Anything that can be sold can be stolen. And while most dog owners consider their loyal companions more like family members than property, anyone charged with stealing a dog (or any pet, for that matter) gets the same charge as if he or she stole a microwave oven or a bottle of vodka.
Unless, however, one of the stolen animals turns up injured or dead (Daily Herald).
Twenty-year-old Lydell R. Smith says he never intended for either of the two Pomeranian puppies he admitted to stealing from a Lombard pet shop to die. He apologized for his actions but told investigators that co-defendant Dasheik Muhammad-Arnold is the one who killed one of the puppies.
Smith claims to have stolen the puppies from Happiness Is Pets as a gift for his mom's birthday. He and Muhammad-Arnold played with the puppies in an enclosed area of the store after showing their IDs and then were seen fleeing with the dogs through the front of the store. An employee copied the license plate number of their vehicle, which was registered to Smith's girfriend.
Almost two weeks after the incident, a veterinarian called Bollingbrook officers about a Pomeranian puppy treated at a local animal hospital that died from a shot in the back of the head with an air rifle.
Smith actually wrote a personal check for the puppy's treatment, which bounced; the puppy was identified through chip scan and pet shop employees identified Smith in photos.
Smith was charged with felony theft and sentenced to four years in prison, but he most likely will be released early if he completes a six-month boot camp program. Animal cruelty charges may also be filed once the investigation is completed.
- Dog Theft Action (home page)
- Report Animal Abuse (Illinois Humane)
- Illinois Animal Care Laws (Illinois Humane)
- Find a Chicago criminal attorney (FindLaw)
