BEHCHOKO/RAE-EDZO
The vice-president of the NWT SPCA said she is fearful that irreparable harm has been done to her organization after a cherished family dog was stolen in Behchoko by someone claiming to be from her organization.

Oreo, a two-year-old Shih Tzu, was taken to the Great Slave Animal Hospital in Yellowknife on Oct. 10, the day he was found outside Behchoko. Oreo had been missing since Sept. 23 when his owner says he was dog-napped by someone pretending to be from the SPCA. - photo courtesy of Nicole Spencer/NWT SPCA

Oreo, a two-year-old Shih Tzu, was stolen on Sept. 23 and found two weeks later, on Oct. 10, along Hwy. 3, south of Behchoko. The dog was stolen from the Gauthier family while the SPCA was in Behchoko offering immunizations at a temporary clinic.

Now, the SPCA's Dana Martin said that since the dog was stolen, there has already been at least one situation in Behchoko where a dog owner refused to let a legitimate SPCA member take her dog to Yellowknife for treatment.

"Their dog had very infected ears and (the owners) wanted to have the dog spayed. We offered to bring the dog in (to Yellowknife) a couple of days after the clinic," she said.

"An (SPCA member) had offered to drive the dog to Yellowknife for treatment and she went to the client's house to pick up the dog and the client had changed her mind . because of this incident. She was afraid that if she gave her dog over she wouldn't get it back," Martin said. "It's very discouraging because the person who was collecting the dog on our behalf is known by the person - it wasn't a stranger. So it's caused a lot of mistrust. That dog is still in the community and still has infected ears. I'm angry and discouraged. It's the dogs that suffer."

Martin said that it is very unfortunate that a single incident has left people confused about what to do when the SPCA offers to help them with their pets. She has words of advice for those people who may be unsure if they are actually dealing with someone from the SPCA.

"Ask to see their ID. All of us have (SPCA) membership cards. At the clinic we are always sporting our scrub shirts with SPCA embroidered on it," Martin said. "No one else in the community other than the vets and techs who volunteer for us have those shirts. If they are unsure they should continue to ask questions."

Martin has no idea who the dog-napper is or why they would do such a thing.

"It's the same kind of person who would impersonate an RCMP officer or a nurse - someone who is not right. It's caused quite a bit of damage to the dog's family and the SPCA," she said. "The trust factor has been damaged, which is really disappointing for us." Martin said, adding that often dog owners in the communities can not get their pets into Yellowknife so the SPCA is happy to do it for them, but now that trust and bond between pet owners and the organization has been broken.

Oreo's owner Norma Gauthier is overjoyed to have her dog back but feels awful for the SPCA.

People need to be careful who they handing their pets off to, she said.

"I don't hold any grudges against the SPCA. This wasn't their fault and they have been very helpful since this happened," Gauthier said.

She said Oreo is definitely a member of the family. Gauthier got very emotional talking about the day the family finally got their dog back.

"My daughter and I went to where he had been seen last - at a rest stop near kilometre 208 and all of a sudden Bill Sundberg and his friend Axel were coming out of that area. He said to me, 'Are you looking for a dog? He's in the back of my truck.' I broke down crying," she said.

"They are my heroes. I hugged them. I couldn't have thanked them any more. So many people had spotted my dog . But Bill actually physically went and grabbed him and that was the most wonderful thing. The dog was soaking wet. One more day and he probably would have froze," she said.

Gauthier also said she has no idea what the woman's motive was for stealing the dog.

"She said her name was Cheryl. She has a Newfoundland accent and short brown hair. She is about 5'1" or 5'2" and wears a lot of makeup. She was driving a brown Chevy pick up truck," Gauthier said. "I don't know why she did this. Maybe she panicked after I put an alert out and she dumped him."

The dog was staying with the vet this week as he is being treated for a skin irritation and dehydration, Gauthier said. She added that she will a microchip implanted in Oreo so that he will be easier to find if he ever goes missing again.

RCMP spokesperson Elenore Sturko stated an an e-mail that the investigation is still open but police have no suspects at this time.

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