Vicki
Administrator
With dog thefts on the rise nationally, Hamtramck woman searches for her Lilly
10:53 AM, July 24, 2013
Erica Pietrzyk walked several blocks around her Hamtramck flat, calling out “Lilly!†in the hope that her missing Australian silky terrier would come running.
Seconds after returning home that day, her phone rang. “I got a dog here,†the caller told her.
Pietrzyk, 26, has searched desperately for her beloved 9-pound pooch since that day earlier this month. She’s worried that her dog might have been stolen by someone locally known to sell dogs online.
As police continue to investigate Pietrzyk’s case, dog thefts nationally are on the rise, according to the American Kennel Club.
“In these crimes, there are two victims: One is the pet owner, and the other is the pet itself,†said AKC spokeswoman Lisa Peterson. “Dogs thrive on routine, and being stolen rips them out of that routine and causes a lot of stress and anxiety.â€
On the afternoon of July 6, Pietrzyk let Lilly outside in the secured back yard, went back up to her flat in a house on Gallagher and chatted for about two minutes with her landlord, who is also her downstairs neighbor. When she went back outside, Lilly was gone.
Pietrzyk searched her garage, the alley behind her house and the neighborhood.
Then came the mysterious call, from a man with a blocked phone number. Lilly wore a tag on her collar with Pietrzyk’s address and phone number.
“When I answered the phone, I said, ‘Hi, do you have my dog?†she said.
The man told her he found her dog at Carpenter and Nevada — two streets that don’t intersect, Pietrzyk noted later. She told the man she could meet him somewhere to pick up her dog.
“He said, ‘We’re headed to the west side right now. What’s my reward?’
I said, ‘I don’t have that much money, but ...’ and then he hung up on me,†Pietrzyk said. She tried to track the number but learned it had been disconnected.
Pietrzyk plastered missing dog posters around Hamtramck. She also posted a notice on the missing pets Facebook page “For the Love of Louie.†Two women contacted her after seeing the post to warn her about a Hamtramck man they believe steals dogs and sells them online.
Hamtramck Police Detective Robert George said animal rescue groups have contacted police with concerns about the man. He said the man does sell dogs online but there is no evidence to prove that he is stealing dogs.
George said he knows of one other possibly stolen dog reported to Hamtramck police this year. There doesn’t seem to have been an increase in pet thefts in the city, he said.
That’s not the case nationwide. According to the AKC, which tracks dog thefts through media reports and reports to its companion animal recovery service, the number of thefts nationally has increased annually since 2008, when 71 dogs were stolen. By 2012, that number had jumped to 458, the AKC said.
From January through May this year, 194 dogs were stolen, Peterson said, a nearly 28% increase over the same period in 2012.
“I think more people are stealing dogs for a variety of economic reasons,†she said. “They steal them because they don’t want to purchase or adopt. They will steal them and flip them quickly to sell them on the black market at roadside stalls, at flea markets, on the Internet.
“We’ve also seen stories where dogs are stolen for ransom. People have paid $10,000 to get their dogs back..â€
Earlier this year, a pug was stolen from a yard in Dearborn. Police found it at a house in Detroit.
Pit bulls have been the top pick for thieves so far in 2013, Peterson said. Others include small breeds such as Yorkshire terriers, Pomeranians and Chihuahuas.
To prevent theft, the AKC says people should not leave pets unattended in vehicles, yards or tied up in front of a store. Microchipping is a tool that can help with the recovery of stolen pets.
Lilly’s disappearance has consumed Pietrzyk. She checks classified ad websites several times a day to see if a dog matching Lilly’s description is listed for sale. She has called and visited shelters, hoping to see Lilly’s caramel-colored face peering at her from behind cage bars.
“I just drove out to Trenton this morning because they said they had a dog that looked like her†at a shelter, Pietrzyk said Monday. “But it did not have white fur on top of its head. Every time I go to these places, I’m so excited that it may be my dog.â€
On Tuesday, a dog listed for sale on Craigslist caught Pietrzyk’s eye. But the ad was only up for minutes, Pietrzyk said, and authorities don’t believe it was her dog.
The investigation continues.
“I want to get this woman’s dog back,†Hamtramck Police Chief Maxwell Garbarino said.
Pietrzyk got Lilly, who turns 3 in August, as a Christmas present when the dog was 6 months old.
The two formed a tight bond. The dog sometimes accompanies Pietrzyk, a laid-off office assistant who works as a fashion model, on photo shoots.
Pietrzyk is especially worried because Lilly has seizures and hasn’t had her medication in more than two weeks. Not knowing what happened to her — Was she sold? Is she getting enough food and water? — has been gut-wrenching.
