in Rockford, owner asks community for help bringing her home

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) – A Rockford woman is asking the community for help capturing her dog that’s been on the loose in the city for going on two months.

“She just took off and like never came back,” said Heather Crislip, referring to her female French bulldog, Donut.

Donut was rescued from a puppy mill in Florida and is believed to be 4 or 5 years old. She escaped from Crislip’s northwest Rockford home on June 30 while her dog sitter was getting ready to take her for a walk.

And although there have been several sightings, Donut is still on the loose.

“She’s very scared around people,” Crislip said. “She’s not vicious. She won’t bite people. She just runs away from people. “It’s been very challenging.”

Heather has taken a unique approach to bringing little Donut home. She’s littered the city with signs, asking residents to call her if they see the dog and not to chase her.

Since the signs went up, the elusive Frenchie has been seen in yards and crossing streets but doesn’t stay in view very long.

“When we had more reliable sightings with pictures and proof that she was somewhere, we would set up feeding stations, hoping she would come back,” Crislip said. “If she’s in an area long enough, we can set a humane trap to catch her, but we haven’t had the opportunity yet.”

Donut has been spotted in several locations in Rockford, including subdivisions and some of the city’s busiest streets.

“She was seen at the Forest Hills Country Club, and then she was seen behind the country club,” Crislip said. “And then she was seen in the Spring Creek and Spring Brook area. So, she’s been all over.”

As Heather’s signs indicate, animal control experts say anyone who sees Donut should not chase her because she’s likely scared and disoriented.

“We want them to kind of settle in one area to make sure that they are more comfortable so that they’re not going to run out into traffic and get hurt or potentially hurt other people or other animals,” said Serena Thompson, patrol manager at Winnebago County Animal Services.

Thompson said it’s also not a good idea for people to feed Donut because they want her to be drawn to designated feeding stations.

“You kind of want to keep it in the area of where it’s staying at and where the traps are,” she said. “A lot of the times, if there are traps set up, they don’t want other people putting food out because the dog (won’t be) hungry.”

Crislip believes Donut is now likely traveling at night.

There have been several sightings of loose dogs that fit Donut’s description in Rockford in the last couple of weeks but the last confirmed sighting was at the end of July.

Anyone who sees Donut is asked to call Heather Crislip at 352-284-4551.

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