It was a mad dash for animal rescue volunteers to find a 9-week-old puppy last week after it was believed to have been stolen from a foster’s yard. Tuesday last week, Debra Vandekerkhove, the director of Manitoba Animal Alliance, said she was told one of three puppies went missing. The three were set up in a playpen in the foster’s yard early in the morning. “We assumed initially that one of the puppies jumped out of the playpen,” she said. “But we knew by the late morning that since the puppy wasn’t located, that somebody more than likely took the puppy, stole it.” Immediately, pictures of Brownie, the shepherd-malamute mix, were plastered all over social media, with advocates asking for the public’s help to try and find the puppy. Days past with nothing, until Friday, when Vandekerkhove said someone reached out saying they were pretty sure they saw two people on bikes downtown with Brownie. “They sent us a photograph and we said right away, ‘That is our dog.’ And so the race was on from there to branch out to as many volunteers as possible, including Manitoba Underdogs volunteers, and getting people out in that area looking for this puppy.” She notes the people were hard to find because of all the one-way streets in the core, allowing the bikes to go ways that other vehicles couldn’t. She was also concerned because it was later in the day and searchers were losing daylight hours. “It ended up that the original foster spotted the two bicycles and the puppy going towards a house, and as soon as they stopped to go into the house, that’s when we contacted the police.” Vandekerkhove said they told police that they had the house surrounded and were ready to act if officers didn’t come help retrieve Brownie. “If we don’t get any help, then something bad is going to happen here because we’re going to get our dog back. We’re going to get our puppy back. So the police actually ended up saying, ‘OK, everyone stay in the cars and stay safe because it’s a dangerous area and we will go and apprehend the puppy.’” Once officers arrived, they went and saw the dog inside, Vandekerkhove said, and shortly after they came out with Brownie in hand. Winnipeg police confirmed to CTV News that officers did help with getting the puppy. One person was interviewed by officers, police said, but noted they were unable to determine who stole the dog to begin with. Brownie was very dehydrated and apprehensive once she was reunited with the rescue and even seemed uninterested in her siblings when they were back together. But after a few days, Vandekerkhove said Brownie is starting to show signs of being herself again, meaning she and her siblings will be up for adoption shortly. Following this incident, Vandekerkhove is warning all dog owners to never leave their pets unattended, even if they have a fenced yard, as they never know what could happen when they aren’t paying attention. She also had a message for people who steal from animal rescues. “We’re gonna find you and we’re gonna get you. We’re gonna get our puppy back,” she said. “Don’t mess with rescue people. Don’t steal our puppies.”