“I didn’t know this type of heartache and pain prior to this,†Pietrzyk said. “I feel like I’ve lost a child.â€
With dog thefts on the rise nationally, Hamtramck woman searches for her Lilly | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
10:53 AM, July 24, 2013
Erica Pietrzyk walked several blocks around her Hamtramck flat, calling out “Lilly!†in the hope that her missing Australian silky terrier would come running.
Seconds after returning home that day, her phone rang. “I got a dog here,†the caller told her.
Pietrzyk, 26, has searched desperately for her beloved 9-pound pooch since that day earlier this month. She’s worried that her dog might have been stolen by someone locally known to sell dogs online.
As police continue to investigate Pietrzyk’s case, dog thefts nationally are on the rise, according to the American Kennel Club.
“In these crimes, there are two victims: One is the pet owner, and the other is the pet itself,†said AKC spokeswoman Lisa Peterson. “Dogs thrive on routine, and being stolen rips them out of that routine and causes a lot of stress and anxiety.â€
On the afternoon of July 6, Pietrzyk let Lilly outside in the secured back yard, went back up to her flat in a house on Gallagher and chatted for about two minutes with her landlord, who is also her downstairs neighbor. When she went back outside, Lilly was gone.
Pietrzyk searched her garage, the alley behind her house and the neighborhood.
Then came the mysterious call, from a man with a blocked phone number. Lilly wore a tag on her collar with Pietrzyk’s address and phone number.
“When I answered the phone, I said, ‘Hi, do you have my dog?†she said.
The man told her he found her dog at Carpenter and Nevada — two streets that don’t intersect, Pietrzyk noted later. She told the man she could meet him somewhere to pick up her dog.
“He said, ‘We’re headed to the west side right now. What’s my reward?’
I said, ‘I don’t have that much money, but ...’ and then he hung up on me,†Pietrzyk said. She tried to track the number but learned it had been disconnected.
Pietrzyk plastered missing dog posters around Hamtramck. She also posted a notice on the missing pets Facebook page “For the Love of Louie.†Two women contacted her after seeing the post to warn her about a Hamtramck man they believe steals dogs and sells them online.
Hamtramck Police Detective Robert George said animal rescue groups have contacted police with concerns about the man. He said the man does sell dogs online but there is no evidence to prove that he is stealing dogs.
George said he knows of one other possibly stolen dog reported to Hamtramck police this year. There doesn’t seem to have been an increase in pet thefts in the city, he said.
That’s not the case nationwide. According to the AKC, which tracks dog thefts through media reports and reports to its companion animal recovery service, the number of thefts nationally has increased annually since 2008, when 71 dogs were stolen. By 2012, that number had jumped to 458, the AKC said.
From January through May this year, 194 dogs were stolen, Peterson said, a nearly 28% increase over the same period in 2012.
“I think more people are stealing dogs for a variety of economic reasons,†she said. “They steal them because they don’t want to purchase or adopt. They will steal them and flip them quickly to sell them on the black market at roadside stalls, at flea markets, on the Internet.
“We’ve also seen stories where dogs are stolen for ransom. People have paid $10,000 to get their dogs back..â€
Earlier this year, a pug was stolen from a yard in Dearborn. Police found it at a house in Detroit.
Pit bulls have been the top pick for thieves so far in 2013, Peterson said. Others include small breeds such as Yorkshire terriers, Pomeranians and Chihuahuas.
To prevent theft, the AKC says people should not leave pets unattended in vehicles, yards or tied up in front of a store. Microchipping is a tool that can help with the recovery of stolen pets.
Lilly’s disappearance has consumed Pietrzyk. She checks classified ad websites several times a day to see if a dog matching Lilly’s description is listed for sale. She has called and visited shelters, hoping to see Lilly’s caramel-colored face peering at her from behind cage bars.
“I just drove out to Trenton this morning because they said they had a dog that looked like her†at a shelter, Pietrzyk said Monday. “But it did not have white fur on top of its head. Every time I go to these places, I’m so excited that it may be my dog.â€
On Tuesday, a dog listed for sale on Craigslist caught Pietrzyk’s eye. But the ad was only up for minutes, Pietrzyk said, and authorities don’t believe it was her dog.
The investigation continues.
“I want to get this woman’s dog back,†Hamtramck Police Chief Maxwell Garbarino said.
Pietrzyk got Lilly, who turns 3 in August, as a Christmas present when the dog was 6 months old.
The two formed a tight bond. The dog sometimes accompanies Pietrzyk, a laid-off office assistant who works as a fashion model, on photo shoots.
Pietrzyk is especially worried because Lilly has seizures and hasn’t had her medication in more than two weeks. Not knowing what happened to her — Was she sold? Is she getting enough food and water? — has been gut-wrenching.
“I didn’t know this type of heartache and pain prior to this,†Pietrzyk said. “I feel like I’ve lost a child.â€
With dog thefts on the rise nationally, Hamtramck woman searches for her Lilly | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
Unbelievable what people will do for the almighty dollar.
