After intense search, missing Chance the dog is returned
A Boynton Beach woman found her beloved dog safe Saturday after a relentless search that brought her and her relatives down to Lauderdale Lakes.
Lawanda Blocker said she was reunited with Chance, a 1-year-old Pomeranian Shih Tzu about noon Saturday. He had been stolen from her yard about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday.
“He was in good shape,” she said about 5 p.m. Saturday. The thief “took off his name tag off and the bells where I could hear him, but he still had his leash on him. He’s eating and drinking. He’s taking a nap right now. He’s exhausted.’
After news was reported that an anonymous business owner had offered a $3,000 reward, Blocker said she got a Friday night call from a tipster from Boynton Beach — someone she believes is the sister of a young woman who allegedly stole the dog.
The tipster said the dog was in the Lauderdale Lakes area. She couldn’t provide an exact address but could find Chance if someone took her down to the area.
So two of Blocker’s cousins traveled down with the woman. The tipster knew that Chance had been abandoned, but when the group searched, Chance was gone. So they started searching the neighborhood, knocking on doors and passing out fliers.
Blocker traveled down to Lauderdale Lakes on Saturday morning herself to search for Chance. That’s when she met a man who had spotted Chance abandoned the night before. He had left the dog at a friend’s house.
There’s now a question now about who, if anyone, gets the $3,000 reward. Blocker said she doesn’t think it should go to the sister of the person who allegedly stole her dog. She thinks it should go to her relatives who spent hours passing out fliers in the neighborhood.
So far, Boynton Beach police have made no arrests and no reward has been given out.
“We have a detective assigned to the investigation, which is ongoing,” said Stephanie Slater, a spokeswoman for the police department.