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METAIRIE, La. (WGNO) — A man is looking to be reunited with his dog after a carjacking in Metairie on Thursday (Sept. 29). The Humane Society of Louisiana is offering an award for anyone that can help bring the two back together.

On Thursday afternoon, Kevin Brinkman said he ran into the Winn-Dixie at the corner of Elise and 5901 Airline Hwy. leaving the tan Shar Pei mix lab in the back seat with the engine running. Exiting the store, he noticed his car and pet gone.

“I feel terrible that I used poor judgment in leaving Nila in the backseat of my running vehicle and want more than anything to be reunited with her. She means everything to me,” says Mr. Brinkman.

The dog, Nila, is a “well-fed” female dog and was last seen wearing a blue collar, an emotion support animal tag, and a regular ID tag. The vehicle is a 2019 Grey Nissan Versa.

“We continue to urge pet owners not to leave their pets unattended in a vehicle for any length of time. We have been involved in close to a dozen carjackings that involve stolen pets, and all could have been prevented if the pets had been left behind. However, we have had some success in locating stolen pets, so we are hopeful that we can, with the help of the public, locate Nila and return her to Mr. Brinkman, says Jeff Dorson, HSLA Director.

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Anyone with information on where Nila could be is asked to call  Brinkman at 504-295-7133 or the Humane Society of Louisiana at 901.268.4432 and a $500 reward is being offered.