Stolen Pug in DMN, plus Stolen Pet Notice-Watch for Dog In/Around Zip 75229 (Midway & North Haven Area)

January 4, 2008

Woman finds dog, tells owner in Dallas that she's keeping it 09:26 AM CST on Friday, January 4, 2008 Associated Press The holidays were sad enough for Kim Velevis after her lovable pug Scooter

dug his way out of the back yard and disappeared. Courtesy But the real blow came with the new year: A letter from an anonymous woman who found the friendly dog and gave him to her daughter as a Christmas present. To compensate for Ms. Velevis' loss, a $20 bill was enclosed. "The puppy has a different name

now, but he has plenty of food and toys. My daughter adores him. He sleeps with her every night," said the letter, which arrived Wednesday. Ms. Velevis, 28, said she feels for the guilt-ridden woman, who describes herself as a near-penniless alcoholic. But she wants the dog back. "We knew the first thing our Scooter would have done is find people," she said. "He must have wandered up to this sick lady who, in desperation and in an attempt to fix her own life, ruined ours." Ms. Velevis and her husband, Rob, returned from running errands on Christmas Eve and found Scooter gone. He has a doggy door into the back yard and escaped under a fence. Also Online Letter: Ms. Velevis received this letter about Scooter (.pdf) More pets news The couple and their neighbors spent the day searching for the pug, with no luck. Ms. Velevis, 5 1/2 months pregnant with her first child, said the dog is good with children. They brought the wrinkly faced pooch home in July 2006 when he was about 8 weeks old. The purloined pug could still be nearby. The typewritten letter, which carried a Tulsa, Okla., postmark, says the woman found the dog while visiting her daughter in Dallas. She wrote that her ex-husband has custody of the girl. The woman, who discovered an address on the pug's red collar, describes a series of difficulties leading to the dognapping. "I lost custody because of problems I had with alcohol, and I have lost everything else. I am an educated person, but I lost my job and my home," she wrote. "I have been sober for 6 months, and I am trying to turn

myself around, but I have lost everything. My little girl wanted a pug dog like your little dog [very much!]" The woman wrote that she cannot ask for forgiveness "but I do want you to know that he does have people who love him and are taking care of him." Ms. Velevis said she has no interest in pursuing charges against the woman and would be glad to purchase the woman's daughter another dog. "That's our little boy, and I'm sure he's having a great time with this little girl, and he's got so much love to give," she said. "But he doesn't belong to them. We just want him home." The Associated Press

>>> Lost and Pound <info 1/4/2008 02:59 PM >>> This pet alert is sponsored by: Pet name Scooter Date lost December 24, 2007 Zip 75229 Lost in location Dallas, TX STOLEN Species Dog Primary color Brown Secondary color Black More Info Link to Pet Details Owners name Kim Velevis Phone 469 - 789 - 9377 Un Help this pet find their way home. Visit lostandpound.com

Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.