Morgan, pitbull

Owner reunited with stolen dog
Rebecca Clark
2011-12-02 18:25:35

SHELBY — Adrian Lovelace crouched down on the concrete floor and, when the kennel door had been sprung open, he called out “Morgan, Morgan.”

The black and white pit bull immediately made a beeline for Lovelace, jumping up on his chest and licking his face.

He didn’t think he would ever see his dog again.

The pit bull had been last year’s Christmas gift for his fiancée and had become a beloved family pet.

Several weeks ago, the dog disappeared.

An indoor pet for the most part, Morgan would be let out in the morning to go the bathroom and would often relax on an old loveseat on the front porch of the home on Dekalb Street.

“She would jump up and lounge,” Lovelace said.

The day she disappeared, Lovelace said Morgan had been outside while he made a quick run to the store with his son-in-law.

When they returned to the house, Morgan was gone.

At first, Lovelace thought she might have wandered off, but when she didn’t turn up after a thorough search of the neighborhood and a trip to the Cleveland County Animal Shelter, he began to lose hope of her return.

“We figured somebody put her in the car and she’s gone,” Lovelace said.

A couple of weeks after Morgan’s disappearance, two men were arrested in Shelby after animal control officers discovered that they were using pit bulls for dog fighting.

Patrick Tyler Philbeck, 21, and Daniel Blakely Bridges, 20, were arrested and charged with felony dog fighting.

A total of five dogs were seized and taken to the animal shelter.

Sam Lockridge, county health services coordinator, said he will petition the courts to have the owners cover the cost of feeding and housing the dogs. If the owners cannot pay or choose not to pay, the animals will then be turned over to the shelter to either be adopted or euthanized.

When the story appeared on the front page of The Star recently, a black and white pit bull was pictured with the story.

She is shown sitting in a kennel, ears back, her brown eyes sad and beseeching.

That dog was Morgan.

Mary Johnson, Lovelace’s fiancée, said shortly after the story ran, her sister called her and told her she had to see a photo on The Star’s website.

“I knew it was her as soon as I saw,” Johnson said.

“If her picture hadn’t have been on the front page, we never would have found her,” Lovelace said. “We got lucky. Everything came together.”

After proving that Morgan was their dog through vaccination records, Lovelace was able to take her home.

The pet was seized from Philbeck and Bridges just in time.

Lockridge said in a video police had obtained, the dog was seen pulling a sled up and down the street with a tire on top in an attempt to build up muscle.

“It’s terrible,” he said. “No reason for it.”

Lovelace said Morgan has never even been in a fight before.

“She’s very family oriented,” he said.

He said he is planning to have a microchip installed for easier identification to ensure Morgan never goes missing again.

Source: http://www.shelbystar.com/articles/stolen-60472-dog-owner.html
Printer-friendly version here

Petunia, American Staffordshire Terrier

Long Lost Fredricksburg Dog Found in California
Written by Kathy Blumenstock
Dec 2, 2011

Petunia, an American Staffordshire terrier, will reunite with her family after being lost for eight years.

MARYSVILLE, Ca. (WUSA) - A Virginia family may have their missing dog home for the holidays, thanks to a good Samaritan and a little high-tech help.

Petunia, an American Staffordshire terrier, had been missing from Kristen Pruitt's home near Fredricksburg since 2003.

But on Wednesday, Meg Ogden of Oregon, was working with her own dogs in the Spenceville Wildlife area when she found what appeared to be a stray American Staffordshire terrier. Eden took the dog in for the night, then drove her to the Yuba County Animal Care Services Shelter the next day.

ACS personnel performed the usual intake process which includes vaccinations, physical examination and scanning for a microchip. A microchip was detected and information showed the chip came back to the Chancellor Veterinarian Clinic in Virginia. ACS personnel phoned the clinic and learned that the chip was indeed registered to an American Staffordshire terrier.

After 8 Years, Cross Country Journey; Dog and Owners Reunite

The clinic contacted Kristen Pruitt, who immediately called the Yuba County ACS. She said that Petunia, then three years old, went missing from the family farm around Thanksgiving 2003. The family conducted a large search for Petunia, but never located her.

ACS personnel sent Pruitt a photo of the dog and she was positive the dog was Petunia. Now Yuba County ACS will assist Pruitt in getting Petunia back to her Virginia home.

Source: http://www.wusa9.com/news/virginia/article/177758/188/Long-Lost-Virginia-Dog-Found-In-California
Video at: http://www.news10.net/video/default.aspx?bctid=1307110111001&odyssey=mod|tvideo|article

Chispita, chihuahua

Woman Who Stood On Corner In Bikini Reunited With Missing Dog
Arlene Corona Stood On La Jolla Street Corner In A Bikini To Find Missing Chihuahua Chispita
December 1, 2011

SAN DIEGO -- A local woman who stood at a La Jolla street corner in a bikini in an effort to bring attention to her missing dog was reunited with the Chihuahua on Tuesday.

Inside Edition was there when Arlene Corona was reunited with her Chihuahua, Chispita.
"Those were the worst two weeks of my life," Corona told 10News.

Corona said she had been sick with guilt since the moment she let Chispita slip away after taking the dog outside to relieve itself on the Nov. 16. She said she believes Chispita may have been taken in by someone in her neighborhood.

