Missing dogs feared stolen; one has heart defect which requires medical followup

By Lauren Radomski (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Longtime pet owners Gary Ruehmann and Jeanne Cannady are missing two family members: Dusty Sam and Precious Molly, dogs who disappeared from the couple’s Richville yard Saturday afternoon.

“They are very important to us,” Ruehmann said. “It’s not the money we’ve spent. We love these animals.”

The couple believes the dogs were stolen, as Precious Molly, a 7-month-old red miniature poodle and Sam, a 3-year-old male laha apso, had been trained to return to specific places after exploring. The dogs were in the yard no more than 30 minutes before their owners realized they were missing. Precious Molly and Sam were collar-less, as they’d been bathed shortly before going outside.

Yet these animals are not just another pair of missing pets. Shortly after purchasing Precious Molly in early July, Ruehmann and Cannady learned the dog had a congenital heart defect, requiring treatment if she was to live beyond a year.

In August, the couple brought the dog to experts at the University of Minnesota, where Precious Molly became the smallest dog ever treated by the institution for the defect.

“It’s just crushing after everything we did and everything was going so slick,” Cannady said of the disappearance. The couple has invested $5,000 in Precious Molly’s care.

While the dog’s recovery has been impressive, Ruehmann said, Precious Molly is due for a follow-up echocardiogram in the Twin Cities in two weeks. Since the disappearance, Ruehmann and Cannady have searched northern parts of Otter Tail County, e-mailed neighbors and printed posters, offering a substantial cash reward for the dogs’ return.

For other area pet owners, Dr. Bill Rose of Lakeland Veterinary Clinic in Perham says a single investment can be key to animal safety.

“Probably the number one thing they can do is (implant) the microchip,” said Rose, explaining the importance of the chip in finding lost or stolen animals. The microchip is injected in the dog’s neck area and ranges in price from $40 to $60.

Cases of stolen dogs, Rose said, tend to occur in mass numbers, with one thief bringing animals to urban shelters and an accomplice adopting them, waiving the original owner’s legal rights. Animals are then sold as drug or hunting dogs.

“It’s kind of like a black market,” said Patrice Randt, who works for the Otter Tail County Humane Society and in Animal Control in Ottertail. “You deal drugs, you deal dogs.”

Because most shelters and humane societies check for microchips, thieves have learned to do so as well, releasing animals that may lead to an arrest.

“Years ago we would see 15 to 20 dogs in an area disappear,” Rose said. “That just has not happened since we started microchipping.”

Rose also recommends identifying pets with their owners’ phone numbers and investing in an electric fence.

Teresa Rose, Lakeland’s office manger, said the clinic keeps specific records of reported disappearances, with few complaints in recent years. According the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Department, Ruehmann and Cannady are the only people to report missing pets in the last month.

As for Precious Molly and Sam, the search continues. Anyone with information about the pets is encouraged to call their owners at 218-495-3011 or e-mail gpr443@prtel.com.