Puppy taken from Naperville store safely returned
The Pomeranian puppy purloined from a Naperville pet store was returned unharmed Monday afternoon to the delight of pet store owners and employees.
The 2-month-old puppy was taken from the Petland store at 720 N. Route 59 by an unidentified man Friday morning.
The puppy, worth about $1,500, had an identifying microchip embedded underneath its skin, and the dog's theft triggered an alert by a pet-locating service called Help Me Find My Pet, who reported that the pet was returned by an unidentified woman Monday afternoon.
Mike Isaac and Adam Stachowiak, who have owned the Naperville store for about a year and a half, were thrilled when they heard the puppy was returned to police.
"I'm thrilled and I'm going to be ecstatic to find a home for this puppy," Isaac said.
Once they verified the puppy was indeed their stolen pooch, Isaac and Stachowiak took the dog to the vet for an emergency checkup. The dog was deemed healthy.
Isaac said the woman who returned the dog is thought to be a good Samaritan and not involved with stealing the dog, although Naperville police are still investigating.
"We thanked her and she thanked us. I shook her hand and we gave our gratitude to her. We asked her if she wanted a job and she laughed …" Isaac said.
The puppy got a standing ovation when it was returned to the store and the store's employees are ecstatic that it was returned, Isaac said.
The pet will be available for purchase starting Wednesday night, after a 48-hour precautionary quarantine period is up and it is deemed healthy again by the veterinarian.
Isaac and Stachowiak decided to donate all proceeds from the sale of the stolen pooch to the Naperville Police Department's Canine Unit as a gesture of their appreciation for the community's help during the past four days, Isaac said.
Isaac said he and Stachowiak, who are also life partners, strive to match the right pet with the right customer. "Adam and I are happiest in life when we can sit back and comfortably say we've done that."