MAHONING TOWNSHIP -- It's the tale of Snow White and the missing dwarf.
Michael Mickey, CEO of Mahoning Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation Center said, "The hunt is on for Dopey!"
Recently, a contractor working at the rehabilitation center near Lehighton noticed one of Snow White's seven dwarfs was missing.
"It was stolen approximately two weeks ago, on a Wednesday evening into Thursday, probably after midnight," said Mickey.
Mahoning Valley got the police involved and they're looking for whoever took Dopey.
The Disney dwarf is 3-and-a-half feet tall, weighs about 100 pounds and is made entirely of concrete.
"They bring a lot of joy to our residents and our visitors. That's the really sad part about it," Mickey said.
When word got out that Dopey was missing, a lot of the residents got really upset and they say nothing can replace him.
"As a matter of fact, he was my favorite dwarf and it upset me. As a matter of fact, I got tears in my eyes when I found he wasn't there," said Joan Evrard, a resident at Mahoning Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation.
Snow White, Happy, Bashful, Grumpy, Sneezy, Doc, Sleepy and the missing Dopey have been at the rehab center for 20 years.
A few years ago, the owner considered getting rid of the gang without realizing just how much people loved them.
"We had such an outpouring from residents and their families. 'Please don't get rid of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.' So, I wound up putting some money in and have them colored to Disney specifications and we're proud of our Snow White and the seven dwarfs!" Mickey said.
The owner looked into replacing Dopey, but a casting of the statue alone is $3,000.
Plus, residents want their old dwarf, not a new one.
"I hope they bring it back because here at Mahoning Valley we love our Dopey," Evrard said.
Mahoning Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation center is offering a $500 reward for any prince or princess who can bring Dopey home.
