An Edmonton woman whose six-month-old Stafford Bull Terrier was stolen from outside a grocery store earlier this month has her puppy back after police pulled over a stolen vehicle a few days later.
At around 5 p.m. on March 15, the woman and her dog, Bella, went to a grocery store in the area of 115 Street and Kingsway.
While she was in the store, she tied Bella’s leash to a picnic table outside. When she came back outside, her dog was gone. All that remained was a portion of the leash still tied to the table.
“It was obvious to the woman that someone had cut the leash and taken Bella,” police said in a media release Thursday.
The incident was reported to police two days later. The following Monday, police and the EPS Canine Unit pulled over what they believed to be a stolen vehicle in the area of 1118 Avenue and 82 Street. Police said the driver was a suspect in Bella’s disappearance.
The man was arrested and charged in relation to the stolen vehicle and two days later, Bella was found at the suspect’s home.
“Having a pet stolen from you is like losing a part of the family,” said Const. Adam Henry with the Edmonton Police Service. “As a dog owner myself, I am glad that we were able to locate and return Bella back to her rightful owner.”
David Murtagh, 34, has been charged with two counts of disqualified driving, possession of a prohibited weapon, possession of stolen property under $5,000 and theft under $5,000.
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