Woman reunited with emotional support dog after reported date rape

Woman allegedly left on side of Fort Lauderdale road after sexual assault

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A South Florida woman was reunited with her emotional support dog Wednesday, days after she was allegedly sexually assaulted during a date with a man whom she met online.

Melissa Utvich said she met up Saturday night at Duffy's in Plantation with a man she met on Instagram.

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She said she brought her Maltese, Roxy, with her and remembers waking up the next morning on the side of a road in Fort Lauderdale.

"I have no memory. So I just know that I was taken out of Duffy's and left in the middle of the road and found on the side of the street," Utvich said.

Utvich said her dog was nowhere to be found, so she hired animal private investigator Jamie Katz to help her find her pet.

The dog was returned to Utvich on Wednesday while she and Katz were putting u signs in the area were she was dropped off.

The woman who pulled up with the dog said she found Roxy wandering the street.

Police said they found Utvich's purse and cellphone inside the car of the man whom she met on Saturday. They said he denies raping her and claims that he dropped off Utvich and she forgot her belongings inside his car.

The man, whose identity has not been released, has not been arrested.


About the Author

Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com.

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