text: THE family of missing Boulder woman Veronica Messina have today made a desperate plea to the public for information about her disappearance as police are set to launch a land search tomorrow.
  Ms Messina, whose car was found abandoned at the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport last Thursday, was last seen on the afternoon of Monday, June 25 at a number of the businesses in the Kalgoorlie area.
  The 62-year-old has not been heard from since.
  Two of her brothers, Stan and Brian Traeger, today appealed to the public for help, describing the disappearance as very out of character, and asked anyone who may have been a witness or has any clues to her whereabouts to come forward to the police.
  Her youngest brother Stan described the self-employed bookkeeper as a switched on, very alert workaholic who was also a giver and caring person.
  "We hope like heck that nothing's actually happened to her," Mr Traeger said.
  "We would really, really appreciate any effort that anyone goes to."
  Acting Detective Inspector John Hindriksen, from the major crime squad, said today police held an "extremely high level" of serious concerns for Ms Messina's welfare and that a land search would be carried out tomorrow.
  Det-Insp Hindriksen said a witness had come forward who was driving North towards Boulder on Goldfields Hwy between 5pm and 5.30pm on the day Ms Messina was last seen and saw her two "treasured" Shih Tzu dogs.
  He said the two small female dogs, both white and one with gold and brown patches, were running along the road verge about 5kms South of Boulder and were not believed to have been out there long as they appeared to be clean and in good condition.He said Ms Messina was very close to her dogs and the fact they were left out there was "quite significant".
  Det-Insp Hindriksen said the dogs, both of which were wearing name tags with Ms Messina's home address on them and one wearing a woollen coat, were handed back to her male tenant, who was previously believed to be her partner at her house.
  Tomorrow's land search will be carried out in the same area the dogs were found, which police described as "significant" by SES volunteers from Kalgoorlie-Boulder, the police mounted unit and local police from the Goldfields district.
  Det-Insp Hindriksen said an interim search was being conducted and an air search had already been conducted by Police Air Wing in the area last night and this morning using FLIR (forward-looking infra-red) camera, which tracks heat sources.
  Her car, a white 2005 Holden Commodore, was found abandoned and unlocked at the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport last Thursday afternoon.
  Det-Insp Hindriksen said the police had obtained CCTV footage from the airport and the Kalgoorlie business area Ms Messina was last seen which had been helpful.
  Major Crime Squad and Kalgoorlie detectives are handling the investigation.
  Police are calling for members of the public who may have been travelling on the Goldfields Hwy on the afternoon of June 25 between 5pm and 5.30pm and may have seen Ms Messina's dogs or white Commadore, to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.