Man who stole dog still on the run

SEATTLE — A quick-thinking employee of a Seattle dog daycare business helped reunite a stolen dog with its owner by stalling the dognapper with small talk.

Maria French, the owner of the Barking Lounge on Dexter Avenue North, said an employee of a business next door was parked in the alley next to French’s business unloading equipment.

French said while the woman went inside, someone went into the woman’s truck and stole her dog, Pumpkin.

One of French’s employees said she noticed a man walk by in the area without a dog, only to come back a few minutes later with a dog that met the general description of Pumpkin.

French said she scoured her security cameras and found footage of the man and dog and shared the pictures with the dog’s owners.

Later, one of French’s employees saw the man and dog in downtown Seattle, so she called the dog’s owner and followed the man.

French said the employee stalled the dog thief with small talk about the dog until the owner arrived to take back her dog and make a quick exit.

Police have yet to locate the man, but the dog is safe.

KIRO