The Burnaby branch of the SPCA is appealing to the public for help in trying to track down a dog that was stolen from the shelter.
The SPCA said a Boston terrier-pug mix named Ninja was taken by a woman on Tuesday after she showed up to the shelter to take the dog for a walk.
Ryan Voutilainen, the manager of the Burnaby SPCA, said the woman came to the shelter inquiring about Ninja, completed the dog-walking form to take him out for a short visit and left her purse and keys with the reception.
He said she never returned, and the purse was empty and the information on the form was false.
Voutilainen said he’s not sure why the person would take the dog, speculating it could be Ninja’s owner who was trying to avoid paying impound and boarding fees.
“Anybody that does something like this makes us kind of suspicious as to what kind of care it will get in the home that it’s gone into,” he told the NOW.
Voutilainen said there have been instances in the past where someone has come into the shelter to steal a cat, but not to the point where they would leave something behind like a purse.
Ninja was originally turned into the Burnaby branch after being found by a Good Samaritan in Central Park.
The SPCA said Ninja showed signs of a neurological issue but after consultations with vet specialists, it was determined that he had been born with the condition and did not require treatment or medication.
He was put up for adoption on May 19. Ninja also has a tattoo and microchip registered to the BCSPCA, and the organization is hoping if the dog is brought into a vet at some point it will be traced.
In the meantime, the local SPCA branch is asking anyone who might see the dog or know where it is, to call Burnaby RCMP.
