After going through the harrowing experience of having her dog stolen and then safely returned the next day, Jennifer Knott of the Williams Lake area's story is a warning for people to watch their pets closely.
"Thank you to everyone, especially the woman who found Nate," Knott said.
Knott was at the family home on Dog Creek Road Wednesday, Feb. 11, when at around 1 p.m. she witnessed a woman wearing a purple coat put Nate — a four-year-old black lab border collie cross — into the back of a blue four-door Sunfire.
In disbelief, Knott ran down the stairs to yell at the woman to stop, but the woman drove away.
Knott quickly put on her shoes and jumped in her own car to pursue the Sunfire, but by the time she got out onto the road the car was gone from her sight.
She then put out a plea for Nate's return on social media, and included a description of the car and the woman.
Her story appeared on www.petsearcherscanada.com and several Facebook pages.
Marg Shelley Sannes saw the post and located Nate on the Sugar Cane Reserve, about 25 kilometres from Knott's home.
On Thursday morning she returned him safely home.
When Knott contacted the Tribune to say Nate was found she said she was so grateful that there are still people who care.
"I have a daughter and son, Nate is his best friend," she said.
Const. Jeremy Roberts of the Williams Lake RCMP detachment said Wednesday's dog-napping comes on the heels of what has been a little bit of a rash of dog thefts in the area.
"There was another incident where a woman left two small dogs in her unlocked vehicle, ran into Shopper's Drug Mart, and someone stole the dogs," Roberts told the Tribune.
Most of the dogs being stolen are younger, smaller and expensive, he added,
"People are brazen and will come right into other people's yards."