SEATTLE — Seattle police are asking for help locating a stolen dog after a man was charged with taking the family pet and refusing to return it.
Buddy, a nearly 3-year-old micro bully, escaped from his family’s South Seattle yard on July 21. A neighbor found the dog running down the street and spoke with another neighbor “Jose,” who promised to return Buddy to his owners.
“When our victim went looking for her dog, that individual denied having seen that dog, but one of our investigators have found out information that that’s not credible information,” said Seattle Police Detective Eric Munoz.
Investigators obtained video evidence from Haughton’s home, a transitional housing facility, showing the dog had been inside. Additional footage showed what appeared to be a dog covered in a blanket being taken to a vehicle.
Jose Antonio Haughton was arrested July 28 on an unrelated charge. He was charged with second-degree theft in King County Superior Court on Aug. 21 and pleaded not guilty on Aug. 27.
“This suspect is a 17-time convicted felon. He is currently in jail on unrelated charges,” Munoz said. “This investigation is important to us, and we need the public’s help to find this dog.”
The police investigation report said that Haughton should be “considered a flight risk” due to his criminal history.
Michelle Barker, the lead investigator on the case, said the owner is desperate for Buddy’s return.
“The owner is heartbroken. We don’t know where he left the dog, if he sold it, gave it to someone, we just want to bring this owner’s dog home,” Barker said.
Buddy was gifted to his owner, but generally his breed ranges in value from $8,000-$20,000. The owner said she had also spent at least $3,000 on training for the dog.
“We need the public’s help in finding this dog. It’s very important to us to get this dog back to its rightful owner,” Munoz said.
Anyone with information about Buddy’s whereabouts is asked to turn him in to their nearest police station or call 911.
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