There’s no rhyme or reason for why people steal, but it sure would be nice if some things were sacred, and therefore immune, from this type of crime. Unfortunately, because the chaos of the world means literally anything is up for grabs, a family is mourning the loss of a Yorkie–Maltese mix stolen from their yard. The loss is doubly devastating as the support dog provides comfort for a child with autism.
Thief steals support dog
According to Fox5 Atlanta, this insensitive crime went down in Rockdale County, Georgia. The family’s home, which is on Barcelona Way near Lake Capri, features surveillance cameras. On the day of the dognapping, security footage showed 3-year-old Nola walking in the yard while her family played. Then, an SUV drives down the street. It stops. It reverses. Suddenly, a passenger jumps out of the vehicle and snatches the pup.
“I’m just kind of at a loss at this point as to why somebody would do something like that,” the dog’s owner, Jawana Millet, said. “I mean the dog has feelings too, so I know she was to miss us.”
Family seeks answers
The Millet family mobilized, putting up flyers for the stolen pup and conducting searches in the area. It’s unclear if the person who scooped the pup up thought she was a stray (Nola did not have a collar on) or actually intended to steal her.
This ordeal has a particularly difficult impact on Millet’s 6-year-old son, who has autism. The support dog was an important source of comfort for the boy.
“He’s like super attached to her, so we have been trying not to mention her name too much, try to keep his mind off of her,” Millet said.
Dog theft on the rise
According to the American Kennel Club, pet thefts are on a steep rise, up 140 percent over the past five years. Small dog breeds like Yorkies and French Bulldogs are particularly appealing to thieves.
“The smaller dogs are just so much easier to just pick them up and run away with them without worrying about them,” Tom Sharp, President and CEO of AKC Reunite said. “If you do that with the German Shepherd you might be in a lot of trouble.”
The Millet family is holding out hope that Nola will somehow, someway find her way home.
“I miss my dog, and she means a lot to everybody,” Millet said.
“I just want my dog,” Andre Millet added.
“No questions asked, you can put her right back in the yard where you got her from, just bring her back, like we need her back,” Millet insisted.
While tragedies like this can’t necessarily be prevented, this story serves as an opportunity to remind all pet owners to microchip their dog in case the unthinkable does happen.
