Crime unleashed
FOR YEARS, ROOSEVELT RODRIGUEZ and his dog Chanel had a routine. The Houston heating technician would get home from work, swing open his front door and greet his French bulldog, who’d spin and dance in excitement as he repeated her name over and over again. Then, Rodriguez would quickly change out of his work clothes while Chanel sat by the open front door, waiting for him to come outside with her.
But on Feb. 22, when Rodriguez stepped out of his house to walk the 25-lb. dog with the cream-colored face, his yard was empty. Puzzlement turned to panic when an elderly neighbor waved him down and uttered five words: “Someone just snatched your dog.”
“It hit me hard,” says Rodriguez, 30. “I didn’t want to believe it.”
It’s the reality many animal lovers are facing as a surge in pandemic pet adoptions offers opportunities for criminals to seize on nationwide demand and shelter shortages. More pets, particularly small and easy-to-grab breeds and puppies, are being stolen and resold by thieves eager to prey on petless people’s desires for animal
