A family whose guide dog went missing last week are offering a €1,000 reward for his return, after appeals on social media and a search using sniffer dogs came up empty.

Max - a male gold retriever - went missing over a week ago when Miguel Bugeja's father took him out for a walk Ħal Far.

Bugeja partially lost his vision six years ago after being diagnosed with cancer at the age of two. He underwent a bone marrow transplant about six years ago.

Max served as Bugeja's guide dog and has described the dog as his "everything". 

"Without him I am lost. He helps me get around. He is part of the family as we had him since he was a puppy,” the teen said. 

In an update on social media, University of Malta pro-rector Carmen Sammut, a volunteer who is helping the family find the dog, said that a search with sniffer dogs on Thursday evening "sadly yielded no positive results".

"Cannot thank enough the dedicated well-trained volunteers who turned up to help with their beautiful furry companions. Their extraordinary kindness and professionalism was touching," she said. 

The possibility that Max was taken is now almost a certainty," Sammut added, noting that reports of sightings were futile. 

The family, Sammut said, is going through "the exhausting process of chasing all threads and following all calls."

A reward of  €1,000 is now being offered to anyone who returns Max to the teen. The family is also urging anyone with CCTV cameras - in the area close to the shooting range in Ħal Far and the factories all the way to Ghar Hasan - to come forward, as their footage could shed light on what might have happened. 

Anyone who sees Max can call the Bugeja family on 99465576, 99550292, 79331912.