Ajax, jack russell

Police raid frees boy's long-lost dog
Jim Winchester
Tuesday, 17 Nov 2009

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A young Albuquerque boy has been reunited with his beloved dog more than a year after it disappeared and fell into the hand of someone who refused to give it up.

Veronica Ramirez later denied having Ajax, but Bernalillo County sheriff's deputies found the dog when they raided her home Monday morning. Ramirez had cared for Ajax for more than a year but in October told a judge she had lost him.

Nichole Gerardo says the dog is her son Joshua's best friend.

"I'm very, very happy," Joshua, 6, told KRQE News 13 as he played with his dog Monday after school.

Joshua demonstrated that Ajax still remembered how to shake hands. It was a trick Joshua taught the dog several years ago.

Ajax ran away from the Gerardo's in May 2008. After searching for the dog for a year, the Gerardos lost hope Ajax would ever be found.

But last spring, county Animal Control located the dog at the home of Ramirez while they were working on a different investigation. Ajax was positively identified through his embedded microchip.

Despite efforts from Animal Control, sheriff's deputies and News 13, Ramirez refused to return the dog up.

After several months of court appearances, a Metropolitan Court judge ordered Ramirez to return the dog in October. But Ramirez told the judge she had lost the dog.

Not convinced, the judged order unannounced searches of Ramirez's home. Ajax was found Monday morning during a search by Sheriff's deputies.

"It was really hard to believe," Nichole Gerardo said. "I held him in my arms. He was nervous. I never thought I would hold him again."

Meanwhile Ramirez could face charges for allegedly lying to the Metro Court judge about losing the dog. He warned her in October that if Ajax was found during a search, she could be charged with perjury.

A decision on whether to charge Ramirez has not yet been made, according to sheriff's and Metro Court spokespeople.

News 13 went by Ramirez's home late Monday to get her side of the story, but she wasn't there.

Source: http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/crime/police-raid-frees-boys-long-lost-dog