Whatever the reason, no one has the right to steal anyone's pet!! They wanted to give him away because he dug the garden, but later decided to keep him. This gives absolutely NO ONE the right to go and steal the dog, in any case. If they were doing cruelty towards the dog, or something like that, that would be a different matter, but going and stealing someone's pet like that is absolutely unacceptable. I am NOT impressed with the "theif" people's action.