Hey Brooklyn: Have You Seen Macho, the Missing Puerto Rican Rescue Dog?

PROSPECT PARK, BROOKLYN — An incredibly dedicated pet adoption organization is asking the public to help find Macho, a shelter dog from Puerto Rico who ran away two days after he was adopted.

Macho (pictured above) was adopted in July from a shelter run by Zani's Furry Friends, according to Zani's volunteer Michael Ripinsky. On July 20, he was taking a walk by the Prospect Park Bandshell with his owner when he was scared by another dog, Ripinsky said, causing him to escape his collar and run off.

Ripinsky says Macho was about 25 pounds when he was last seen, but may have lost a bit of weight since then. Since he ran off, Macho's been seen in downtown Brooklyn, as well as in Prospect Park. Ripinsky said the pup is probably in "survival mode," and he's asking people not to chase Macho if they see him. Instead, you can call 917-620-8602.

Macho has a Facebook page maintained by Zani's:

Macho came all the way to New York from Puerto Rico, Ripinsky explained, where he was rescued from an animal hoarder.

He was brought to New York by Animal Lighthouse Rescue, which Ripinsky said regularly pays for dogs to be rescued from bad situations on the island and sent to the U.S. for a second chance at life.

Zani's works to rehabilitate them and find them homes, Ripinsky said. The group also works with dogs and cats from New York and Newark, New Jersey.

If you'd like to adopt a friend from one of these groups, they'll be at Prospect Park's Adoptapalooza this Saturday, August 6. The event will run from noon to 5 p.m., rain or shine, at Bartel-Pritchard Square.

Pictured at top: Macho. Photo courtesy of Zani's Furry Friends