Man Takes Puppy Without Paying, Detectives Track Him Down

A man is facing felony charges after Pierce County deputies say he stole a puppy from a breeder without paying for it, leaving the owner wondering where the Australian Labradoodle had gone.

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office took to social media to spread awareness about the incident. Deputies were called to the Bonney Lake area in Washington around 10 p.m. on Sept. 9 to investigate a report of a stolen puppy. The victim owns a licensed family-run business that breeds Australian Labradoodles. One of the puppies, Sherbert, was arranged to be adopted that day.

According to the sheriff’s office, the suspect contacted the breeders about purchasing Sherbert. Instead of paying, authorities say he took the puppy and drove away.

Thankfully, the victim had photos showing the suspect’s clothes and vehicle. That information gave detectives a good lead as they worked to identify the suspect and find Sherbert.

Detectives on the Case

As days passed, Pierce County detectives continued investigating the puppy theft.

Their investigation eventually led them to an apartment complex in the 3000 block of Pioneer Way E in Puyallup on Sept. 16. Deputies located the suspect’s vehicle there and arrived with a search warrant.

Deputies entered the suspect’s apartment and arrested him while he was still lying in bed. The suspect, a 35-year-old man, was charged with felony theft in the second degree and felony possession of stolen property in the second degree. He was also wanted in other states for felony charges, the sheriff’s office said. He will soon be extradited.

The sheriff’s office says deputies also found the same clothing he wore when he stole Sherbert. The suspect’s identity was not publicly released.

Sherbert Comes Home

The good news was that deputies found Sherbert and safely returned the pup to his owner. The sheriff’s office said it was clear how happy the puppy was to be back home again after several days away.

The agency praised the persistence of deputies and detectives involved for helping bring Sherbert home.

Dog-Napped

On the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post, plenty of people were very happy to hear that Sherbert made it home safely.

“Yeah, glad he made it home,” one person wrote, while another called it a case of “dog napping.”

One commenter suggested that with this experience, the owner might want to keep Sherbert, writing that she should keep the cutie after all it went through.

It’s a good thing that Sherbert is back home after what was hopefully a short and unwanted adventure. 

As always, the suspect is innocent unless proven guilty in court.