Fears for cat and dog after pet sitter suffers stroke and forgets their location

A search is on for a cat and dog in Sydney's inner west, who may have spent at least five days without food and water, after their carer suffered a stroke.

The man who was caring for the pets while their owners were away on holidays was taken to hospital on Boxing Day and is unable to remember where the animals live.

Two hundred volunteers hit the streets of Summer Hill on Monday evening, while thousands more people took to Facebook to help find the pets.

A Shoalhaven police inspector confirmed the sitter, known as Tim, could not communicate the address of the home where at least one cat and dog are confined, or the owners’ names, the Moruya Examiner reported.

Want to help find these missing pets and other loved animals? Scroll down to find more information.

The stroke victim’s son Sean initially believed the pets’ owners were from the Summer Hill area but the elderly man has communicated parts of the location believed to be in Haberfield.

At least one cat and one dog are believed to have gone without food or water for at least five days.

It is believed the pet owners, in their 50s, were planning to spend two weeks on the New South Wales south coast.

Local vets have been alerted and volunteers have established a Facebook group to co-ordinate a door knock of the area and surrounding suburbs.

"Best case scenario is that these animals are outdoor animals or have access to outdoor areas which means with this rain there is hopefully going to be some water sources around for them," said Tara Britton from Summer Hill Vet Practice.

There is still hope - after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, pets were rescued four weeks after being left alone in their home.

Anyone with information on the identity of the pet owners, or the location of the animals, is urged to contact 0412 618 936 or 0416 609 836 or visit the pet search Facebook page.

A search is also underway for a two-year-old Border Collie named Pippin who went missing on Saturday from Farmer Dave’s Dog Centre in Box Hill.

Her owner, Paul Lloyd, was notified more than 12 hours later.

"We can only hope that we find her," he said.

"She could be anywhere, she could've been hit by a car, anything could've happened".

To pass on any information about Pippin, click here

Farmer Dave Graham will later this month face charges of animal cruelty, following the violent death of a dog named Wags last June.

News break – January 4