Stylist Doug Nitcher’s white schnauzer named Archer was more than a pleasant distraction at Balance Salon and Boutique in Park Place – he was a member of the team.
“He greeted everyone at the door and sat next to people at the shampoo station,” Nitcher said. “He was like an emotional support animal who the clients were very invested in.”
One-year-old Archer has been a regular presence at the salon since he was eight weeks old. He was Nitcher’s constant companion, accompanying him to work and on hikes when he wasn’t charming customers at the salon.
After Archer slipped out the salon’s door on Jan. 28, while customers were entering and exiting the business, Nitcher is getting a front-row seat to the juxtaposition of good and evil as he tries to find his beloved pet.
“I feel like it’s an exercise of angels and demons,” he said of the aftermath of Archer’s disappearance. “So many people are helping to find the dog, but at the same time, the number of scam calls I am getting is shaking me to the core.”
Scammers on the prowl
One of the most traumatic calls came at 5 a.m. on Feb. 5, when a would-be scammer told Nitcher that he had the dog, that he was injured and required immediate, life-saving surgery.
The scammer sent Nitcher a photo of a dog on an operating table with two medical personnel hovering over him with scalpels and told the stylist that he needed authorization to perform the surgery, but only after Nitcher gave him permission – and $2,700.
“As soon as I saw the photo, for several reasons, I knew that it wasn’t my dog and this was obviously an AI-generated photo,” he said. “But they managed to keep me on the phone for 14 minutes, and tried to get information out of me.”
Nitcher said he has received two or three calls a day from people claiming to know the dog’s whereabouts, and they have one question in common: Is there a reward, and can some or all of the money be sent up front?
The kindness of strangers
At the same time, the outpouring of community support – from friends, clients, and strangers – has been as overwhelming.
“The people of Dunwoody are good and kind,” he said. “It’s overwhelming.”
One of those people is Norma Shohet, who is an experienced lost pet finder. She started working on locating Archer almost immediately after the dog disappeared.
“It’s not typical that I know the people whose pet I am trying to find,” Shohet said. “But in this case, I knew the salon and Douglas, so I got to work immediately.”
The search
Despite distributing signs and flyers as far as Brookhaven, installing cameras around the salon, notifying veterinarians, shelters, groomers, nearby apartment managers, and office building personnel, posting on NextDoor and lost pet sites, there have been no verifiable sightings of Archer since he disappeared, which Shohet said is unusual.
Shohet said it’s possible that the dog was picked up within seconds of his escape, or “that something has happened to him, which we prefer not to think about right now.”
When a lost animal’s whereabouts are known, Shohet and her team have an arsenal of methods by which to lure the pet to safety, most of which are counterintuitive to what most people would employ.
“After a certain amount of time, dogs will go into survival mode where everyone and everything is a potential predator,” she said. “Going to the area with treats and leashes and calling the dog’s name isn’t going to work.”
“We are at a loss right now, hoping that someone who has seen something will reach out,” Shohet continued. “We just need to get the word out and hope.”
Nitcher said he hasn’t lost hope about finding his “little love bug,” or his belief in the goodness of the world.
“I’m surrounded by all these young people who are helping me with technology tools that can help me find the dog,” he said. “It’s been amazing.”
Archer is a 20-pound white schnauzer who has recently been groomed. He is chipped and wearing two collars. Anyone with legitimate information about the dog can call 404-468-4333. There is a reward for those instrumental in Archer’s safe return.
