FORT WORTH -- The theft of a beloved Swiss mountain dog named "Heidi" has gone viral, and then some.
On Friday night, Crawford and Mary Clay Gupton returned to their Arlington Heights home to find their ten-month-old puppy missing.
The couple had run down the street for dinner during the ice storm.
"You can see where they cut the lock," Crawford told News 8 on Wednesday.
Just hours earlier, the couple had taken Heidi to a nearby golf course and park to play and run in the ice and sleet.
"She loved it," Mary Clay said.
The couple said they left the dog outside for just a few hours. Given the breed of the animal, they say that is fine.
But apparently not everyone in their area agreed.
On Tuesday night, responding to a plea for help posted on the social news website Reddit, someone admitted to have stolen the dog, saying it looked neglected and cold.
"I was walking to McDonald's on Friday afternoon and cut through your carport to avoid the ice and that's when I your dog sitting alone in her dog run," the thief wrote. "Temps are in the teens and that poor dog is ice cold. I cut off the lock, took her home and that’s when the real fun started."
You can see the full comment on the post here [Warning: Foul language].
The poster then explains why the thinks the couple are poor dog owners, and how he thinks the animal will do better in a new home.
Mary Clay Gupton said the person's heart may have been in the right place, but that the entire thing could been handled far better.
"You don't know. Don't know anything about that dog's diet, or stuff about her life," she said.
Fort Worth police are investigating. A spokesman called the case and the online postings "very disturbing."
Wednesday, the online poster called "dogthedogsaver" wrote yet another post saying that perhaps the animal would be returned once a vet checked it out.
The Gupton's are offering a $2,000 reward for the safe return of Heidi. For more information, contact the Humane Society of North Texas.
E-mail tunger@wfaa.com
www.wfaa.com/news/local/Dog-thief-taunts-emotional-owners-online-235503581.html
On Friday night, Crawford and Mary Clay Gupton returned to their Arlington Heights home to find their ten-month-old puppy missing.
The couple had run down the street for dinner during the ice storm.
"You can see where they cut the lock," Crawford told News 8 on Wednesday.
Just hours earlier, the couple had taken Heidi to a nearby golf course and park to play and run in the ice and sleet.
"She loved it," Mary Clay said.
The couple said they left the dog outside for just a few hours. Given the breed of the animal, they say that is fine.
But apparently not everyone in their area agreed.
On Tuesday night, responding to a plea for help posted on the social news website Reddit, someone admitted to have stolen the dog, saying it looked neglected and cold.
"I was walking to McDonald's on Friday afternoon and cut through your carport to avoid the ice and that's when I your dog sitting alone in her dog run," the thief wrote. "Temps are in the teens and that poor dog is ice cold. I cut off the lock, took her home and that’s when the real fun started."
You can see the full comment on the post here [Warning: Foul language].
The poster then explains why the thinks the couple are poor dog owners, and how he thinks the animal will do better in a new home.
Mary Clay Gupton said the person's heart may have been in the right place, but that the entire thing could been handled far better.
"You don't know. Don't know anything about that dog's diet, or stuff about her life," she said.
Fort Worth police are investigating. A spokesman called the case and the online postings "very disturbing."
Wednesday, the online poster called "dogthedogsaver" wrote yet another post saying that perhaps the animal would be returned once a vet checked it out.
The Gupton's are offering a $2,000 reward for the safe return of Heidi. For more information, contact the Humane Society of North Texas.
E-mail tunger@wfaa.com
www.wfaa.com/news/local/Dog-thief-taunts-emotional-owners-online-235503581.html
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