Urgent search for missing girl, 17, last seen on security footage as mom reveals her final words to her daughter

PARENTS of a missing teenager are pleading with the public for information on their daughter’s whereabouts.

Veronica Hayden Dininger, 17, was last seen on July 21, and now her parents are begging anyone who knows her location to come forward.

Facebook/Jessica McClellan

Lorain County Sheriff's Office

Her mother, Jessica McClellan, said she last saw her daughter at their home in Wellington, Ohio , late Saturday night.

“She came downstairs, she said, ‘Mom, do you want me to let the dogs out?”’ McClellan told ABC affiliate WEWS .

McClellan said she told her daughter, “that would be great,” then never heard from her again.

Dininger’s mother said the teen has run away from home before, but this time feels different.

“I can most certainly say it was a runaway situation. Most certainly in the beginning I honestly believe that I, I don’t know now if there’s foul play involved,” McClellan said.

“And that’s what is really tearing me up.”

The teenager’s stepfather, Martin McClellan, also believes the girl ran away but now fears for her life.

“Every day it goes by, it gets more dangerous, and we don’t think she realizes that,” he said.

The couple said the teen had gotten in trouble on July 14, a few days before she went missing, leading to her phone being taken away.

However, on July 19, the parents discovered their daughter had a secret second phone hidden.

At the time of Dininger’s disappearance, she was caught on camera letting the dogs out while carrying a large bag.

Her parents believe she may have been using her second phone to communicate with an unknown person.

“Her back is to the camera,” Dininger’s mother recalled.

“So I don’t know if she’s got something in her hands.

“Like maybe another device where she’s texting and like, Hey, I’m outside or I don’t, I don’t know, I can only I can only imagine.”

Two minutes later, the teen picked up her duffel bag and walked away from the home.

The McClellans said their daughter logged into Snapchat several times, they believe it was to confuse investigators about her location.

“Well, we think that’s not just by chance. Right? Yeah. So (was) someone was involved in that idea?” her mom said.

“I don’t think she would come up with that on her own.”

Dininger was last seen walking out of her home wearing gray sweatpants, a gray or light blue crew-neck sweatshirt, and white Nike high-tops with a black swoosh.

Anyone with information on her location can contact the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office.