'HE'S OUR SON!' Heartfelt post about lost Fresno pit bull going viral

(Update: Steve the pit bull has been found. Learn more in the follow-up Fresno Bee story by clicking this link.)

In the wake of Steve the pit bull's disappearance, his distraught Fresno owner took to Facebook.

Steve was last seen at his central Fresno home near Shields and Fruit avenues on Saturday afternoon, wrote Nicholas Dodson, who offered a $500 reward (which has since grown to $1,000) for the dog's safe return, "no questions asked."

Then Dodson directed a message to someone he thinks took Steve – three sentences, all capitalized: "HE'S NOT YOUR NEW DOG! HE'S OUR SON! HE'S MY FRIEND!"

There was also a plea to the community: "Please help us make this viral! … The more people see, the harder it is to hide."

Dodson's request was answered. Since he wrote his message Tuesday evening, his Facebook post was shared more than 9,000 times. More than 760 people have commented on it. Many shared condolences and wishes for a safe return for the "fur baby."

One woman wrote a prayer: "Dear Lord, I come to you humbly and ask that Steve is returned home safe and without harm to his loving family. Please comfort him and keep him from any harm Lord. These things I ask in Jesus name, AMEN."

Another appealed to someone who may have taken Steve: "So many others are caged in shelters that are needing a home. Don’t steal someone’s heart."

Dodson said the outpouring of support has "brought a little bit of hope each morning" since Steve's disappearance.

"As the days go on, it helps to get up and keep going and looking for him," he said Thursday morning. "And it helps all of us, our entire family, because we are all very close to Steve."

Dodson misses his dog's "unconditional love."

"I've never had a dog that is more like a human than Steve."

In his Facebook post, Dodson says he understands how someone would be attracted to the 3-year-old Steve, "one of the most beautiful, loving and well-trained pit bulls you will ever see," but that Steve misses his true family.

"He misses his walks and going out on the town to meet people at coffee shops with me," the post reads. "He misses time on my wife’s bed after I go to work, watching her get ready. But most of all, he misses hugging us when we get home each day."

Dodson said he'll never stop looking for Steve.

"Too much ugliness in this world exists," he wrote. "I’m asking you today and everyday 'till you return Steve to us – please be a light."

The gray and white 80-pound dog has three small dots above his left eye in a circular shape.

Anyone with information about Steve is asked to call Dodson at 559-977-6572 or message him on his Facebook page.

In addition to a cash reward, Dodson offered to help the person who returns Steve to find a dog of their own.

He hopes his Facebook post also inspires people who have dogs to "hold them a little tighter." He thinks Steve got loose through a side gate and made his way to Fruit Avenue.

"In the end, I want one person to read it, which is whoever it is that has my dog. And if they could read it and just drop him off, I'll make sure that they can come back and they'll have an envelope waiting for them (with money). I don't care about the money," Dodson said emotionally. "I just want to have my dog back."

He ended his post with a message for Steve: "(We will keep your bed ready for you boy. We love you. )"

This story was originally published March 22, 2018 at 2:52 PM with the headline "'HE'S OUR SON!' Heartfelt post about lost Fresno pit bull going viral."