The return of a mixed-breed lapdog lost when a Michigan couple's car was stolen in St. Louis would be worth every penny of a $3,000 reward, the owner said Tuesday.

Alice and Tom Mathews have returned to Missouri every weekend since the dog went missing Nov. 6. Their search has included a visit to the Cape Girardeau County Jail to ask James Butler, who was found driving their car in Cape Gir-ardeau three days later, if he knows where to find the dog.

"He said they didn't take the car and he didn't know anything about it," Alice Mathews said. "I asked him, 'Did you hear anybody talk about the dog?' And I let him use my cell phone. I checked the number and I got an area to look."

That led the Mathews to the Jennings area of North St. Louis County, where they found the car kennel that held their dog Mattie when their 2001 Buick LeSabre was stolen while the Mathewses visited the University City Loop. Despite promising leads, they haven't found Mattie and wonder if the dog was brought to Cape Girardeau by Butler, 21, and Donnell L. Riley, 22, both of St. Louis.

"The guys weren't very forthcoming," said Mathews, who tracked down Riley's uncle in order to speak with Donnell Riley. "I understand they don't want to be associated with the car any more than they have to. They still say they didn't see the dog. "

The 12-year-old white dog was originally purchased for $35 for their daughter, Mathews said. "He is just a real sweet dog, and he goes everywhere with us," she said. "We just hate to see something like this happen."

Mattie was wearing a distinctive lavender collar and has a large pink spot on his nose.

Butler is charged with felony tampering with a motor vehicle, which is the Missouri statute's charge for someone found operating a stolen car. He is also charged with resisting arrest, careless and imprudent driving and creating a substantial risk of serious injury or death for leading Cape Girardeau police on a winding high speed chase from Minnesota Avenue to a mobile home park on North Kingshighway.

Butler is in Cape Girardeau County Jail on a $20,000 cash-only bond. Riley, who was charged with a misdemeanor, has been released after posting a $2,500 bond. Both are scheduled to be in court on Dec. 7.

Cape Girardeau police apprehended the pair after being called for the second time to a home on South West End Boulevard in response to a domestic assault, according a sworn affidavit filed with the complaint against Butler. When officers tried to stop the car after it pulled away from the home, the driver sped down Independence Street to Broadview Street, then around Arena Park. After the car, driven by Butler, wound through the neighborhoods, it emerged on Mount Auburn Road, then headed south on Kingshighway approaching speeds of 90 miles per hour, said Cpl. Jason Selzer.

During the chase, police computers retrieved the information indicating the car was stolen. After the two were apprehended and the Mathews were called, Selzer said, they asked about Mattie.

"There is no indication of any animal in the car," Selzer said. Butler and Riley "are denying the dog was ever around."

The Mathewses originally offered a $1,000 reward, which was increased to $3,000 by Stray Rescue of St. Louis, an organization that helps rescue dogs living wild.

The trip to St. Louis was part of a driving tour along the Mississippi River. They had originally planned to extend the vacation all the way to Cape Girardeau before the car was taken, Mathews said.

Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Mattie should call the Humane Society of Missouri at (314) 647-4400 or Stray Rescue (314) 771-6121.

rkeller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126