[News] Seven Dogs Stolen from York Woman

[Nomiland]

I see why breeders have to be so careful these days. I also thought that it was "strange" when I was trying to buy a yorkie breeders did not want you to come to their homes to look at their puppies or the environments that they grow up in. It went against everything we are told to do - see where they live, meet the parents, etc. It's a difficult situation.

[Pixelate]

2 charged in dognapping
Police allege the York women took seven dogs, including four Yorkshire puppies.
By MIKE HOOVER
Daily Record/Sunday News
York Daily Record/Sunday News
Article Last Updated:09/12/2007 08:56:40 AM EDT


Sep 12, 2007 — Under the pretense of being dog lovers interested in buying a puppy, two women staked out a York home they would later break into and take seven dogs, including four newborn Yorkshire terriers, police said.

The two now face jail time and fines.

Maneca Nyrae Luke, 24, and Stephanie Lee Dingivan, 28, both of the 900 block of West Princess Street, are charged with receiving stolen property by city police.

Between noon and 3 p.m. Aug. 15, police allege, Luke and Dingivan broke into Sylvia Grovell's home in the 900 block of West Princess Street and took the dogs. They included four, 3-week-old Yorkshire puppies; the puppies' mother and father, Sarah and Buster; and a Yorkshire-Chihuahua mix named Delilah, police said.

The dogs were worth more than $5,000, police said.

Luke and Dingivan had approached Grovell about seeing the puppies earlier that day, police said. Grovell agreed and let them in her home with the condition they could not touch the puppies, police said. Luke and Dingivan are roommates who live a few houses away from the victim.

The women returned later that day when Grovell left for a few hours to shop for a playpen for the puppies, police said. Grovell returned to find that someone kicked in the side door and took the animals and two dog cages.

Grovell was able to identify the two women who were at her home from a police photo lineup produced when Luke and Dingivan tried to sell the puppies to a West Manchester Township pet store, police said.

The pet store owner called police when the two women tried to sell the puppies and, when she refused, asked about boarding the animals, police said. The pet store owner became suspicious after hearing about the stolen Yorkshire terriers.

The pet store owner called city police Officer Andy Baez when the puppies were dropped off, according to court records. A witness also got the license plate of the suspects' vehicle, a gold-colored Mercedes-Benz.

Luke and Dingivan had planned to sell the puppies for $250 each, according to Grovell. Yorkshire puppies are a popular and expensive breed, garnering more than $1,000 a piece. Grovell had planned to sell the dogs for about $1,000, police said.

Buster and Delilah were still missing at the time charges were filed Aug. 29.

Luke was released on her own recognizance and now faces an Oct. 17 preliminary hearing before York County District Justice Barbara Nixon. Dingivan has yet to be arraigned, according to a district court spokesperson.

Grovell could not be reached for further comment Tuesday

[sassytooyou]

Originally Posted by TammyJM

How incredibly sad and frightening! I am so super paranoid about telling people that I have Yorkies because of craziness like this. When people see Livi they will typically ask if she is a Yorkie mix (some people don't know for sure because she is a parti color). I know it's bad but I tell them yes because I am too worried that anyone that knows how much the parti colors cost will take her. I just can't bring myself to tell people that she's a purebred because of how people are taking Yorkies due to their popularity....and also because her color is so uncommon.

Tammy

i would just say its a mut and keep the creeps away. the less any one knows the better.you are so right to make sure your baby is safe

[dalnna]

We live in a very nice neighborhood where there are alot of residents that hire people to do their lawns and other incidental lanscaping or pool maintenance jobs. Every day there are 5-6 trucks and guys working at any one time in the area where I used to walk my dogs. I'm not bad-mouthing landscapers at all, as a matter of fact, it's what my son does. but I'm just saying they're here so often they get to know who lives where and who has what kind of dogs and when their home and when they work. I've taken my "Save my yorkies in case of fire" sign down and now I just let them run amnd play out back. I know it'sa not good for them but I'm terrified someone will take them. People ALWAYS ask how much they cost..."oh, they're expensive, aren't they?" It frightens me. This guy followed me from store to store at the mall one day when we were in there. I don't usually take them in but we were in a hotel and couldn't leave them and I was trying to find something. My sister-in-law went and got the car and picked me and the girls up at the door so he couldn't follow us out. Sorry to go on like this. I've been away awhile and I'm trying to catch up I guess! Sorry!!!

[meglaulanmar]

This scares me. When people want to come to my house to meet puppies... I always want to meet them off premisis first... if I have any bad feelings about them... I won't let them come to my house. I go as far as taking down license numbers of what they drive ...just in case I get robbed. I would seriously shoot someone trying to steal my furbaby!

[Yorkiekids]

That's terrible. I hope they find them.