Was it a dognapper or a Good Samaritan?

Impala Park resident Renchia Annandale said she is relieved that her missing dog has been found, but she suspects he was a victim of a dognapper.

Baloo, the Yorkshire terrier, was picked up by a man outside her home on February 25.

CCTV footage seen by the Advertiser shows the man picking up the terrified dog outside the gate and seen driving off with him.

According to Annandale, the three days her dog was missing was an emotional roller coaster.

“Worries about my tiny, fragile, little fur baby overtook me. I cried and prayed for his safe return. We walked and drove to nearly every street in our area looking for him. We even contacted and visited the local SPCAs and vets, thinking we would find him there. We even requested on all social media groups for the public to help us find him. People shared the posts and we would receive positive messages and phone calls from concerned people,” she said.

Annandale said she even received messages from scamsters who would demand thousands of rands in return for her dog.

“I would receive calls were I would be told to pay up and later they will send a message to say my dog is lying dead in a ditch,” she said.

The Impala Park resident said Mike from Security Network Company in Farrarmere on February 28 enlarged the CCTV footage to identify the Renault’s registration number.

Meanwhile, later in the afternoon on February 28 she received a call from a woman who said her sister bought a Yorkie from a short, bald man around East Rand Mall/flea market for R1 300.

“The man told her he does not have money for rent and food and wanted to sell ‘his’ Yorkie for R1 300. They then bought it. I was told my dog wasn’t eating and she thought it was missing its owner. She said she only saw a post on Facebook on February 28 about a missing Yorkie, which looked the same as hers and then decided to phone the number on the post,” said Annandale. 

Annandale made arrangements with the woman and they met in Atlasville, where she was reunited with her fur baby. 

“I am still asking myself questions if this was an act of a good Samaritan who picked up my little dog in front of his owner’s gate or was it the action of an opportunistic, greedy dog napper,” said Annandale.

Boksburg SPCA manager Vicky Finnemore said they haven’t had any recent reports of this nature but believes this
does happen. “The public must report such incidents to the SAPS and open a case of theft. It is against the law to keep a stray animal without reporting it to the SPCA,” she said.

Also Read: Watch: Missing dog reunited with family after two weeks

Also Read: WATCH: Lost dog reports himself missing at local police station