[News] Puppy Thief in Vista, CA

[y0rkieL0ver]

I saw this article and just wanted to bring it to all the breeder's attention- i never could imagine something like happening, but apparently it does. I know i myself am guilty of being to trusting sometimes, so please make sure you all take some kind of precaution to guard yourselves from something like this ever happening<3<3



Thief steals puppy for sale in Vista

By: JO MORELAND - Staff Writer

VISTA ---- The young man who phoned Fawn Schroeder at her Vista home earlier this month told her he wanted to buy one of her Yorkshire terrier puppies for his mother.
Schroeder, who was selling the 12-week-old puppies for $1,200 each, didn't realize that before the day ended the affable prospective buyer would steal one of the dogs at her home.

"Any purebred dog is expensive," the upset woman said Friday in a phone interview.

North County law enforcement officers contacted at random said they hadn't heard of any significant numbers of dog thefts, but John Carlson, North County regional director of the San Diego County Department of Animal Services, said "it wouldn't surprise me any."

"They very well may not be reported," Carlson said.

Terry Van Kirk of Oceanside, a dog breeder who specializes in Yorkshire terriers, said dog owners need to take steps to protect themselves when selling an animal.

"You can't just invite strangers over to your home," Van Kirk said.

Schroeder said she advertised her black and gold puppies for sale in a newspaper. A young man responded by phone about 4 p.m. Jan. 12, she said, claiming to be "Kurtis" from Oceanside.

Kurtis said he wanted a puppy for his mom and he was coming to her home, said Schroeder.

Cell phone to his ear and cigarette in his mouth, a clean shaven and "presentably dressed" young man in baggy, dark-colored pants walked up to her door that night.

Identifying himself as Kurtis, he told Schroeder he had parked on the street.

"I'm standing at the doorway with the puppy in my hands," said Schroeder. "He whistled to the dog, had his hands out. I handed him the dog."

At her husband's request, she said, she asked Kurtis to put out his cigarette. He turned with the dog and started down her front steps, giving her the impression he was going to get rid of the cigarette.

"The minute his foot hit that last step, he just started out running," said Schroeder.

She promptly reported the theft to a sheriff's deputy, which was the right thing to do, according to Carlson.

He and Van Kirk said there are ways for animal owners to protect themselves and the pets they're selling.

Carlson said he always cautions people to sell, never give away, an animal to make sure it has value in the buyer's mind and is to be treated properly.

Photographing and microchipping animals makes it easier to report and trace them if they're lost or stolen, and anyone caught with a stolen animal can be charged, he said.

When it comes to advertising an animal for sale, always put "references required" in the ad and never publish your address, Van Kirk advised.

She said dog sellers should interview the prospective buyer first by phone, getting the name and phone number of the buyer's veterinarian. That way the buyer can check with the vet to see how the person has cared for animals.

If the person says he or she hasn't had an animal before, ask for identification before allowing the prospective buyer to come to your home, Van Kirk said. Then, she said, look at the person's driver's license before allowing him or her into your home or near your dog.

Should the would-be buyer steal the animal, be cautious, Carlson said.

"Don't take steps to try to recover the animal as it's being stolen, because you could be harmed," he said. "Report it to law enforcement right away."

Contact staff writer Jo Moreland at (760) 740-3524 or jmoreland@nctimes.com.

[SoCalyorkiLvr]

Wow!! This is so close to me...I hope they catch this guy!!! How awful!! I think pmoore on here got one of her dogs from a breeder in Vista......I wonder if it was the same breeder!

[Biddy's Mom]

Wow! That's awful. I'm too trusting too - that's scary.

[Marie]

WOW, That is so scary. I hope the police find this guy soon.

[txshopper73]

That's terrible! I hope that they catch the guy! That's what is so scary about inviting people you don't know into your home. Not only could they steal one of your dogs, but they could be looking around to see if there's anything else they might like to have.

[troubletb]

Gosh that is bad!! Its getting to be you can't trust anyone!!

[Yorkieluv]

My goodness! That's so terrible...What is this world coming to?

[Tx2Stepn]

This exact same thing happened to a friend of mine her is Texas.

[Steelygirl1]

Of course I'm not a breeder... just a trusting person! I can't imagine something so horrible! I can only hope that the jerk stole the puppy to resell... Only reason I say this is if he's such a horrible person to steal it in the first place.. can't imagine how he'd treat the puppy when he got it home. My heart goes out to the breeder who is probably worried sick about the home her baby is living in but more so to the puppy.. I just hope its in a loving home! Geez! People have No morals!

Donna S.

[lilbumbleybees]

How horrible! I hope they catch the guy. I more so hope though that at least this man has the decency to treat the furbaby the way it's supposed to be treated. Poor thing!

[Princessyorkies]

Oh my gosh how horrible. You never know who you can and can not trust anymore. This world is getting more wicked all the time.
Interviewing themon the phone and getting references is a very good idea but that still doesn't make everything 100% safe. They could give you actually references from someone else who they have basically stolen their identity.

[Kate]

Wow, how tragic. One just never knows.

[Latuya]

OMG what is it about Vista? My husband was born in Oceanside and still has aunts and cousins that live there. One of his cousins breeds chi's and just last year they had a break in and they took 2 out of a litter of 4 Chi's. The smallest of the 4 and they were only 5 weeks old.

[rockrobin]

I think I would have been a little more cautious with a a person a did not have more information on. I usually know more about a person berore I have them come to my home. I have full names, phone number etc. It is just too scarry these days. The only people that have been to my house have actually purchased a puppy.

[stinkybelle]

terrible, what is the world coming to..