SAN ANTONIO -- The story of an elderly San Antonio man and his lost dog is stirring up controversy on social media.

"Olaf was very good about taking his snout and going 'boop' and pushing [the door] open," said Jim Martin.

Last Friday morning, as Martin was loading his car, a piece of his heart went missing.

"I finished putting something in and he wasn't there," Martin said.

All day the 80-year-old Army veteran searched for his Westie Olaf and from the get-go, his neighbors have been there to help.

"I'm an old man and I live alone and they're great company," Martin said.

Olaf has meant the world to Martin ever since he adopted him four years ago from Lone Star Westie Rescue in Dallas. The rescue was contacted through Olaf's microchip service, and the organization said the dog had walked nearly nine miles in triple-degree temperatures before being picked up.

Workers at the rescue service also said they tried to contact Martin, but his phone number was out of service and the number on file for his veterinarian was also outdated.

"We really had reached out to him, gone to his vet to get the most current number, which they didn't have. Again, we were concerned for his safety because we thought that maybe something had happened to him. So we even called the San Antonio Police Department asking them to do a wellness check," said Elizabeth Escobar, Lone Star Westie Rescue's director.

Eventually they made contact.

"They called and said they had the dog, but they said 'You haven't lived up to the tenants of your contract when you adopted him, and therefore we're taking him back.'," Martin said.

According to the rescue's Facebook page, it says that every owner signs a contract. In that contract there are clauses that say they can take back the dog and keep it if they determine the dog has been mistreated or not sufficiently cared for.

From there, social media exploded and what the rescue said are new photos of Olaf surfaced. Martin said he knew Olaf had some eye and ear issues, but nothing like this.

However, the rescue said it was much worse and Olaf hadn't been to a veterinarian in a year.

"We knew that he was in bad shape with all the medical conditions he had with his eye infections, skin infection, the ear infection, the long nails. He had an infection in his private area," Escobar said.

The rescue said that San Antonio police said that they have the right to keep the dog, but Martin and his neighbors aren't backing down.

When asked if there was any chance Olaf  and Martin could get back together, Escobar said that she does not believe so at this point in time.

It's a heartbreaking answer for everyone involved, but especially Martin.

"Overall, I've had a pretty good life. I'd like to get my dog back, though. If you know of him and you have any influence with these people, tell them to send him home. I want him back," Martin said.