Huge adoption interest in puppy found in stolen SUV in St. Albert

It’s been one week since St. Albert RCMP found a puppy in a vehicle that was reported stolen and no owners have come forward to claim him.

On Oct. 11, officers responded to several reports of break-ins in the city north of Edmonton. They found an Audi SUV, which police believe was stolen and used to rob several homes. The suspect(s) managed to get away.

Along with stolen property found inside, RCMP found an eight-week-old grey puppy. Police confirmed the puppy does not belong to the owners of the SUV.

READ MORE: Is this your puppy? St. Albert RCMP find young dog inside stolen SUV

The puppy was taken to the Morinville Veterinary Clinic and RCMP released a public statement, hoping to find the animal’s rightful owner.

But no one has come forward and on Oct. 15, the city transferred ownership to the vet clinic.

Appropriately, given his backstory, clinic staff are now calling the puppy Bandit.

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They’re all becoming quite fond of him.

“He’s your typical puppy,” practice manager Elyse Prince said. “Totally rambunctious. Loves to zoom around for a hard half hour and then likes to sleep it off.”

It’s hard to determine what breed the little guy is but Prince thinks he’s likely a Husky Shepherd cross. He could end up being 60-100 pounds when he’s full grown, she said.

“He’s smart. We taught him how to sit yesterday.”

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Bandit has also received his first set of vaccinations, first set of anti-parasitic treatments and a microchip.

Prince said there’s been overwhelming interest from people hoping to take Bandit home. Because of this, the clinic has tailored its adoption process and is asking anyone who’s interested in adopting him to complete an application, which are available at the Morinville Veterinary Clinic or by email (by calling to request one at 780-939-3133).

Within 20 hours of posting the news on Facebook, the clinic had received 10 applications.

“We’re looking for someone who’s familiar with handling large breeds dogs,” Prince said, “someone who’s going to be able to spend a lot of time with him, invest in puppy training, exercise.”

The clinic will accept applications until Oct. 24. Staff will review them and then schedule interviews with those who would be the best fit for Bandit.