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Dog Stolen From Williamsburg Street Corner Returned Safely To Owner

By

Claire Lampen

Published Aug 22, 2019

Modified Aug 22, 2019

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Bre Kelly and her dog, Theo, who was dognapped earlier this week and has now been returned.

 

Courtesy of Bre Kelly

By

Claire Lampen

Published Aug 22, 2019

Modified Aug 22, 2019

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Alright everyone you can just calm down, call off your hounds, because the elderly goodboy who was dognapped earlier this week has been returned to his owner, safe and sound. The Twilight Bark proves effective once again.

Around 9 p.m. on Monday, 21-year-old NYU student Bre Kelly exited the Green Corner Fish & Farmers Market at Humboldt Street and Flushing Avenue, and was shocked to see her 10-year-old terrier (Theo) had vanished without a trace. Well, actually, there was one trace: his leash was lying on the ground, suggesting that Theo had been taken. Kelly, who regularly walks her dog from Bed Stuy to this particular grocery store, reviewed the security footage and saw that a man had indeed scooped Theo up by his collar and walked away with him, a sort of fly-by dognapping.

Kelly and her father posted flyers asking for Theo's safe return, no questions asked, and the police got involved, too. Then, around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Kelly received a call from a person saying they had information about the dog. Initially, she told Gothamist, she felt "really nervous that they didn't have him," but then they sent a photo of Theo. The tipster was "super cooperative," Kelly explained, "and didn't ask for anything in return." They arranged for a bystander to drop off the dog, and by 6 p.m.,Theo "was back in my arms on Flushing, very close to where he was taken," Kelly said. He was "definitely shaken up and nervous," she added, "but ... safe and okay." He seems, to Kelly, "like he can barely believe he's home."

theo082219.jpeg
Theo is home, safe and sound. (Courtesy of Bre Kelly)

Expressing her gratitude for the media attention, neighborhood support, help from local law enforcement, and "everyone who provided information on Theo," Kelly said she felt "really incredibly happy and relieved" to put the incident behind her, not least so that life can return to normal for her and Theo.

And yes! Maybe it was the cops, and/or the Internet, and/or Kelly's sincere promise that no legal action would be taken against Theo's abductors. Or maybe it was a certain storied, dog-to-dog security alert system (see below) that delivered Theo home. Impossible to say for sure!

Tagged

bed stuy

bushwick

dog

dognapping

dogs

nypd

williamsburg

Claire Lampen

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