Imagine: you’re on your way to the dog park with your pooch when someone walking by snatches him, takes him to a car, and begins to drives off.
That’s exactly what happened to Mike Heredia on Sunday (February 7th) in Claremont, California. He and his three dogs were heading toward the Claremont Pooch Park when a passer-by on his phone walked by and Heredia heard his dog cry. He turned to see that the dognapper had grabbed Otis, his 15-year-old Cocker Spaniel, and was heading toward a waiting car. Otis did not have a leash on at the time. (Note to readers! Always keep your dog leashed!)
The desperate owner lunged into the car window and fought to get hold of his beloved canine. After being dragged for over half a block while being punched in the face by the passenger, Heredia couldn’t keep his grip. The car sped away with Otis still in it.
The desperate fifty-year-old was pretty banged up, sustaining injuries from the chase that included a dislocated shoulder, bruises on his body and face, and road rash on his foot that is so severe, it almost went down to his bone.
But Heredia’s biggest concern was the welfare of poor Otis. “He is not a young dog and needs care…I don’t know why they would’ve taken him,” he said in an article by The Daily Bulletin.
Luckily, this story has a happy ending! According to KABC, as of 5:00 this morning (February 9th), Otis and his owner were reunited. It seemed that the dognappers left him at the dog park that he was headed toward when he got stolen days before.
Aside from being extra-thirsty on his return, Otis survived the ordeal unscathed.
The dognappers’ motives are still unknown. “Maybe they thought this was a nice dog that they could sell…It’s still not clear,” said Claremont Police Department’s Lt. Lori Davenport in the Daily Bulletin.
In the meantime, the Heredia family are happy to have their senior sweetheart home. He will always hold a special place in their hearts.
“I found him 12 years ago when I used to live in El Monte…“He was living in river trail near the 605 (Freeway), and I would see him there while I walked my two other dogs. One day, he just decided he wanted to walk with us, and that’s how he became ours,” said Heredia in The Daily Bulletin.
Anyone with information on the dognappers are encouraged to call the Claremont Police Department at 909-399-5411. The suspects are said to have been driving a dark-colored Nissan Altima with “Geneva Motors” paper plates.
Watch the news story:
(Featured images adapted from KABC.)
