Woman Clings to Hood of Speeding Car after $10,000 Dog Stolen
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If you have ever watched the thriller series “Crisis,” you must remember how Gibson calls the parents of the children he had kidnapped, asking them how far they would go to protect the ones they love. Of course, the scared parents go to all lengths to try and bring their children back home. Such love is exemplified by one woman clinging to the hood of a speeding car after a $10,000 dog was stolen. The woman made attempts to stop the theft of the stolen canine but was unsuccessful. Here’s more regarding the events that led to the theft.
Pet Purchase Turns into Theft
Alize James was working as usual at Bully Kamp, the go-to pet store for anyone looking for an exotic breed and bulldogs. A couple walked into the store on November 4, 2020, looking to buy an exotic bulldog worth $10,000. They could not afford a one-time payment; therefore, James discussed financing options with them. T
hey must have agreed on a way forward because James went upstairs to get some paperwork for a delivery driver. The purchase turned into theft, which James realized upon going back downstairs and seeing the woman carrying the 7-month-old bulldog in her arms. James’ protective instincts kicked in, and she ran after the couple, hoping to stop them.
Her main concern was the dog that needed special medical attention after having surgery a few days earlier. Unfortunately, her attempts to prevent the couple from taking off with the bulldog were futile, and they got into their sedan.
Still, James was not ready to give up on the dog, so she held on to the hood of the sedan, and the couple showed no mercy. They drove fast through Harris County as James held on until the car stopped; maybe the couple was ready to surrender the dog back to her after all. However, the man got out of the car, beat James, and threw her off the car according to Yahoo News.
He got back in, and the couple left, but the year did not end without justice being served. The woman, who had carried the stolen dog, was identified as 21-year-old Royshana King. King was arrested in the last week of December 2020, but her partner in crime remains at large. She was charged with robbery with a deadly weapon and represented by a public defender. On the other hand, James may have put her life at risk, but she does not regret her actions. All the same, she realizes it was a careless decision, and given a second chance, she would not run after the thieves.
Similar Theft Cases of Expensive Dogs from Pet Stores
Pet thieves were motivated to keep stealing dogs in 2020 as the demand for pets went up during the lockdown. Therefore, it was no surprise that pet stores reported theft cases, which took a toll on the business, mostly when the stolen dogs were costly. Safari Stan’s Pet Center in New Haven was not spared, and one morning, an employee walked into the store only to come across a big hole in the wall and five puppies missing.
She thought that the store owner, Reinaldo Capetillo, had taken the puppies home with him, but he had not. The five puppies were worth $23, 400 which might have motivated the thieves to steal them. Capetillo’s main concern was the dogs’ safety hence urged the thieves to care for them if they chose not to return the puppies to the store.
On the other hand, Gwinnett County had experienced a similar unfortunate incident in April 2020 when two burglars smashed the front of a pet store and stole 19 puppies. The dogs comprising Shi-Poo, Maltese, Morkies, Shih Tzu, Bulldogs, and Yorkie-Poos were collectively worth $60,000. The surveillance cameras showed the thieves had planned on stealing the dogs based on their dark-colored hoodies, black pants, green bag, and work light attached to one of the burglar’s head.
Why are Dogs Stolen?
Modern Dog Magazine cites a few reasons why people steal dogs, whether from pet stores or homes. Here are some reasons.
- For Quick Cash – Pet owners are usually desperate whenever their pets go missing, and thieves know how to exploit this emotion. Therefore, after stealing the dog, they wait for the pet owner to post an advert to recover the lost dog. Since, in most cases, the money will be a motivation for the return of the dog, the thief will pretend to have found the dog to collect the handsome reward. Sometimes, the thief is not interested in collecting a reward and instead wants to sell the dog to unsuspecting buyers. With some dogs worth thousands of dollars, a thief will make quick cash by selling the stolen pet at a discount. Since most people would love to own an expensive breed at half the price, the stolen dogs always have a ready market.
- Dog Fighting – The United States Humane Society estimated that at least 40,000 people buy and sell fighting dogs. While there are different breeds involved in the dogfighting rings, some breeds are preferred over others, with the American Pit Bull Terrier ranking at the top. Those interested in the dogfighting business will go around looking for their dog of choice, even if it means stealing because the business must continue. The weak animals are not safe either because they are used as training materials to generate blood lust in the more fierce dogs, according to Glasgow Times.
- Breeding – A genuine breeder will have the necessary paperwork for any of the dogs you are looking to buy. Some unscrupulous traders in the puppy mill business prefer to steal certain breeds to continue the breeding program. Hence if the puppy you want lacks the required papers, most likely, you cannot trust the breeder.