WINNIPEG – The sniffing service dogs that were stolen Monday in Winnipeg are back at work Tuesday.
Cooper works to sniff out bed bugs at a Manitoba Housing complex but just over 24-hours ago, he was one of 10 bed bug and drug detection dogs that disappeared after someone stole the vehicle they were in.
They’re from Toronto but were in Winnipeg working for the province when the bright yellow, ambulance-style truck the dogs were in was stolen from a Pembina Highway hotel.
James Artibello, with A-scent K9 Detection Service, says the dogs would have barked non-stop and says the thieves unscrewed one of the kennels from the floor to get the dogs out.
“It would take great lengths to get them out, everything’s bungee corded together,” said Artibello.
Within hours, residents helped police find all 10 dogs, roaming the streets in St. Vital. Artibello was reunited with his pups but it would take longer to find his truck.
At 4:20 p.m. Winnipeg police were patrolling the West End when they spotted Artibello’s yellow ambulance-style vehicle in a back lane off Young Street. It had a couple bumps and scrapes but otherwise left in good shape.
“They bumped into something there,” said Antibello pointing at a new scrape, “they could have done worse damage.”
Artibello admits his vehicle was running with the doors locked when it was stolen.
“I have to leave the dogs, I can’t bring 10 dogs into a hotel.”
But he says he’ll take extra precautions, “I’ll probably get a club make it harder for people,” said Artibello, “but I have to have it running, if it’s not running there’s no heat pumping into the back.”
Artibello works in Manitoba every other month.
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