Buddha Girl, shih tzu

Stolen Dog Linked to Man Shot by Police
Bizarre story links a car chase, hurt cop and stolen pup
By VINCE LATTANZIO
Updated 4:21 PM EDT, Fri, Apr 30, 2010

A Philadelphia man who led police on a wild car chase that left a path of destruction in Mt. Airy is now linked to the case of a missing Shih Tzu.

Larry Boyd was shot and Tased by police Thursday afternoon after he drove his SUV into at least six cars, a UPS truck and a police officer during a chase.

The 59-year-old first met authorities at his home along the 400 block of West Horner Street during an argument with his wife. Police tried to break up the fight, but Boyd fled, police said.

The man eventually ended up almost right back where the fight started when he crashed his brown Ford Explorer along the 6600 block of Lincoln Drive.

Towards the end of the chase, Boyd allegedly ran over a police officer's foot, prompting authorities to Taser and open fire on the man.

He was hit once in the back and taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center for treatment, according to police.

While Boyd's chase played out, Rosemary Treigla and her friends were in the midst of a search for her white Shih Tzu named Buddha Girl.

Buddha Girl went missing from outside the Mt. Airy CVS/pharmacy along Lincoln Drive Wednesday. Treigla says she tied the pup to a pole to run inside the store for a few minutes. But when she returned, the dog was nowhere to be found.

Surveillance video from the store's parking lot captured a man walking up to the dog, untying the leash and walking off with her.

Treigla canvassed the neighborhood hanging flyers pleading for the safe return of the dog.

"No questions asked, I just want her back," Treigla told NBC Philadelphia Thursday evening.

Not long after making that plea, Treigla's friend received a call from a neighborhood resident claiming to have found the dog.

It was indeed Buddha Girl, but the man couldn't believe how she wound up there in the first place.

Neighbors told him the dog ran from Boyd's home during the furry of activity that afternoon.

When they tried to return the dog to the family, the Boyds said their dog -- a very similar looking white Shih Tzu -- was already at home.

Kevin McKenzie, Boyd's son-in-law, cleared up the confusion late Thursday. He claims Boyd suffers from mental problems and mistook Buddha Girl for his own dog, bringing her home.

"I'm just glad, you know, that I could help out to get their dog back," McKenzie said as he held Boyd's dog. "As you can see, the similarity between the two dogs."

Treigla didn't have any words for Boyd after she was reunited with Buddha Girl, she was just thrilled to get the girl back.

"She's my best friend, she's my heart, I love her to death," she said.

Boyd was released from the hospital into police custody late Thursday. There's no word yet on charges. The injured police officer was treated at the scene of the crash.

Source: http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/weird/Stolen-Dog-Linked-to-Man-Shot-by-Police-92482834.html