Palmetto Bay man went to Colorado to care for dog. He’s missing. Animal is dead
Police in Colorado are appealing for the public’s help in finding a Palmetto Bay man after the death of a dog belonging to an airman.
Andrew Beckham says this story started when he learned he was going to be deployed by the Colorado Air National Guard for three months and he needed someone to care for his husky named Maverick.
They had been together for 11 years.
Beckham says he reached out to an online platform called TrustedHousesitters.com, which had been recommended to him. The site connects pet owners with pet sitters, and through it, he made contact with Andrew Jansen, of Palmetto Bay, to take care of his dog. He said Jansen told him he wanted to see what it was like to live in Colorado.
A spokesperson for Trusted Housesitters told CBS News Miami, “We are very saddened to learn about Maverick. Our thoughts are with Andrew Beckham at this incredibly difficult time. Our priority is continuing to support Andrew. We are fully cooperating with local law enforcement and their efforts with the investigation. Our team has been following developments closely and we will continue to do so.”
Beckham said, “I felt Maverick would be stressed out without me there, and I wanted someone to come and care for him.”
Beckham says a month into his deployment, he lost touch with Jansen. He said when he checked his surveillance camera, it captured Jansen leaving his home in Aurora, Colorado, with Maverick in a blue Subaru.
He said, “All I saw on my doorbell camera was him dragging Maverick out of the front door, and he drove away, and I never saw anything else after that. This is hard. This is not the same.”
And this past Saturday, a month after Maverick disappeared, family members said Denver police discovered the dog’s body and said that he had died while trapped in the vehicle.
Police have been passing out flyers as they look for Jansen.
Beckham commented on Jansen’s photo in the flyer, saying, “It may look like a happy image, but to me, it’s frightening. This is the face of someone who lied to me.”
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office told CBS News Miami that deputies went to a Palmetto Bay home, Jansen’s last known address. They knocked on the door, but were unable to make contact with anyone.
Aurora police ask if you have information that can help find him, call 303-739-6356.
CBS News Miami also stopped at Jansen’s last known address and knocked on the door, but no one answered.
This report was produced by Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami.