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Dog Stolen From Jurupa Valley Animal Shelter Found Safe In Norco

JURUPA VALLEY (CBSLA) – A dog stolen last week during a break-in at a Jurupa Valley animal shelter has been found safe.

The 3-year-old male brindle-colored pit bull mix -- whose theft May 3 from a Riverside County Animal Services shelter was captured on video-- was discovered on a porch in Norco the following day, May 4.

Stolen Jurupa Valley Dog Found Safe In Norco
Surveillance video shows three suspects breaking into an animal shelter in Jurupa Valley, Calif., and stealing a pit bull. May 3, 2018. (Riverside County Animal Services)

Animal services reported Thursday that a Riverside County Sheriff's deputy was called to a Norco home in the early morning hours of May 4 for a dog who was sitting on the front porch and refusing to leave.

The responding deputy safely took away the dog and transported him to a Norco animal shelter, RCAS said.

Stolen Jurupa Valley Dog Found Safe In Norco
Surveillance video shows three suspects breaking into an animal shelter in Jurupa Valley, Calif., and stealing a pit bull. May 3, 2018. (Riverside County Animal Services)

Following CBS2's report on the theft Wednesday, Norco officials contacted RCAS, informing them that they had rescued a dog who matched the description of the stolen pit bull.

After determining that he was indeed the safe dog, RCAS officers then went to Norco and picked him up. He has since been returned to the shelter.

"We want to extend our appreciation to the sheriff's deputy and the city animal control officer for recovering this dog and tipping us off," RCAS Director Robert Miller said in a statement. "Now our next step is getting the dog reunited with its rightful owner – and we're holding out hope that we can accomplish that soon."

The entire episode began at around 9:30 p.m. on May 3, when the pit bull was left by a Good Samaritan in a night-drop compartment in the Riverside County Animal Services shelter, located at 6851 Van Buren Blvd. in Jurupa Valley.

About one hour later, surveillance video showed a man, woman and boy arrive and try and break-in through a locked compartment, animal services reports.

The boy was eventually able to break open the compartment. The video then showed the man enter and pull the dog out. The dog was then seen on video following the man out to what appeared to be a waiting vehicle, animal services said. At one point, the man pulled on the dog's collar to get it to follow. The three suspects then drove away.

Authorities are unsure if the suspects owned the dog. Anyone with information on the case should contact the sheriff's department.

Stolen Dog Recovered A Riverside County Animal Services Video Short for media use 5 10 2018 by RivCOanimalsPIO on YouTube
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