Who Took Woman's Missing Dog From Animal Shelter?
SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) – A local family is desperate to find its beloved Yorkie swiped from Sacramento County Animal Care.
"She means a lot to us, she is loved, she's not a stray dog," Jamie Anderson said.
A faulty latch and a morning breeze started her nightmare.
"The gate was like this when I came out," Anderson said, showing it was wide open.
Her beloved 4-year-old Yorkie had escaped; the two were practically inseparable.
"After losing my mom I got my Olive, and it's always just been her and I," she said.
Anderson frantically began searching the neighborhood when she saw a young woman putting up fliers. Sure enough, it was Olive, but the woman had already taken the dog to the animal shelter.
"I was excited and elated and thanked her over and over again," Anderson said, but when she arrived, "They couldn't find Olive. Not in their paperwork or computers."
That's because the good Samaritan was late for class and the shelter didn't open for another 15 minutes.
"She didn't know that the lady didn't work there. She had scrubs on and said I'll take care of her."
After much confusion, county workers figured out that the woman waiting in line to supposedly adopt another dog had taken Olive instead.
"The young lady who found her was devastated, she thought it was her fault," Anderson said.
But the county and Anderson added, the good Samaritan did the right thing.
"The only problem was she was duped into thinking the person that she gave the dog to was going to turn into the shelter," said Dave Dickinson, the shelter director.
Dickinson released four photos and said the couple in the surveillance video needs to return the dog.
"If they don't, and we have to go chasing them down, that's a different story," he said.
Meanwhile, back at home, the dog's family desperately waits for Olive's return and hopes these people have a change of heart.
"I can't imagine not ever getting my animal back," Anderson said.
The county is urging anyone with information to come forward.
"Please bring her back. I won't even ask any questions; I just want her back," Anderson said.
