NEWPORT, Wash. -- A dog is back with its owner after her owner said she was stolen and taken to western Washington about two weeks ago.
Esther Lawrence said her silver lab, Dolla, had gotten out of their yard and went over to her neighbor’s yard. Her neighbor told them two women in a red SUV rolled up and took Dolla.
"It was awful and nobody should have to go through this," Lawrence said.
Dolla is her son Aiden's dog and they were both devastated.
"When your kid is looking at you to fix this and you're a parent you don't know what to do,” she said. "We put out flyers, I painted my rig, I put up lost dog things everywhere."
They went to the police and even offered a reward. After six days, they decided to try something different.
"We thought we would go to businesses on Highway 2 and to see if they would let us see surveillance video," she explained.
This helped them find an image of the red SUV. Her neighbor confirmed it was one he saw. Lawrence posted the picture online, hoping someone would recognize it. Within six hours, someone did.
"We had a phone call from a couple in Seattle that had her," she said.
After making sure it was the right pup, Lawrence and her husband rushed over to the west side. They met with the couple and were reunited with Dolla. While they were there they also spoke with the two women from the red SUV. They said they thought the dog was lost, and were trying to find it a new home.
"I asked them why would you take her from Newport Washington to Seattle that makes no sense," she explained.
The women had also changed Dolla's nametag and even clipped her toenails. Lawrence said she does not believe their story at all.
“She was not lost they stole her and I believe they had intentions on selling her,” she said.
The family is just thankful she was not and she is urging other pet owners to keep an eye out.
“I encourage everybody to speak up because this not an isolated incident from Spokane to Newport and everywhere in between,” she explained.
This was the second time the Lawrence family had this happened to them. Lawrence said last summer their silver weimaraner was taken from their yard. She said it had a broken leg at the time. They hope they will get that dog back. She said people should not take other people's pets.
"Leave them alone. They are part of people's families," said Lawrence.