Missing German shepherd found deceased in Clay County, Rescue organization said

GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. – News4Jax received a heartbreaking update Thursday morning.

Grace, a missing 1-year-old female German shepherd, has been found deceased in Clay County.

K9 Services German Shepherd Rescue: “I want to thank you for all of your help I was notified this morning by Clay County Port Authority Our sweet Grace was found deceased in the River. We are making arrangements to have her ashes returned to Rescue. I was hoping to have a happy ending I am grateful she had her ID tag had she not had one on I would have never known what happened to her.”

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K9 Services German Shepherd Rescue is searching for one of its rescue dogs.

Grace, a 1-year-old female German shepherd, disappeared Friday in Green Cove Springs.

Grace was using the bathroom when a very loud firework exploded on New Year’s Day. Because of her severe PTSD, the rescue said, she jumped over the fence and ran into the private preserve that Shadowlawn manages in Green Cove Springs.

There have been several sightings of Grace, who has gold eyes with brown and tan fur and weighs between 45 and 50 pounds. She was seen around 11 p.m. Monday near the Rosemary landfill. She was then spotted early Tuesday afternoon on County Road 315C near Knowles Road.

“I haven’t slept since she jumped over my fence. I haven’t slept. I haven’t eaten. Distraught,” said Nila Hughes, president of K9 Services German Shepherd Rescue. “I’m, like, but this is good news that she was spotted so I have hope again.”

Grace is wearing ID tags, is microchipped and has a pink collar. Hughes said Grace is limping on her left rear leg. She also said Grace is extremely skittish, so if you spot her, take a photo of the exact area and send the photo to Hughes immediately.

“When she first came into rescue, she was very scared. By the time I took her in and the help of my wonderful mobile vet -- Dr. Norman, who nursed her back to health -- she was excelling in obedience. She actually had a great recall with me. She was doing agility work and she just loved me. Wherever I was, she was right by my feet. So this is heartbreaking to me,” Hughes said. “I just can’t understand. I thought she would regroup herself when she got into that fear mode and then she would just say come back because I was her comfort. The fact that she’s running now, she keeps running, is really upsetting to me, so I just want her back home. I just want her back so she can go home because she’s got a wonderful person waiting for her, hopefully, wanting to adopt her, so she needs to come home.”

If you see Grace, the number to text is 904-589-1256. Let’s help Grace get home safely!

“We really are desperate to get her back, so we’re just worried about her,” Hughes said. “We want her back. We want her safe.”

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