Puppy love gone wrong at pet store
By Daily Press staff
MID CITY — Apparently a man fell in love with two puppies at a local pet store so much on Tuesday that he just had to have them. So he stole them.
Workers at Elaine’s Pet Depot, 2919 Wilshire Blvd., say a man came into the store shortly after 12:30 p.m. and asked to see the puppies — a Maltese and a Yorkshire terrier. After playing with the puppies for about a half hour, the suspect tucked them under his arms and ran out of the store while the clerk was looking the other way. He was last seen running north on Yale Street.
“It’s weird because he stood at the door for two seconds,” like he was showing the dogs to someone outside, said assistant manager Jenny Kutner, who was in the store during the theft.
Police are currently investigating the canine caper, which amounts to grand theft. Santa Monica Police officers are looking for the suspect, who is described as black, between 25 to 30 years old, 6 feet tall and about 180 pounds. Witnesses say the suspect had long, black hair that was combed back, and was wearing blue jeans, a light blue sweater and white tennis shoes.
The Maltese is described as “white and fluffy” with black points and a shaved neck and legs. He was called by store employees as “Fluffy Puppy.” The dog, which had a price tag of $1,200, weighs about three pounds and suffers from hypoglycemia. The dog was hospitalized last week and is on prescription medication.
“We were all huddling over this dog,” said Elaine Binner, who owns the store.
The Yorkshire terrier weighs 1 1/2 pounds, is tan and black, and is suffering from a cold. The dog, described as a “toy,” had been at the pet store for about week and had a price tag of $1,475. Both dogs are about 2 1/2 months old.
Binner and Kutner aren’t taking the theft lying down. They contacted several news outlets and handed over the surveillance tape that shows the man in the store. It was aired on television news stations Tuesday night. Both Binner and Kutner on Tuesday were telling all of the store’s customers about theft, and handing flyers to them that describe the animals.
Binner said police told her the suspect has hit two other pet stores recently, but this is the first time he’s been caught on tape.
“It would be nice if I could get my puppies back,” Binner said, adding she hopes to stop the suspect from doing it again. “After tonight, he’ll never come to Santa Monica again.”
About two years ago, a teenage girl stole a pug but because of the news coverage surrounding the theft, the store got the dog back.
The dogs have microchips that were implanted last month. The Maltese’s number is
Anyone with information is asked to contact the SMPD at (310) 458-8451.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 14, 2004. Read the original PDF.