STONE MOUNTAIN, Ga. — UPDATE: Three hours after our story aired, Channel 2’s Tom Regan got a text from Maverick’s owner, Kiara Hinton, saying the Yorkie has been returned:
“A woman saw the interview from earlier and contacted my mom. She said that she grabbed Maverick after the man dropped him at the gas station and took off. She didn’t understand why he did it but grabbed Maverick and kept him.”
Once they saw the photos of the dog on the news, they brought him home, Hinton said.
ORIGINAL: A woman says someone stole her Yorkie puppy while they were out for a walk.
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Kiara Hinton says her 2-year-old daughter, Cody, is crazy about their Yorkie puppy Maverick.
“That’s her best friend. They play together literally all day because she’s an only child,” Hinton told Channel 2’s Tom Regan.
However, Saturday afternoon, while out on a walk, Maverick vanished. They first thought the unleashed puppy had simply wandered off while they weren’t looking.
“I thought maybe he’s playing with those kids, so I went to ask them, and they said a man just scooped him up and was running with him,” Hinton said. “There were like eight children who said they saw him running with the dog when he was leaving the neighborhood.”
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The American Kennel Club says Yorkshire terriers are among the top stolen breeds in the country, because of their small size, they can be easily taken.
They’re expensive and in high demand, giving thieves reselling them a quick and easy profit.
“I feel it’s kinda of sick. Puppies are like kids. They have feelings, they have families,” Hinton said.
She says Maverick is diabetic and needs medication and a special diet. His disappearance is taking a toll on her daughter.
Hinton says she’s filed a police report and posted messages and pictures of her missing pup.
“I hope whoever has him is kind enough to return him,” Hinton said.
Hinton says she also has been calling around to shelters to see if anyone has turned in a Yorkie or if its microchip has been scanned, but thus far no promising leads.
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