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Stolen dog returned safely after being held for ransom
A stolen dog has been found safe on Florida’s Space Coast after weeks of uncertainty, authorities and the owner said.
MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. - A dog allegedly stolen while its owner was across the country has been safely returned, authorities said.
Brevard County sheriff's deputies tracked down the person holding the dog for ransom, assisted by social media tips.
The pet sitter allegedly rehomed the dog, Kenai, without the owner’s permission, prompting a weeks-long search.
The backstory:
A pet sitter allegedly gave the dog away while the owner, Aolani Costabile, was on the other side of the country. Costabile said she couldn’t bring Kenai with her to Rhode Island because her mother is severely allergic.
"My grandmother is selling the house, the dog needs to go," Costabile said. She tried to find a new home for Kenai, but "she had rehomed him to somebody that I did not know." She reported Kenai stolen to Titusville police and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) and reached out to Isla’s Journey Rescue for help.
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Cortney Larson, founder of Isla’s Journey Rescue, said, "We had to intervene. We had to step in." Larson put up fliers across the county and received a tip Thursday night that Kenai had been seen at an apartment complex. She and three BCSO deputies went to recover him.
"The deputies at BCSO were extremely helpful. They were extremely nice about everything and just went in, did what they could and got him so we thank them eternally for sure," Larson said.
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BCSO said the deputies acted as an escort, and as soon as they opened the door, the people holding Kenai "handed him right over." Costabile described the moment as emotional: "For them to take the time out of their day for a woman they don’t know and a dog they didn’t know – it was so amazing."
Costabile, who is still taking it all in, said the reunion ended a nightmare she had lived for the past two weeks.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office, Cortney Larson, founder of Isla’s Journey Rescue, and Aolani Costabile.