Four purebred miniature Australian shepherd puppies have been returned to a Des Moines dog breeder after a man allegedly stole five puppies Aug. 23 from the home of the breeder.
Kent Police on Tuesday arrested a 30-year-old Seatac man for investigation of first-degree possession of stolen property after the man had been spotted by a resident at an East Hill home where the puppies also had been seen, according to a Kent Police media release.
As of Wednesday, police had yet to find the fifth dog, which is believed to have been sold or given to someone in the Seattle-Tacoma area.
The missing dog is described as a tri-color female, with a brown coat, white collar, and tan around the eyes. The dog can be positively identified. Anyone with information about the missing puppy is asked to call the Des Moines Police at 206-878-3301 or the Kent Police at 253-856-5800.
Sue McCullough, a Des Moines dog breeder, reported the dogs stolen to Des Moines Police on the morning of Aug. 23. She suspected two men who looked at the puppies on the evening of Aug. 22 had taken the dogs.
McCullough also reported the theft of the dogs to a local television station, which broadcast a story on the missing puppies on Monday. A Kent resident saw the news story and called McCullough after seeing the dogs at an East Hill home. McCullough then called the Kent Police.
Kent Police went to the East Hill home on Monday and found three of the dogs. The dogs were identified with photographs as Australian shepherds, which have distinctive markings. Police also developed the identity and vehicle of a possible suspect.
On Tuesday morning, a Kent resident called police to report a vehicle had returned to the East Hill home. Police stopped a man as he started to drive away from the home. Officers reportedly found a fourth stolen dog in the man’s vehicle.
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