Determined stray dog tries 5 times to steal a stuffed unicorn from NC Dollar General
An incredibly stubborn dog had to be taken into custody Sunday in eastern North Carolina, after it “broke into” a store multiple times to try to steal the same stuffed animal.
Specifically, a $10 purple unicorn.
It happened at a Dollar General in Duplin County, and the county’s Animal Services Department Head Joe Newburn says he’s as baffled as anyone over the dog’s fixation on the unicorn. The county animal shelter is about 80 miles southeast of Raleigh, in Kenansville.
“The store called and said they had a stray dog in the parking lot that kept coming into the store,” Newburn told McClatchy News.
“He’d walk in, go to that unicorn and try to get it. He did it four or five times before they locked the door and called us to come get him. Maybe he had a stuffed animal like that in his original home. I don’t know, but he wanted that purple unicorn bad.”
The dog eventually got it, but not by theft, Newburn said.
When the store called, they sent Animal Control Officer Samantha Lane, an 8-year veteran with a soft spot for sad stories, he said.
She arrived to find the 1-year-old dog still standing in the parking lot, as if waiting for a chance to get back inside. So she went in and bought the unicorn for him. Lane put it in the front seat of the truck, and the dog came along willingly, Newburn said.
The odd story was shared Monday on the shelter’s Facebook page, along with a photo of the forlorn dog resting its chin on the unicorn.
“This is what happens when you break into the Dollar General consistently to steal the purple unicorn ... but then get Animal Control called to lock you up for your B&E and larceny,” the shelter wrote.
The post has gotten more than 9,000 reactions, comments and shares since Monday, many from people thanking Lane for her act of kindness.
A growing number are also asking about adopting the dog, which won’t be possible until March 29, Newburn said. Dogs must be held at least five days before being put up for adoption.
The sheltered announced last week that the dog has an “adopter,” but has not released the person’s identity. The transition to a new home will happen after the dog spends time at “Lab Rescue LRCP to receive training to address ... trouble interacting with other dogs,” People magazine reports.
Shelter staff are calling the dog Sisu, the name of a cartoon dragon in the Disney film “Raya and the Last Dragon.”
Dollar General has made a series of donations to the shelter in the dog’s name, including large bags of pet food, according to a shelter Facebook post.
This story was originally published March 24, 2021 at 4:24 PM with the headline "Determined stray dog tries 5 times to steal a stuffed unicorn from NC Dollar General."