Il: Dog Owners Beware Of Pet Thieves, Warn Police

[crow_noir]

This is starting to remind me of what's been going on in England. Theives are realizing over here now how powerless most dogs owners are to stop them. Sad. (And people wonder why i want to carry a weapon. Had anyone tried to take King i would have done my best to save him to my dying breath. I don't just say that. I actually had to take on another dog one time. I still have the scars.)

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_319192630.html

Chicago Boy's Puppy Stolen Off Leash In Lincoln Park

Nov 15, 2006 6:22 pm US/Central

(CBS) CHICAGO Chicago police put out a warning to dog owners about pet stealing.

CBS 2's Joanie Lum reports on the method used by the thieves that has reached a new low.

You see dogs leashed outside of cafes, waiting for the master who ran in for a quick errand.

But in seconds, your furry best friend can be stolen and sold for profit, or worse.

"They use them as bait dogs to get the bloodlust of the fighting dogs," said Sgt. Brian Degenhardt of the Chicago Police Department.

Police are actively working a case they say is the first of its kind. On Sunday, a 13-year-old boy was walking his puppy down a Lincoln Park street. A man came up, took the puppy off his leash and hopped into a waiting truck.

The stolen puppy, Clementine is a 3-month-old bull terrier. The boy is traumatized.

"Once my son realized what was happening, he reached down and said, 'Please don't take my dog.' The man pushed him away," said the boy's father.

The dog and its family met nightly with a neighborhood social club of dog owners. They are all on alert.

"I'm having nightmares about it, it's absolutely horrible," said dog owner Brielle Goldman.

"Lots of people like to pet the dog, it makes me anxious when people want to pet him," said Taya Seline, another dog owner.

Clementine might have been taken because the bull terrier is an expensive breed.

"If anybody has contact with someone trying to sell a dog or suddenly has one, give us a call," said Degenhardt.

And for other dog owners, police say watch those pets like they are your children.

The police animal abuse control unit was expanded from one to eight officers. They say dogs are often re-united with owners because more pets have microchips implanted. Unfortunately, Clementine was too young for that.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

[GreyhoundGirl]

Scary buisness.

and at the same time. What sort of butt-hole would take a little boys pet right out of his hands?!?!?!
Poor child.

[lute]

that's awful! i can't believe someone would just take a dog like that! people are so stupid! i hope they find the puppy.

[crow_noir]

I sent a contact form to the reporter suggesting the family list the pup on dogdetective.

I know it's not much, but it's something. I hate feeling helpless.

[elizabethann]

I saw a show on this (not this particular story). But a woman left her dog on its leash & ran in to a store to get a coffee. She was gone for 2 minutes but her dog was stolen. They actually had it on survelance video. This woman just walked up to the dog, untied the leash & walked away with the dog like she was just walking her own dog.

Luckily, the woman was recognized and someone turned her in and the dogs owner got her dog back. This story ended up being a happy one.

If anybody ever took one of my pets, I'd probably end up in jail.

[Suki Wingy]

ok, so no unsupervised playing in the yard for mr. Niño, seeing as this happened so close to us

[KYS]

elizabethann wrote: a woman left her dog on its leash & ran in to a store to get a coffee. She was gone for 2 minutes but her dog was stolen. They actually had it on survelance video. This woman just walked up to the dog, untied the leash & walked away with the dog like she was just walking her own dog.
Luckily, the woman was recognized and someone turned her in and the dogs owner got her dog back. >>>>>>>>>>>>

I saw this story too. I thought the dogs owner was unbelievably stupid
for leaving her dog outside, though I was happy they were re-united.

As for dogs being taken from the owner I find this very SAD.

[Rachel]

The stolen puppy, Clementine is a 3-month-old bull terrier. The boy is traumatized.

"Once my son realized what was happening, he reached down and said, 'Please don't take my dog.' The man pushed him away," said the boy's father.

It was on the news this past week - Clementine has been found!

Someone purchased her from another party and recognized the dog from all the publicity and saw to it that she was returned to the rightful owner. Oh happy day!

[BC_MoM]

Things like this are so sad.
In most cases in my city, the dogs have been found..

But you never know.

That poor boy - I hope they find the puppy!

[NicoleLJ]

That is awful and it really angers me but i do have a question.

At teh end they mention microchips and that because of microchips more owners are being reunited with their lost or stolen pets. But that the 3 month old pup was too young to have it done.

This does not make any sense to me. Sheena had her microchip put in when she was just over 7 weeks old. I told the breeder I did not want her flying without a chip. So she made sure to put it in. All the puppies Sheena has will also be micro chipped before they go to their new homes at just over 8 weeks. So why was this puppy too young? Did the editor of the article just make a mistake in that sentence?
Nicole

[labmomma]

Both of my boyz are microchipped and tatooed because being stolen is my greatest fear. Both of my guys just love people and car rides and would go with virtually anyone that would open the door and invite them in. We live very isolated and use "Invisible Fence" to contain them and they obey their boundaries in an exemplary fashion. If I have to be gone for very long I crate them in the house. This really does scare me and God help anyone that tries to harm them. I would fight until the end to protect them.
Labmomma X 2

[lizbud]

It was on the news this past week - Clementine has been found!

