Brown Cocker Spaniel, Teh O, missing in Sembawang since May 4, over 500 volunteers join search efforts

Teh O, a 4-year-old male Cocker Spaniel, has gone missing in Sembawang since May 4.

More than 500 volunteers have since rallied together to participate in search efforts.

What happened

Speaking to Mothership, Desiree, Teh O's owner, said he had slipped out unnoticed after a family member opened the front door to dispose of rubbish, then closed it without realising he had wandered out.

As Teh O would typically follow family members around the house or rest in one of the bedrooms during that time of the night, nobody suspected he had gone outside.

Everyone assumed he was sleeping somewhere in the home.

A neighbour later reported spotting him roaming the corridor between 1am and 2am, but assumed he had been let out intentionally.

Desiree only discovered he was missing at around 7am when she returned from a flight.

"Normally, he would immediately run to the door to greet me," she said.

However, he did not appear that morning.

She initially assumed he was resting in one of the bedrooms, but after checking the entire home, she realised he was gone.

She immediately headed downstairs with her brother and father to search for him.

A review of CCTV footage confirmed that Teh O had slipped out through the briefly open door, walking in the opposite direction after loitering outside the unit for a short while.

As he was indoors at the time, he was not wearing his collar, which had an AirTag, when he disappeared.

Search efforts

Since then, volunteers have coordinated search efforts through a Telegram group, which has 547 participants at the time of writing.

Search activities have included daily ground searches, overnight stakeouts, forest searches, neighbourhood outreach, and widespread poster distribution across the area.

Several possible sightings have been reported in recent days:

May 8

• Kenya Crescent Road, 8pm

May 9

• Vicinity of the black-and-white colonial houses behind Sembawang Recreation Centre, 12pm
• Yak Hong Kopitiam, 590 Montreal Link, 12:30pm
• 325 Ottawa Road, 1pm
• Carpark near Block 502 Montreal Link, overlooking the forest

However, none of these sightings came with photo or video evidence, making it difficult to confirm whether it was Teh O.

This is especially so as there are several similar-looking brown dogs in the area.

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Described as a timid dog

Desiree described Teh O as a very friendly and gentle dog, who can be shy and skittish outdoors, particularly around loud noises or crowded areas.

“He is not aggressive, and generally allows strangers to approach, touch, or carry him,” she said.

She also described Teh O as having distinctive curly long ears, a long furry tail, and a long dark-brown coat.

Initially, the family did not suspect that anyone had taken Teh O.

However, experienced animal rescue volunteers who assessed the situation noted that Teh O may have been taken in by someone, given his gentle and approachable temperament.

The layout of the HDB block and Teh O's usual behaviour also suggest it would be unusual for him to have travelled far from the upper-floor unit on his own.

Key CCTV footage from the staircase landing and lift lobby, which could have helped determine whether he continued roaming or was picked up, was unfortunately unavailable.

Despite this, Desiree and her family have not given up the search.

She added that posters placed around the neighbourhood have been repeatedly removed shortly after being put up, hindering search efforts, with volunteers continuing to replace them daily.

"There have been late-night stakeouts, repeated rounds of poster distribution, and continuous searches across different locations whenever a possible sighting is reported," Desiree said.

"It has been physically exhausting and emotionally draining for everyone involved."

She expressed deep gratitude to all the volunteers who have stepped forward to help.

"Many have braved the heat, rain, and long nights searching alongside us. Whenever a potential sighting comes in, people immediately rush down to help look for him. Even when searches turn out unsuccessful, nobody has given up, and everyone continues doing their best to help bring Teh O home."

Desiree also made a direct appeal to anyone who may have taken Teh O in:

"If Teh O has been taken in or sheltered by someone, we sincerely ask for him to be returned to us safely. More than anything, we would simply be relieved to know that he has been safe and cared for."

She urged members of the public to keep a lookout for Teh O.

Should they spot him, they can take a photo or video where possible and contact the family as soon as possible.

Given his friendly nature, they also ask that anyone who can safely do so help secure him while waiting for them to arrive.

"We are extremely thankful for all the support, reposts, messages, and efforts from the community over the past days. We are still holding onto hope and simply wish for Teh O to return home safely."