"That's when I started knocking door-to-door," Corona explained. "I did the pet Amber Alert and then I even called in a pet psychic, and she couldn't help me but all she could say was, 'Stay positive, a girl has her, appeal to her emotions.'"

For six days last week, Corona donned high heels and a bikini at the corner of La Jolla Village Drive and Genesee Avenue, waving signs and hoping someone would recognize and return her dog.

"I was just like it's a win-win situation because the girl would probably see me on her way to wherever she was going," Corona said. "And then I'll get news coverage to raise awareness."

Corona's stunt received national attention and it just might have worked.

Corona told 10News a school nurse had the dog.

"Students were telling her, 'That girl is still outside, you need to bring the dog back' because everybody knew she had her because she was taking her to school."

Then, a student's mom called Corona's mom, which lead to the reunion.

Corona said she didn't realize how dangerous her bold attempt might be.

"This one guy in particular just wouldn't leave me alone and he kept trying to meet with me," Corona said.

According to Corona, the man told her she had to let him perform sexual acts on her if she wanted to see her dog again.

"He was just saying disgusting things and then sent me a picture of his private parts," Corona said.

She cut off communication immediately, only to start receiving text messages from another number, which said her dog was in danger, so she should rush over.

"He was saying that my dog was getting beat, and he was sure it was my dog. I called back and it was the same voicemail from the first guy that was harassing me," said Corona.

Since the man did not break any laws, authorities can't arrest him and she can't file a restraining order since she doesn't know who it is.

Despite the dangers, Corona she said it was worth it to get her best friend back in her arms.

"It's amazing to have her back. I just will never let this happen again," Corona told 10News.

She hopes her dog's new microchip is one more way to be sure of it.

Source: http://www.10news.com/news/29898530/detail.html

Domino, pitbull

Man, dog back together after legal adventure
Some luck, Good Samaritans help Domino find way home
By Scott Orr, Contributing Reporter
11/30/2011

Kalani Kalaikai and his dog Domino are back together just in time for the holidays, thanks to a little luck and Good Samaritans.

CHINO VALLEY - Domino is back, and Kalani Kalaikai could not be more thankful.

On Sept. 30, someone took Domino from his yard, and the next day, dumped him in Cottonwood. Kalaikai, 64, away on a trip for 10 days, was devastated when he found out. Domino had been his companion for a decade, ever since he rescued the eight-week-old pit bull from a breeder who wanted to put the dog down because he was too small to be a good fighting dog.

The friend who had been watching Domino posted notices and offered a reward, but no one responded.

When Kalaikai returned home, he heard from another friend that a dog that looked like Domino was at Cottonwood's Adopt for Life Center animal shelter.

Domino had, indeed, been there, but due to a mix-up, the shelter did not find his tracking microchip, and let someone else adopt him.

On Nov. 4, Kalaikai received an email from the Central California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (CCSPCA) shelter in Fresno saying they were holding a dog with a microchip registered to him. Domino's new owner, they said, had been arrested in California and the dog was being held at the CCSPCA shelter.

Kalaikai thought it would be a simple matter to get Domino back, since the microchip clearly showed he was the owner. But that wasn't the case. The new owner refused to release Domino. It would be up to a judge to decide, Kalaikai was told.

"I was at wit's end," Kalaikai said.

Sierra Neblina, executive director of the Adopt for Life shelter made some calls. At first, she wasn't able to do much better.

"We felt horrible about the situation," she said on Nov. 18. "CCSPCA has been not responsive, and was not returning my phone calls. They have stonewalled me."

Neblina said she finally managed to contact the adoptive owner personally. "He just wanted to know the original owner was a responsible dog owner," and once reassured, he agreed to turn over Domino.

Kalaikai's next hurdle was getting to Fresno to pick up Domino. The disabled veteran, living on a fixed income, didn't have the money to make the trip.

But another Vietnam vet, Larry Gresser, stepped up after seeing Domino's story in the Daily Courier in Prescott. Gresser supplied Kalaikai with the funds to rent a vehicle, fill it with gas, and pay for lodging for the 12-hour drive each way, as well as meals.

"I am very thankful to him," Kalaikai said, noting that several others also offered their help.

When Kalaikai got to Fresno on Monday, Nov. 20, he right went to the CCSPCA facility. "At first they gave me the run-around," he said, "but when I said, 'I'm the guy from Arizona, here to get Domino," they started getting it together."

He was escorted into an isolation area, and started calling to Domino. "I heard a familiar bark," he said, "and there he was, shaking," in a dirty kennel.

Dog and owner reunited, Kalaikai got him home as quickly as possible.

Domino is not out of the woods yet, Kalaikai said.

Domino has been sickly and weak, and he's lost weight. "Before they (Adopt for Life) could adopt him, they had to vaccinate him." Then, (CCSPCA) "turned around and vaccinated him again."

"I talked to a doctor who said he could have died," Kalaikai said. "Too much medication could kill a dog."

Domino is doing better, now, although he is fairly still, instead of the active dog he was before. But Kalaikai believes he will be back to normal soon.

"If he could talk, he would have a story to tell," Kalaikai said, smiling.

Source: http://verdenews.com/Main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=45046