Today's Vancouver Province
Man's 'physiotherapist' dog is stolen
Elaine O'Connor, The Province
Published: Wednesday, July 11, 2007
The thief who made off with Michael Yorke's dog Dolce took more than his best friend. The thief also stole his physiotherapist.
"This dog is my best friend and only exercise companion. I got him to force myself to walk outside through the pain," said Yorke, 25, of Vancouver, who suffers from severe psoriatic arthritis. It makes his joints ache and movement painful.
"I was mostly crippled and unable to walk for the past nine months. In the last three I've had my puppy I've been walking more and feeling better. He was my physiotherapist.
"He's helped me get through tough times. I can't abandon him. Dolce means sweet in Italian and that's exactly what he is."
Dolce, a Maltese-Shih Tzu cross, was stolen from the fenced yard of Yorke's girlfriend's Burnaby home near 14th Avenue and 6th Street on July 1.
The eight-month-old pup had been let out to relieve himself. Neighbours said they saw a man lift the gate latch and go into the yard. Because Dolce was young he wasn't neutered or tattooed.
Dog thefts occur more in summer, according to Lorie Chortyk of the SPCA, because pets are often outside longer.
"We do tend to hear about it more in the hot weather," Chortyk said.
"We really encourage people not to leave their dogs unattended. It's so easy for someone to look over a fence and be over and out before the pet guardian even notices."
Dogs are most commonly stolen from cars and backyards, though there have been rare cases of dog muggings. Last month, for instance, a man tackled an owner and tried to take the dog near Gleneagles golf course in West Vancouver.
Purebred small dogs are often targeted because they're easier to manage and can fetch high prices or be bred for valuable puppies.
The dogs aren't always gone for good.
Lucy and David Wright came home on Monday to discover thieves had broken in and taken their four-year-old Yorkshire terrier, Baby.
Lucy was so distraught she didn't notice at first that they had also stolen jewelry and her husband's wedding band.
"We looked everywhere," she said.
"We don't treat him like a dog, we treat him like a human."
Then early yesterday the Wrights heard their garage door open. When they went to check, there was Baby.
"I was stunned. I thought it was my dream," Lucy said, adding the thieves may have returned him because he was neutered and because he probably cried for her.
Tips to protect your dog
- Ensure your dog is licensed.
- Have a vet tattoo your dog's ear.
- Consider a microchip implant.
- Don't leave your dog unattended in your car, tied outside a store or unsupervised in your yard.