These days, it seems like dog thieves are getting bolder and bolder. Some criminals even go around in the full light of day snatching dogs from their own yards to breed or sell with complete disregard for how important a family’s dog is to them.
On March 18, 2022, a neighbor’s home security camera captured the moment someone stole a dog named Lady in Southwest Philadelphia. Disturbingly, this person grabbed Lady right outside her house in broad daylight.
Taken In An Instant
Lady’s kidnapping happened so quickly. The dog’s family members, mother Eden Mason and her 17-year-old daughter Jaeden, are in shock it happened right outside their home in the middle of the day.
“[Jaeden] said she took the trash out and Lady came out behind her. When she went in the house, she thought Lady came back behind her,” Mason explained.
In the brief time it took the Masons to realize their dog was still outside, the kidnappers spotted Lady while driving by. The security footage shows the driver initially go past the house, then reverse. When the car stops, a man gets out of the other side. He walks right up to Lady, bends down, picks her up, and puts her in the car with him.
“They definitely saw Lady. They backed up and jumped out and got her,” Mason noted.
A Family Member Gone
Lady was an eighth birthday gift for Jaeden nine years ago. She’s been an essential member of the family since then. A heartbroken Mason said:
“It’s myself, my daughter, and it’s Lady. So for us to go from three of us to just two of us, it’s devastating,”
Jaeden and Eden posted about their dog online, hoping to spread the word about her disappearance. The family offered a $500 reward for her safe return. Speaking to 6ABC News, they also had this to say to the kidnappers:
Jaeden: To the people that took Lady, I really hope that God puts it on your hearts to just bring her back safely.
Eden: Specifically to the young man that took Lady and to the young woman that was yelling for him to hurry up and take Lady: I want you to understand Lady is 11 years old, she can not be bred. She can’t have puppies. She’s a part of our family.
Lady Finally Comes Home
Four days after the thieves snatched Lady from her yard, 6ABC shared an update that she was back in her family’s arms again. Reportedly, Lady was “dropped off at a neighbor’s house Tuesday,” but there weren’t any further details on who took her or where she’d been.
Maybe the thieves heard the words Lady’s family had for them on the news. Perhaps they had a change of heart, or it’s possible her age made her less valuable to them. Either way, she means so much to her family, and it’s a miracle Lady’s back home safe.
Toledo, United States.
