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Beverly couple looking for lost service dog

By Paul Leighton
Staff writer
Published: July 8, 2008

BEVERLY — A disabled couple is asking for help in its search for Tatiana, a service dog that has been helping David Griffin in his recovery from open-heart surgery.

Tatiana got loose on July 3 and hasn't been seen since, said Debbie Griffin, David's wife.

"My husband is very despondent," she said. "We're worried sick about this dog."

Tatiana, a mixed terrier, is trained to assist people with hearing disabilities, she said. Tatiana alerts David if somebody is knocking at the door or if the stove timer goes off, for example. She has also been assisting Griffin on his walks since his open-heart surgery two years ago.

Tatiana got loose during a morning walk last Thursday near Centerville Woods, the housing development on Essex Street where the Griffins live.

"She ran into the woods and toward the street and hasn't been seen since," Debbie Griffin said.

The Griffins have put up a few 'lost dog' signs in the area, but that has been difficult because Debbie is also disabled, with leg braces and a heart condition, she said. The couple had been on a waiting list for a service dog for five years, she said, and got Tatiana only two weeks ago.

"She's a sweet little dog, and she needs to come home," Debbie said.

The city's animal services officer, Jim Lindley, said he searched twice for Tatiana on the day she disappeared and could not find her.

Anyone with information can call the Griffins at 978-922-2743.

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