Where’s Princeton? Winter Park woman offers $5,000 reward for missing service dog

Jacob Langston, Digital Journalist

Nicole Gravenmier doesn’t only want her dog Princeton back, she needs him, she said. Princeton, an 8-year-old Yorkshire Terrier is Gravenmier’s service dog.

Princeton has learned to alert her when medically needed, Gravenmier said.

Gravenmier said she has Dysautonomia, Neurally Mediated Syncope and Hyponatremia, and little Princeton alerts her when her blood pressure drops.

“A pacemaker keeps my heart beating, but keeping my blood pressure at normal levels requires excessive salt intake. Essentially, Princeton lets me know when I need more salt,” Gravenmier said.

The 8-year-old Yorkshire Terrier went missing on July 3 while she was away from her home, the only sign in the house was the little diaper he was wearing, according to Gravenmier. She said the diaper was located on one of her chairs inside the home and was in a place where the dog never went.

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She has made public Facebook posts and set up large signs with the dog’s photo and her phone number at an intersection near her home.

“I am making a plea to the public, if you have recently come into possession of a Yorkshire Terrier between the age of 3 to 10 years old, please take the animal to my veterinary office, Winter Park Veterinary Hospital, located at 1601 Lee Rd, Winter Park, FL 32789, or a local animal shelter to have his body scanned for a microchip,” Gravenmier pleaded.

Princeton is also on a special medication to help induce his appetite, Gravenmier said. Without it, he “loses a significant amount of weight and at 7.5 pounds he really cannot afford to miss any meals,” she sad.

Gravenmier said she didn’t initially file a police report because it didn’t occur to her that Princeton could have been stolen.

She said she does have a doggy door where he can access the yard, but that the gate to the yard was closed. Even if he had the chance to run away, Gravenmier said he wouldn’t.

Gravenmier has hired specialists to help her look for Princeton, using special K-9 handlers to try to track his scent.

She even considered the possibility that a wild animal snatched the dog, but there were no signs of a struggle in the yard and it doesn’t explain the diaper on the chair.

Finally, on July 23. she filed a police report with Winter Park police that read in part, “Victim strongly believes that someone entered her backyard without permission and removed her dog. Victim stated she will prosecute.”

Gravenmier said Princeton is a very social dog and “Doesn’t know a stranger,” adding that while he wouldn’t leave the house on his own, he may have happily gone with someone since he is so social.

Princeton is also a knight and shining armor for charitable organizations such as Southern Cruisers and St Jude’s Children’s Hospital, according to Gravenmier.

He most recently aided in raising $18,000 for St Jude’s and received accommodations for his assistance, she said.

In the mean time, Gravenmier is offering a $5,000 reward for information that brings her little guy home.

If you have information about Princeton’s location, you can call the Winter Park Police Department at 407-644-1313.

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