WASHINGTON — A stolen puppy has been officially reunited with his owner after the person who unknowingly bought him came forward a week later.
Pepper, a 3-month-old black Cane Corso, was taken from a boat in Southeast D.C., but after a week-long adventure, he’s finally back with his loving owner — safe and sound, thanks to the kindness of a good Samaritan.
It all began on the night of Oct. 11 when officers responded to a theft in the 100 block of Potomac Avenue, SE. A boat had been broken into, and Pepper, the adorable pup, was stolen.
“I was devastated, I couldn’t believe someone would actually steal a dog like that,” owner Edward Matthews said.
For the next week, Matthews put up flyers, hoping someone saw Pepper, and could help get her home. MPD also shared pictures of Pepper in hopes of finding him and reuniting him with his family.
On Saturday, the person who had unknowingly purchased Pepper from an online ad saw the news and realized the dog was stolen. They returned Pepper to her dog dad.
“My son was happy!” Matthews said. “When I showed him a picture of the dog, he said, ‘I can’t believe we got him back.'"
The story even drew the attention of Robert Cornell Sweetney, a kennel owner based in Waldorf who breeds Cane Corsoes. He wants to make sure the Good Samaritan knows their good deed didn’t go unnoticed, and said they can have a dog of their own, free of charge.
“A lot of times we don’t give back when we hear good news like that, so I really wanted to do the right thing,” Sweetney explained. “When you buy a puppy, it attaches to you, it attaches to your smell, your voice, your vocals, your kids, so when you snatch that, you’re snatching a part of the family away from them.”
Sweetney said he’ll have a dog waiting for the Good Samarian they ever decide to come forward.
DC Police say detectives are still trying to track down the person responsible, and are calling on anyone with information to contact them as soon as possible.