Hunting dog is stolen twice — once from lobby of animal shelter, Mississippi cops say
UPDATE: The Perry County Sheriff’s Office reports the stolen dog was found after being adopted by a new owner at another shelter. When it was discovered the dog was stolen, the new owner paid the original owner for the dog, officials said. The case has been closed, officials reported Feb. 28.
The original story is below.
An increasingly bizarre dognapping case is under investigation in Mississippi, involving the same dog taken twice, presumably by the same people, according to the Perry County Sheriff’s Office.
Among the odd details: The second incident occurred in an animal shelter lobby — as staff looked on, the sheriff’s office said in a Nov. 30 news release.
The saga began Nov. 19, when the trained hunting dog “was stolen” while participating in a hunt near New Augusta, 110 miles southeast of Jackson, officials said.
“The dog was later taken to the Pine Belt Animal Shelter and an attempt was made to turn it in as an abandoned animal,” the sheriff’s office said.
“The dog did have a collar with owner’s information on it and it was a tracking collar. ... Workers at the shelter stated that they were going to contact the owner. The subjects grabbed the dog back up and left the shelter with the dog when the workers attempted to contact the owner.”
The tracking collar was found — minus the dog — “on another date,” officials said.
A surveillance camera took photos of the man and woman who brought the dog to the shelter, officials said. The sheriff’s office posted one of the photos on social media and is seeking help identifying the two. Tips can be offered through Perry County Crimestoppers at 601-964-7867, officials said.
Investigators have not released the breed and age of the dog. Hunting dog puppies can sell for between $250 (hounds) and $3,500 (retrievers), depending on the breed, according to Huntingpup.com
The department’s Facebook post on the case had more than 300 comments and reactions as of Dec. 5, including some who noted the details were baffling. Others assumed the theft was motivated by “anti dog hunting” sentiments.
“Isn’t the point of stealing usually to profit the thief? If they aren’t going to keep the dog, why take it to a shelter then leave with it? What is this guy’s game?” one commenter asked.
This story was originally published December 5, 2022 at 8:49 AM with the headline "Hunting dog is stolen twice — once from lobby of animal shelter, Mississippi cops say."