Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Stolen puppy is back at pet shop
Lucky was found in halls of a Boyertown apartment building
NORTH COVENTRY » Lucky the puppy has certainly lived up to his name.
Snatched from Diane’s Discount Pets on Route 100 Saturday morning, he was found Monday morning roaming the halls of an apartment building in Boyertown.
Shop employee Alison Ueland said a call came in from the maintenance man at the apartment building who had come in to find Lucky running up and down the hall.
“He didn’t know the whole story. But when he called his boss, his boss said ‘you know what? That’s probably that stolen puppy that was on the news.’” And he was right. “They sent us a photo and then we went and got him,” Ueland said.
Once Lucky was back where he belonged, the North Coventry Police were called.
It was police who issued the alert about the puppy, shortly after he was stolen at about 10 a.m. Saturday.
The urgency in recovering Lucky was that he is suffering from a bacteriological infection and needed regular antibiotics.
North Coventry Police Chief Bob Schurr told Digital First Media Monday that video had helped the police develop suspects “and we’re pretty sure we’ve identified the individuals. We will probably make an arrest in a few days.”
Schurr said likely charges include retail theft “and we’ll probably also take a look at neglected animal status laws as well.”
Once recovered, Lucky was taken straight to the veterinarian’s for a checkup “and we’re waiting for the blood and urine tests to come back to make sure he’s OK,” Ueland said. “He’s having some kidney problems.”
“We’re keeping him separate from the other puppies because he doesn’t eat as fast as they do and he can get out-competed,” she said.
Ueland said in the 10 years she has worked at the store, she can’t remember anyone just walking out of the store with a stolen puppy.