The search is intensifying for an injured service dog that ran away after being hit by a truck over the weekend in Jacksonville, leaving a Navy veteran from Iowa refusing to leave the city without her.

Mal’i, a 4-year-old American Staffordshire, was struck by a vehicle Saturday morning near Atlantic Boulevard and the LUX Apartments behind the Cinemark theater, according to her owner, Navy veteran Scott Baker. The driver did not stop, and the dog ran off after the collision. She has not been seen since.

Baker, who relies on Mal’i as a service dog to help manage post-traumatic stress disorder, said he and his family have been searching for her with the help of volunteers, local officials and animal services.

“She’s been in the family since she was six months,” Baker said. “She’s four years, almost five years.”

The family was visiting Jacksonville to help their son move into an apartment when the incident occurred. Baker said his daughter was outside with Mal’i at the time.

“My daughter was outside with Molly and letting her go to the bathroom, and she screamed,” he said. “We heard the scream, but we didn’t realize it was her or what was going on.”

Mal’i is described as brown and tan and was last seen wearing an aquamarine onesie and a black collar with Baker’s dog tags. The family believes she is injured, but the extent of her injuries is unknown.

Baker said Mal’i plays a critical role in his daily life.

“I have PTSD and she sleeps with me at night,” he said. “She wakes me up when I have episodes and lets me know everything is okay. She’s not there. I can’t sleep because she’s not with me. And I can’t go back to Iowa without her.”

The search has drawn support from Animal Care and Protective Services, volunteers and members of the community, as well as a local officials. Baker said the response has given him hope despite being in an unfamiliar city.

“It makes me feel so warm that there is such a caring community,” he said. “That’s giving me hope, because otherwise I don’t have hope right now just because we’re in an unfamiliar area.”

Baker urged anyone who spots Mal’i not to approach her, as she may be frightened and could run further.

“Don’t try to approach her,” he said. “Just give us a call, and we will be out there in the middle of the night whenever. We want to bring her home.”

Anyone with information about Mal’i’s whereabouts is asked to call 805-512-1860.

The Bakers have reported the hit-and-run and the dog’s disappearance to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, which has been contacted for additional information on the investigation.