[News] Lost Yorkie Owner Scammed

[fasteddie]

Damn scammers like this need to die! I hope they find their little Ollie and I hope they get the scammers too!
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When Gretchen Petery learned that her Yorkshire terrier was missing, she plastered her neighborhood north of Fisher's Landing with fliers seeking his return.

"Please call!!! We miss him!!!" the fliers pleaded.

Then a man called and said 2-year-old Ollie had been taken to Arizona by a work crew that had been installing communications gear near Petery's home. The caller said it was his boss who took Ollie, and he couldn't give his name or even the company's name because he was afraid of getting fired.

The man said he "didn't feel right" about Ollie's abduction and offered to send the Yorkie back to Vancouver on an airliner.

"The story he related was so fantastic that I thought it could just possibly be true," said Petery, 35, who operates a personal chef business.

She wired the man $350 for the plane fare and, on Sunday, he promised to call her with Ollie's flight information.

That was the last time she heard from him.

"I'm angry," Petery said. "This is almost as low as a person can go. It's cruel to treat people this way and take advantage of them when they are hurting."

Petery said she and her husband, Skip, were vacationing and a house sitter was watching Ollie on July 14 when he escaped from their yard.

People who post fliers describing a missing pet, and get a call from someone claiming to have it, should ask the caller to provide a detail that wasn't mentioned in the flier, she said in retrospect.

On Thursday, although Ollie has been missing about three weeks, Gretchen Petery said she still can't forget how she used to wake up and find him looking at her.

"I miss him," she said of the little tan-and-gray dog she's had since he was eight weeks old. "He's my baby. He makes me laugh and breaks my heart, he's so sweet and so wonderful. I haven't given up yet. I'm still holding out hope I can get him back."

Gretchen Petery said she still calls the Humane Society for Southwest Washington every other day, and still puts up fliers.

She's offering a $750 reward for a tip leading to Ollie's return. Anyone with information is asked to call Gretchen Petery at 360-944-1604.

http://www.columbian.com/08062004/clark_co/174270.html

[bettyeanne]

If they could find out what kind of communications cable it was [local or cross country] there might be a way to track them down [if it was indeed true what the guy on the phone told her]! One would think that law enforcement would at least chase down that lead ... it would be easy for them to find out who contracted the work done and contact the company who provided the contractors to do it ... it "ain't rocket science"! Again, if the guy on the phone were at least truthful about the part about working in the area installing communications equipment. Don't you think?? It's so awful for these babies to be stolen!! I would die if Toto disappeared!

[fasteddie]

Yeah, sounds like a murky situation. But if you wire someone money, they need ID to collect it in most cases. So there's a lead right there. But I usually find that cops really don't care unless there's a large amount involved, or it's happened multiple times. Many victims of fraud never go public for fear of shame or retaliation...

[Higgin's Mom]

You need to be aware of the dollar value that constitutes a felony in theft crimes. It varies from place to place. In Connecticut, I think it was $2000, and when our TWO English Setters were stolen, the police HAD to become involved because of the dogs were valued at over $2000 (one was an AKC champion). It's the only time we are glad that Yorkies are EXPENSIVE. I know that all of this shouldn't relate to dollar values, but we do what we have to do.

[bettyeanne]

But ... it's a YORKIE!!! Although we would be safe too with meeting the dollar value they set ... IMO it would be just as bad a crime if the owner paid $5 or if he paid $5000 for the baby!!! Stealing is stealing regardless of the cost! There isn't that many things in this world that I truly, deep down in my heart, hate ... but a thief is right on the TOP of my list!! I suppose animal lovers really are a whole different "breed"!

[Higgin's Mom]

Oh, my dear, I AGREE! I am only mentioning the dollar value because THAT is what matters to law enforcement to get them INTERESTED in pursuing a case of dognapping! It's not high on THEIR list of crimes to solve and prosecute. When the theft happened to us in Connecticut, dog owners in Connecticut and New York state were AWARE of two dog theft rings stealing pedigreed dogs. We even knew the color of the van they were using -- blue. But it wasn't until those !@#$%^&s stole a trained NY troopers police dog that they got themselves into high gear and caught the dognappers. Let them steal the police chief's Yorkie and you'll see those scammers get caught and prosecuted.

[bettyeanne]

Mary Ellen ... it just isn't fair, is it?? Steal a $1 item at Wal-Mart and they chase you down like you're a member of the mob ... steal a pet and they won't lift a finger? OK ... I got a plan ... I know the Police Chief here personally ... hope he has a dog, 'cause if he does I will have my eye on it! Somebody grabs Toto ... I grab the chief's dog! He gets every guy on the force looking for them both!!