Enjoy the story.
Riley, who was stolen from a student's car in November, relaxes at home after being separated from his owner for weeks.
Stolen Pet Reunited with Owner
Justin Cooper, Senior Staff Writer
Thursday, January 22, 2009
San Diego State’s most famous dog is a Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix named Riley.
This dog, the stolen pet of SDSU student Nicole Tjarks and the subject of hundreds of missing dog posters on campus, has at last been found. The dog’s finding came about because of a massive search and a little “dumb luck,” and it brings an end to a saga that began in the Thanksgiving week of last semester.
On Nov. 24, Tjarks left Riley in her car for one hour and went to attend a class. Upon her return, she found her car vandalized, her GPS system stolen and her dog Riley and his kennel both taken.
Tjarks filed a police report with the campus police. She later received an anonymous tip that an SDSU student had stolen her dog, a tip that Tjarks passed along to the campus police. When police started asking questions, Tjarks said that the thief probably quickly sold the dog to get rid of the evidence. The SDSU student who Tjarks suspects stole her pet has been questioned by the campus police but has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
Within hours of Riley disappearance, Tjarks struck out on a one-woman campaign to find her pet. Tjarks said that the search became her obsession.
“I started printing posters the day he was stolen,” Tjarks said. “I had like 400 copies of two different fliers printed and I ‘fliered’ everywhere...all over campus. I skipped all my classes.”When those fliers were taken down over Thanksgiving break, Tjarks said she reposted them.
Her search canvassed the university campus and beyond. Tjarks distributed hundreds of fliers and emails, made a multitude of phone calls to veterinarians and dog shelters and established a vigorous presence on Craigslist to monitor any purchases of dogs in San Diego. In doing so, Tjarks created a community of watchers who provided tips and encouragement.
On Dec. 18, when the search was beginning to seem like a cold case, a breakthrough came from a seemingly “random” event. A SDSU student Larry (he did not wish to give his last name) contacted Tjarks with a lead. One of Larry’s friends had purchased Riley as a present for his girlfriend. Larry, suspecting that his friend’s new pet was the dog from the fliers, arranged a meeting.
“I asked her if she wanted to set up a meeting to see if it was her dog or not,” Larry said. “My friend that bought it, really didn’t want anything to do with it. He got a little nervous at that point because he (had not known) the whole story behind it. I took (Riley) to campus...and it was obvious that it was her dog.”
Riley went “crazy,” with activity, Tjarks said. “He freaked out, He jumped all over me and licked me to death,” Tjarks said. “Larry gave him to me right then and there.”
Reunited with her dog and facing a final in near minutes, Tjarks said that she was not about to leave her dog in the car again. She took her dog into her two-hour Shakespeare final and Riley slept on her lap all throughout testing. Tjarks said that she would no longer leave Riley in her car, for any length of time. Riley is oblivious, of course, to his local celebrity status and of the hundreds of messages from well-wishers that have poured in. The pooch is readjusting to his life at Tjarks home in Bonita, where the friendly dog greets visitors with a wagging tale and energetic leaps. Tjarks said that one of Riley’s happiest moments was simply to be home.
Source: http://www.thedailyaztec.com/city/stolen_pet_reunited_with_owner
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