DOG STEALING!!!

[pompon.livejournal.com]

Sorry for a long and very disturbing message, but I thought this can be of use to many. This is taken from Dog_Nutrition Yahoo group. The author permitted corss-posting.

Message: 1
Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 12:21:57 -0800 (PST)
From: bkmenzterwheels@webtv.net
Subject: Christmas Nightmare Prevented

Please excuse this if it is rambling and hysterical at times...but I am so upset and I really need to vent this and let everyone know how lucky I am feeling after an absolute nightmare happened to me and my little Lhaso Apso this morning.

I did a short grocery store stop this morning and left my guy (Dusty) in the car while I was in the store (Albertsons), I was in there about 15 minutes.

My car was locked with the windows down about 3 inches. He was in full harness and attached in the back seat as usual....

I am standing at the checkout and someone runs in to the service counter and tells them to call the police..quick.. someone is breaking into a red transam in the parking lot trying to steal the little dog out of the back seat! I went NUTS!!!!

Leaving the clerk in the middle of checking me out... I ran out and sure enough they had just CUT his lead from the seat belt and were heading to their truck.... several people ran around the truck and stood there surrounding it... not letting them drive away...they had MY DOG!

It seemed like forever... but the police arrived within minutes... the crowd was growing by the second around that truck....

The officer got all of us calmed down and called for back up..he almost had a riot on his hands at this point... anyways...

The officer started trying to take information..the people that had my dog were saying he was their dog and that I had taken him from them! They were simply stealing him BACK!

Unfortunately.. I did not have his regular collar on with his county license tag and micro chip tag on it.. I had his harness on him instead...and it doesn't have the tags on it.... I was hysterical...

The officer said he was going to call animal control and take the dog until they could document who owned the dog.... I really lost it...told him if my dog was going to animal control.... so was I..... I told him the dog was micro chipped and he told me so what.... he didn't have a scanner and I could not prove nothing with it.....I freaked out!!!

I told him then turn this dog over to my vet... one of the people that helped keep the truck there had a cell phone.. she handed me her phone and said CALL YOUR VET NOW! I called my vet and went rambling about what was happening.... they were just minutes away from the store..they spoke to the officer and told him they were on their way.. they would be there in minutes....they sent down a vet tech with a scanner and all my dogs records...

In the mean time, an animal control officer showed up to take my dog, but he waited til the scanner showed up....with some one from my vets office....

When the vet tech got there she showed them Dusty's file and the chip number that should scan from him....they (the vet tech and animal control officer) scanned my dog and confirmed his micro chip...to his file.... then the animal control officer called to confirm the chip number with his county license tag number....and my address information on record with them!!!!

It all worked out..the police took my dog from those people and gave him back to me...when he asked about his value... and I told him... he couldn't believe any body had paid that much for a dog! I told him I had the original receipt and he was welcome to have it to prove these people were stealing a valuable dog...

One of the other officers (my neighbor that lives across the street from me), that had arrived during all this volunteered to drive us home to get the receipt to prove his value..... we came home quick and I got the receipt, he took ME (I left my dog at home) back to my car at Albertsons.. the police had kept those people there until we got back.... the police were still taking statements from the people in the parking lot when we got back...

They were arrested (felony theft) on the spot! Their truck was impounded...

Come to find out...there has been a rash of small dogs being stolen from cars in the area.. the animal control officer told me dog theft is "big business" just before the holidays....

Needless to say..Dusty wont be leaving the house again before this Christmas or any Christmas to come!!!!!!! AND no matter what...his tags are NOW on my key ring so I will always have them with me no matter what collar or harness he is wearing...

Please..be careful during the holidays if you leave your dog in the car....something like this had never crossed my mind... I never thought anyone could be so low.... to steal dogs to sell as Christmas gifts!

Please have a safe holiday... Kathy & Dusty


Message: 5
Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 14:46:52 -0800 (PST)
From: bkmenzterwheels@webtv.net
Subject: Dusty update

Sorry this is so long..but ....

Some very good news (but some bad news too)... they got a search warrant and it was in the process of being served this morning as I was at the prosecutors office... thanks to our friend that rides motorcycles with us that’s a local judge... he made several calls yesterday... and even sent his picture with Dusty riding with him on his Harley last summer to the prosecutor! So now the prosecutor has seen how cute Dusty is! Thank goodness for the old saying "its not what you know but who you know!" IT WORKS!

I have been assured that they are even checking into our Pasado law here in our state to see if there's any animal cruelty charges they can charge them with too.

The low lifes were suppose to go in front of a judge to set bail at 11...

Found out they are "suspected" gang members out of L.A. Suspected of running drugs from LA to the puget sound area... and he has outstanding warrants down there for animal cruelty... dog fighting from down there in LA... when they told me that I almost passed out! The fellow is wanted... suspected drive by shooting down in LA and they think for sure he wont be getting bail set today. The female might get bail set today. :-(

Because he has the animal cruelty warrants from LA, thats why they got the search warrant issued to search the property this morning for "any animals" dogs or anything...

I am to call back after one on Monday for an update, and have also been told to not worry if I see police in my neighborhood, as they will be patrolling over the weekend here just in case, (because of the potential gang relations they have).... I have parked my car in the yard out of sight, its the only one like it in the area so very easy to spot.. especially in traffic...and wont be driving it here for awhile...... I now have a worry about a drive by or traffic shooting if they might see my car in the area or my driveway.....

My house sets really high on the top of a hill and to shoot into our living room or bedroom..they would probably only hit the ceilngs.... I have my 9mm and its loaded and very handy.

Today is the last day of work for my husband this year until January 8 or 9th, so he will be home for the next couple weeks... and he has a 50 cal dessert eagle thats going to get loaded as soon as he gets home tonight.

I have been told my rights to protect us and our property and have been told to shoot first and answer questions later... if we have any problems...

I am feeling real good that we both have our concealed weapons permits... the prosecutor was "some what glad" to hear I knew how to protect myself and handle a weapon....

I never in my life would have guessed I would be involved with any type of gang thing... especially over my dog! How crazy is this world getting anyways??????

Please give all your fur babies extra kisses and loving.... you never know what tomorrow might bring...

LOVE...Kathy & Dusty