A Texas family received news that their beloved stolen German Shepard, Sheba, had been located 600 miles away, five years after her initial disappearance.
The reunion comes at a time when dognapping is at an all-time high in the United States.
The Reunion
As years and years went by without Sheba, the Malmstrom family had just about given up on finding their pup. That is, until they received a call from Animal Control officer Jared Harper.
“My initial thought was, ok, ya right, let me guess, I won a cruise and a million dollars also!” Stephanie Malmstrom, Sheba’s mom, wrote on the Saving Sheba Facebook page.
Harper, who found Sheba in Borger, Texas, told the Malmstrom’s that he knew she was too friendly to be a stray. A microchip search led him to discover Sheba’s identity and her original home of Beach City, Texas.
The Malmstrom’s raised Sheba there from the time she was eight months old until her theft. Security footage showed thieves coaxing Sheba into a car from her yard while the Malmstrom’s were having dinner at a neighbor’s house.
Keeping Your Dog Safe
Unfortunately, Sheba’s story is not the norm for stolen pups — especially for those taken 600 miles away from their homes. According to the AKC, only ten percent of stolen dogs return back to their original families. Luckily, Sheba has a microchip. Without it, the Malmstrom’s reunion with their pup would have never happened.
Keeping your dog safe is as simple as ensuring their microchip connects them to your address and phone number. For more tips on avoiding dog theft, check out our article on the topic here.
