Strange Bit Of News On Lost Dog

[lizbud]

I think the family that lost the dog are being much to kind to this woman.



Woman's lost pug given as Christmas gift

Posted: Jan 4, 2008 12:28 PM EST


DALLAS, Texas (AP) - The holidays were sad enough for Kim Velevis and her husband after their lovable pug "Scooter" dug its way out of the backyard and disappeared on Christmas Eve. But the real blow came with the new year: A letter from an anonymous woman who had found the friendly dog and gave it to her daughter as a Christmas present. To compensate for Velevis' loss, a $20 bill was enclosed.

"The puppy has a different name now, but he has plenty of food and toys. My daughter adores him. He sleeps with her every night," said the letter, which arrived Wednesday.

Velevis, 28, said she feels for the guilt-ridden woman, who described herself as a nearly penniless alcoholic. But she wants the dog back.

"We knew the first thing our Scooter would have done is find people," Velevis said. "He must have wandered up to this sick lady who, in desperation and in an attempt to fix her own life, ruined ours."

Velevis, who is 5 1/2 months pregnant with her first child, said she and her husband brought the wrinkly faced pooch home in July 2006 when he was about 8 weeks old.

Scooter could still be nearby. The typewritten letter, which carried a Tulsa, Okla., postmark, said the woman found the dog while visiting her daughter in Dallas. She wrote that her ex-husband has custody of the girl.

The woman, who discovered an address on the pug's collar, described a series of difficulties in her life.

"I lost custody because of problems I had with alcohol, and I have lost everything else," she wrote. "I have been sober for 6 months, and I am trying to turn myself around, but I have lost everything. My little girl wanted a pug dog like your little dog (very much!)"

The woman wrote that she cannot ask for forgiveness, "but I do want you to know that he does have people who love him and are taking care of him."

Velevis said she has no interest in pursuing charges against the woman and would be glad to purchase the woman's daughter another dog.


(Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

[critter crazy]

WOW!!! I would be so Furious!! I cannot believe this woman thinks that 20$ is gonna cover the loss of a beloved pet!! I would do my darndest to get my dog back that is for sure!! It isnt like the woman didnt know where the Owner lived, that to me is Stealing!! Makes me wonder if the dog didnt escape, but was stolen!!

[elizabethann]

That's awful. That woman should give the dog back to its righful owners. I don't care how down & out you are. She basically has stolen the dog from them. I hope they find that dog and get it back!

[Freedom]

The woman, who discovered an address on the pug's collar, described a series of difficulties in her life.

HELLOOOO??! This is WHY we use ID tags, so our pets will be returned to us, not STOLEN by the person who finds the pet. Doesn't matter if it is a dog, cat, bird, reptile, whatever. Finding it, keeping it safe, great. Keeping it as your own? ILLEGAL!!!

[K9karen]

I wonder if she can sleep at night. That's a disgrace.

[IRescue452]

How horrible! I'd be going nuts right now trying to get my dog back. I hope they do. And then throw the darn book at the woman, don't buy her another dog when she clearly can't take care of one. Just because she's had a hard life doesn't give her the right to steal without being held accountable.

[pitc9]

Oh I'd freak out!
I'd be going house to house looking for my dog.
Over my dead body would someone steal my dog!
How horrible!!

[Sevaede]

I am in agreement. For goddess' sake, if she wanted a dog bad enough to steal one then why didn't she just get one out from the free ads in the paper? Or the Nickel? Craigslist? FreeCycle (yes, I've seen it happen)? etc etc..

[Twisterdog]

I am in agreement. For goddess' sake, if she wanted a dog bad enough to steal one then why didn't she just get one out from the free ads in the paper? Or the Nickel? Craigslist? FreeCycle (yes, I've seen it happen)? etc etc..

Probably because she is an alcoholic. I would guess giving a dog to your daughter instead of calling the number on its tag made perfect sense to her, if she was completely wasted.

Maybe she had a bit of guilt in a more sober moment, and wrote the letter.

I hope someone hears this story and knows the woman, and the original owners get their dog back. OTOH, if the daughter doesn't know where the mom got the dog, then her heart would be broken too. Imagine the police showing up on your doorstep to confiscate the puppy you got for Christmas. No winners in this one.