Man Goes Hot and Cold on Trail of Missing Pet

For Roger Taylor, the indefatigable Northern Californian who has been searching in Southern California for his family’s pet dog since June 25, there was bad news, good news, bad news again and then more good news Friday.

The first bad news was that Taylor’s car was totaled when another auto banged into him Thursday night as he went out looking for Black Dog, the missing 12-year-old Labrador mix.

The first good news was that Taylor was not badly hurt and was able to rent another car and continue his quest to find the “best friend” of the Vietnam veteran’s 3-year-old retarded son, Jeremy.

The other bad news for the Cupertino man was that, despite several hot leads generated by a story in The Times Friday, the big black dog with the white chest marking in the shape of a bird in flight was still missing. A man in Venice actually collared an animal he thought was Black Dog, but the prisoner slipped away an hour before Taylor arrived.

The other good news was that television quizmaster Bob Barker (“The Price Is Right”), an animal lover, is offering a $5,000 cash reward to the person who finally does capture and return Black Dog. The number to call is (213) 857-6491. Taylor’s only comment on Barker’s reward offer: “I’m staggered.”