Tessa Lehane Missing for Over a Month

The search for Tessa Lehane has gone on for a month and a day now. Even with the recent sightings map, it would seem that Dennis Lehane and the team at Finding Tessa have concluded one of two things:

“Now that Tessa's been gone a month, we've concluded she's either a.) Still miraculously roaming thru the wilds of Brighton, Brookline, and Allston and has yet to stick her head up long enough to be rescued; or b.) In the custody of someone who, we hope, is taking great care of her.”

But there is a more pressing issue with Tessa, which Lehane said needs to be addressed.

"If the latter, we need to get the word out there that before we adopted her, Tessa had tested positive for heartworm. She must have this condition medically treated in the next few months or she will die.” Finding a way to get this message to the person who may have her is going to be a difficult process.

Lehane wrote, “If you do, in fact have her, please find a way to have her condition treated. If you choose not to, then simply return her to us, and the offer of a substantial reward still applies. Substantial reward, no questions asked, no possibility of prosecution or notification of the authorities. That offer applies as well to anyone who knows who has Tessa and can give us information that leads directly to the safe return of our dog. Again, if you release the dog to us or to a veterinarian, she will live. If you don’t, she’ll be dead in a matter of months, and no one wants that.”

Tessa, the 4-year-old tri-color Beagle escaped from her home near Coolidge Corner on Christmas Eve at about 3:45 p.m..

Lehane, who wrote "Gone Baby Gone" and "Mystic River" would be willing to name a character in his next book after whoever finds Tessa.