Sorrowful dog owners rallied in 91原创 Thursday night, hoping to bring attention to their six stolen canine companions.
芒鈧揑 can芒鈧劉t eat or sleep,芒鈧� said Emma Paulsen, a Delta dog walker who lost her own dog, along with the dogs of five clients.
The dogs were swiped out of the back of Paulsen芒鈧劉s truck Tuesday afternoon at about 1:30 p.m.
She had brought the six dogs to the City dog park at 44th Avenue and 206th Street. After some exercise, she got the dogs into the back of a canopied pickup truck and went to use the nearby restroom.
Less than 10 minutes later, someone had unlatched the canopy and all six dogs were gone. There hasn芒鈧劉t been a confirmed sighting since.
Paulsen, who searched for hours on Tuesday and has been back since to keep looking, said she is now on the phone 24-7 hoping for tips.
She and other dog owners have dropped off fliers at every animal protection centre in the Lower Mainland, including the 91原创 Animal Protection Society (LAPS).
The suspicion is the dogs were stolen rather than simply released, because none of them have been found in the surrounding suburban neighbourhoods.
Paul Grant says he doubts his dog, Oscar, would have wandered far unless he was being led by a human.
芒鈧揌e芒鈧劉s a rescue already, picked up as a stray, so he has a bit of separation anxiety,芒鈧� Grant said.
He芒鈧劉s been dividing his time between work, searching for the dogs, and visiting his wife in the hospital after a recent surgery. She芒鈧劉s frustrated she can芒鈧劉t be helping to look, Grant said.
Like the other owners, he芒鈧劉s heard plenty of theories about who might have taken the dogs, or why.
芒鈧揑t really is hard to know what the motivation is here,芒鈧� said Grant.
Regardless of the motivation, some people are trying to profit from the theft of the six dogs.
Colleen King, whose dog Teemo was taken, said her family and the others have received phone calls from someone claiming he could return the dogs for a reward 芒鈧�� if the money was wired to him.
The owners recognized the offer as a scam, but it did briefly raise false hopes for some of them.
芒鈧揑t芒鈧劉s just absurd,芒鈧� said Paulsen.
King said her family is 芒鈧揾eartbroken芒鈧� after the loss of their three year old dog.
Like many other owners, she芒鈧劉s already been out searching twice in the area.
芒鈧揈veryone芒鈧劉s been posting flyers and searching everywhere they can think of,芒鈧� she said.
Someone, somewhere must know what happened to the dogs, she said.
Grant agrees. Whoever has them should return them, he said.
芒鈧揓ust leave them somewhere safe, call one of the numbers on the posters,芒鈧� he said.
Social media has exploded with information about the dogs, with articles being shared and linked to hundreds of times through Facebook and other websites.
Numerous people have come forward to help, and at the rally Thursday evening many people took posters with the dogs芒鈧劉 photos and names to put up in their own neighbourhoods or workplaces.
芒鈧揥e really couldn芒鈧劉t ask for more,芒鈧� said Paulsen.
Meanwhile, White Rock realtor and TV personality Sarah Daniels has offered a $5,000 reward to anyone who returns the stolen dogs.
The dogs are:
芒鈧� Mia 芒鈧�� a black and white pit bull
芒鈧� Teemo 芒鈧�� a grey bouvier poodle cross
芒鈧� Buddy 芒鈧�� a black and white Boston terrier
芒鈧� Oscar 芒鈧�� A black and brown rottweiler/husky cross
芒鈧� Salty 芒鈧�� A border collie
芒鈧� Molly 芒鈧�� A grey and black blue heeler/shepherd cross
Anyone who has any information that could help police locate any of the missing dogs should call the 91原创 RCMP at 604-532-3200. To remain anonymous, call CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
- with files from the
