OTTAWA -- Sometimes man is blessed, not with one best friend, but two. Calvin Maynaid has a Shih Tzu dog named Max, his loyal pal of more than a decade.

“I just love that dog so much,” he said.

Calvin’s other friend is Angela Robinson, a detective with the Ottawa Police Service.

“I met Calvin in 2017. He was the victim of a break and enter and that break and enter actually happened on Christmas Day,” said Detective Robinson.

Robinson helped Calvin, a man living with an intellectual disability, navigate the daunting and lengthy court process. The two became fast friends.

“We talked hockey and we both have dogs and exchanged Christmas cards. He’s just a lovely person,” she said.

This Christmas, Calvin faced another loss—his beloved dog Max went missing. Again, he called on his friend, Detective Robinson, for help.

“I was actually on holidays this Christmas and when I came back there was a tearful message on my voicemail at work that Max, his dog, was lost,” Robinson said.

Calvin and Max were visiting a friend at an apartment building in the Alta Vista area on Christmas Day. They were baking cookies when a smoke alarm went off. They opened a door to air the place out and that’s when Max ran off.

“Eleven days and no luck finding my dog yet. I wish someone would return that dog to me,” Calvin said, tears filling his eyes.

“He’s devastated. We’ve had many tearful conversations this week. Max is his best friend, his life, his best companion. He’s lost without him, for sure,” said Robinson.

Max is tagged but he wasn’t wearing his collar at the time.

“My hope is that some kind, lovely person has taken him in from the cold and just doesn’t know what to do with him. So, we’re hoping to the get the story out there and have Max brought home to Calvin.”

As he holds up a photo of his beloved dog, Calvin makes an appeal to anyone with information about Max.

“Please, please return my dog to me.” 

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Angela Robinson at the Ottawa Police Service at 613-236-1222 extension 5675 or the Ottawa Humane Society at 613-725-3166.

Det. Robinson says an anonymous donor is offering a $500.00 reward for Max’s return.