A 5-month-old wiener dog named Archie went missing from the Medford airport Tuesday around 4 a.m.

A long-haired dachshund named Archie slipped free of his “flight nanny” at the Medford airport on Tuesday morning, prompting a community effort to look for the dog and share his story.

Central Point resident Melissa Shrader, owner of MRS Long Dog Ranch, said the dog was being transported from the Medford airport to Buffalo, New York, where a family from Ontario, Canada, was set to retrieve the dog.

Shrader said she dropped the dog off at 4 a.m., as instructed, to a male dog transporter from TTT Pet Transport.

“As all flight nannies I have dealt with, he showed his ID and I handed the pup over. Archie, the missing pup, was a bit skittish when I handed him over — first time I have seen that from him. He is very socialized with new people,” Shrader said.

“I figured it was the sounds of the planes in the background taking off.”

Shrader said the dog and his attendant were checked in for their flight, then took a restroom break, Shrader said, noting, “15 minutes later, he calls me saying Archie got away from him when he took him out one last time for a potty break.”

Shrader said the transporter briefly had eyes on the dog near some bushes, but by the time Shrader arrived back at the airport, the dog had “just vanished.” Shrader, her husband and the transporter searched for the dog from 4-8 a.m., even bringing a familiar pup — Archie’s half-sister — to aid in the search.

Archie is a 5-month-old long-haired cream-colored dachshund and weighs about 10 pounds. Shrader said the dog is typically friendly but might run if he gets scared.

Since 4 a.m., Shrader said the dog’s story has been shared on the “Pet Finder for Southern Oregon” Facebook group and her breeding program Facebook page hundreds of times. Community members posted to social media, offering to help look for the dog. Airport officials, meanwhile, have searched restricted areas.

Thus far, Shrader said the only leads have been from individuals “asking about ransom money” but who have provided no information about the pup’s whereabouts. Those individuals have been reported to Medford police.

The flight nanny company, Georgia-based TTT Pet Transport, reportedly told Shrader it would offer a reward for the return of the pup, though a reward amount was not disclosed.

“The new owners are very heartbroken. They are hoping he is safe and warm,” said Shrader.

“He was supposed to be with his new family by 5 a.m.”

Anyone with information on Archie is asked to call Jackson County Animal Services at 541-774-6655.

Shrader can also be contacted, via call or text, at 541-613-6179.

A missing wiener dog who escaped his “flight nanny” at the Medford airport early Tuesday morning has been found.

A tearful Melissa Shrader, owner of MRS Long Dog Ranch, posted a video to Facebook on Wednesday thanking the community for its efforts in trying to help track down the 10-pound pooch.

Archie was found at the airport, Shrader said in the post. She is pictured in the video describing getting a call from airport officials who found the dog. 

The camera then pans to the 5-month-old, long-haired, cream-colored dachshund sitting comfortably on a blanket in the front passenger seat.

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