Someone purchased her from another party and recognized the dog from all the publicity and saw to it that she was returned to the rightful owner. Oh happy day!

I am glad that person returned the pup to it's owner.

[crow_noir]

http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_321183310.html

Nov 17, 2006 5:28 pm US/Central
Kidnapped Puppy Returned To Lincoln Park Family
A Man Said He Bought The Dog On The Street For $200
Get breaking news alerts

(CBS) CHICAGO There is a happy ending to the story of Clementine, the puppy who was kidnapped as her 13-year-old owner took her for a walk last weekend.

The 3-month-old hound is back with her owners tonight in Lincoln Park.

The owner got the exciting phone call Friday that Clementine had been found.

A man told police he bought the dog from someone on the street for $200.

He called police after seeing a news report about the missing puppy.

The family couldn't be happier, or more grateful to the man who returned Clementine.

"It was like a Hallmark card," said the teen's father. "They were jumping on each other. It was just a great time. So I want to say thank you to him."

Clementine was tired and had a few scratches but is otherwise doing fine.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)


~~~~~~

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1...-dog18.article

Unlikely ending to this puppy dog tale

November 18, 2006
BY TOM McNAMEE Sun-Times Columnist
Clementine the puppy is home, thanks to a Chicago Sun-Times reader. And her human family's faith in people has been restored, thanks to many more of you.

"A stranger called and burst into tears, he was so upset," said Mary, the mom of the family. "Another man said he had 150 people praying for us."

"Everybody seemed to care," said the boy of the family. "The police came over today just to see how Clementine's doing -- and me, too."

Clementine is doing fine, though she's awfully tired. Who wouldn't be?

And the boy's doing much better than fine. He's doing great.

"When we got her home, she fell asleep first thing," he said. "I've just been petting her."

A brazen robbery
In the scheme of things, it wasn't a big story. Nobody died. But sometimes it's a little story that can make us feel like the world's all wrong.

As I reported in Thursday's Chicago Sun-Times, a 13-year-old boy who lives in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood was walking his 12-week-old puppy Sunday evening when a man approached.

"Hey, what kind of dog is that?" the man asked, reaching down as if to pet Clementine.

The boy, whose name I have agreed not to print, sensed trouble. "Oh, it's a bull terrier," he said quickly, and he tried to scoot Clementine along.

But the man had a grip on the puppy's neck. He was unhooking her leash. And when the boy tried to stop him, he shoved the boy away.

"Hey, that's my dog!" the boy cried.

The man scooped up the frightened puppy, walked to a truck where another man waited, and drove off.

Two days later, when I heard about this, I asked the boy's mom how her son was doing.

"A lot of tears," Mary said. "A broken heart."

'I've got your dog'
In my Thursday story, I included a number people could call. The Sun-Times even ran a cute photo of Cleme.

But this is Chicago, not Pleasantville, and I never gave that puppy a chance. Even as I typed, I imagined Clementine chained in a basement, being jabbed by sticks to make her fighting mean.

And then on Thursday, a man called the number in the story.

"I've got your dog," he told Mary.

"What?" she said.

"I've got your dog," he repeated. "I saw her picture in the paper."

The man described Clementine exactly as she is, right down to the freckles that peek through her fur.

You see, he told Mary, he had bought the dog for $200 from a stranger on the street. He could tell the other guy wasn't the dog's owner, he said, and was concerned for its safety. The dog seemed upset, which upset him.

And then, he said, he saw the picture of Clementine in the Sun-Times and immediately called.

Wait, I said to Mary. This guy told you he bought the dog from a total stranger? He handed over $200 just to be a hero to dogs?

You believe that?

"Let him be the good samaritan," Mary said simply. "Maybe that's what he was. That's what I want him to be."

A joyful reunion
The next morning, Mary and her husband, escorted by a police officer, drove down to the caller's house on the Far South Side.

When Mary saw Clementine in the living room, she scooped the puppy up. Her husband cradled the dog into his arms. Clementine squirmed with joy, nibbling his ears and licking his face.

As compensation and a reward, the couple paid the man $500.

An hour or two later, Mary walked in to her son's school. He had to leave for a short while, she said, because the police wanted him to look at more photos of possible suspects.

They walked out to the car, where the dad was waiting, looking glum.

But then the boy noticed something -- some sort of movement in the car. He did a double take. He could not believe it.

"Clementine!" he shouted. "Clementine!"

Today is a Saturday, which means there's no school. So you know what I'd bet?

I'd bet that at this very moment, as you are reading these words, that boy is hugging that dog.

Tom McNamee's "The Chicago Way" column usually runs on Mondays in the Sun-Times.

© Copyright 2006 Sun-Times News Group


http://media1.suntimes.com/nixoncds/...5.imageContent
16-week-old Clementine is reunited with her owner.
(John J. Kim/Sun-Times)

This pic of her is so cute! You have to see it. You can tell she's really happy to be back home.