A Windsor man is warning pet owners to watch their pooches after two people tried to steal his.
The suspects were caught redhanded trying to make off with Matthew Martel’s Viszla dog Simba Saturday. The incident occurred early Saturday afternoon on Dawson Rd off Wyandotte St E, near F.J. Brennan High School.
Martel tells BlackburnNewsWindsor.com he knew something was up when he got a phone call from a friend of his, instead of a customary text message.
“I was at work and I got a call from my friend who was housesitting, watching my dog and my kids,” says Martel. “She went outside for a cigarette, and she noticed two in their 20s leading my dog away from the house.”
Martel says Simba was in the backyard with a closed gate, and the gate can only be opened by a human. He says his friend immediately took action and confronted the would-be dognappers.
“They let the dog go and the dog came back to the front of the house,” says Martel. “Then they went toward where their car was parked, and the car was parked in front of my house.”
Simba was not hurt.
The friend was able to take a picture of the vehicle as it was parked on Dawson Rd and Martel put the photo on his Facebook page. The vehicle is a dark grey sedan, though the model could not be made out.
Martel says he has contacted Windsor Police and was awaiting a follow-up call Saturday evening. He says he has seen media reports of dogs going missing in the county. Though there does not appear to be a connection at this time to the attempted Windsor theft, Martel says he wanted to make sure other pet owners were aware.
“I’d like to hopefully inform other people that this sort of stuff is happening,” says Martel. “If it’s coming into the city, keep a better eye on your pets. Don’t leave them out in the yard to long unattended. Even when they are out in the yard, keep an ear out for them.”
Anyone who may recognise the vehicle or was in the area of Dawson Rd and Wyandotte St E Saturday afternoon is asked to call Windsor Police.