A deaf English Sheepdog named Rags, who was stolen from his home in Alabama, has been found in Arizona after a year. The heartwarming reunion brings joy to the beloved dog’s family.
On December 8, 2023, a masked man was captured on Ring surveillance video approaching a house in the quiet town of Silverhill, Alabama. He proceeded to open the front door and casually walk away with Rags, the beloved pet.
Olivia Gardner, the owner of the dog, never expected to be reunited with Rags.
“I’ll never forget the night he was taken and coming home to find his stuffed piggie lying on the floor next to the door,” Gardner recalled.
After setting up a GoFundMe page and offering a $5,000 reward, she hoped to retrieve her beloved pet. Unfortunately, despite her efforts, no leads or information about her pup’s whereabouts were found.
Out of the blue, she received a phone call from authorities in Arizona the day after Christmas.
Rags was discovered alive and in good health.
“I can’t even put into words the mix of emotions I experienced,” Gardner expressed. “There were tears of joy, worry, happiness, and sadness. It has been a long journey, not knowing where he is and if he’s safe has been incredibly tough. We are beyond thrilled to finally bring him home and shower him with love again.”
According to information obtained by Arizona’s Family, the Silverhill Police Department received a tip indicating that Rags was located in Arizona. Consequently, they reached out to the Maricopa Police Department to conduct an investigation.
On Thursday, officers discovered Rags at a residence in Maricopa.
According to Maricopa Police Sgt. Chance Jordan, the individuals residing in the residence were not particularly forthcoming with information.
“They gave us a different name for the dog and it was wearing a collar with a third name on it. So, we couldn’t be sure until we verified the microchip number with the serial number from the original paperwork provided by the Alabama PD. That’s when we knew for sure that this was Rags,” he explained.
Last year, there were reports of a custody battle involving Rags, the special needs sheepdog who is deaf, shortly after he disappeared.
Rags, the adorable pup, was initially put up for adoption by his original owners. However, a few months later, they unexpectedly filed a lawsuit in an attempt to regain custody of him.
Maricopa Police have confirmed that the individuals who had Rags in Arizona are indeed connected to Rags’ original owners back in Alabama.
Authorities are currently investigating the precise motive behind the dog napping.
Gardner expressed his hope to one day find an answer to the question, stating, “It’s a good question that I hope one day I can get an answer for.” Despite the uncertainty, Gardner emphasized the strong longing for Rags within their family, stating, “Rags is very missed by his family here, and we are ready to get him home.”
Gardner plans to travel to Arizona within the next few days to bring Rags back home.