Woman Breaks Into Animal Shelter, Steals Family's Dog

Authorities fear the woman may be trying to sell the dog

The owners of a husky are pleading for help after a woman broke into a Riverside County shelter and stole their beloved dog.

The theft happened Sept. 19 around 8 p.m. when the woman walked into the night-drop kennels at the Animal Friends of the Valleys shelter in Wildomar and immediately began looking through the log documenting the lost pets that the shelter had received.

After reviewing the log, the woman heads to the kennels and uses what appears to be a screwdriver to jimmy the locks. Minutes pass and she finally coaxes the husky, named Dakota, to come out, taking off her belt and using it as a leash as she walks away with the beloved pet.

"It's absolutely appalling," said animal control officer William Tucker. The woman had also tried to steal other animals that same night, he said. "It's my opinion that she could possibly sell the animals she gets out of the night-drop."

That's exactly what Mary Romero, Dakota's owner, fears. "She's one of the children, she's part of the family," Romero said. "We miss her so much."

Dakota had been taken to the shelter by one of Romero's neighbors, who didn't know who she belonged to, after she somehow got out of the family's yard. The thought of not being able to get her back devastates Romero's children.

"The 5-year-old has been crying almost every night that he wants his dog back," Romero said. "They become part of the family and we would love to have her home."

Police have now taken over the case. They have a person of interest, but no one has yet been arrested.

Contact Us