A Bedford-Stuyvesant woman was reunited with her pooch Wednesday night after two thieves stole him from outside a Williamsburg grocery store Monday evening.
An anonymous caller contacted 21-year-old student Bre Kelly and told her they had seen her 11-year-old border-terrier mix Theo and they arranged a meet-up to hand him over nearby at 6 p.m. on Aug. 21.
“A really nice stranger came out carrying him in a bag, and he had his head sticking out,” Kelly said.
Kelly will not pursue charges of any kind and is just glad that Theo’s back and well — albeit a big shaken.
“I have no intention of pushing this any farther. I’m obviously very happy that this is over,” she said. “He seems a little bit stunned but overall OK.”
The 21-year-old student brought Theo for a three-block stroll from her Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment to the Green Corner Fish and Farmers Market at Humboldt Street on Aug. 19 and tied him up outside. She returned 15 minutes later to find he’d vanished, with only his leash left behind.
Owners at the store gave Kelly access to their security feed, which shows one man roughly handling the dog — dragging the 25-pound canine by the collar, before grabbing him — while an accomplice keeps a lookout.
Kelly was stunned by the random act of cruelty.
“I was frankly baffled,” she said. “I really didn’t think that was something that’s possible that someone would steal a dog.”
Kelly got Theo from a Manhattan shelter when she was 10 years old and her furry pal has been at her side ever since.
“I’ve had him through a divorce and six moves — and all through college,” she said.
The furball suffers numerous health conditions, including arthritis, pancreatitis, liver issues, gingivitis, and tumors on his legs and stomach.
“Pretty much anything wrong he’s got it,” she said. “This isn’t a puppy.”
The dog is also hard of hearing and has separation anxiety — Theo once developed a belly rash after Kelly was forced to leave him behind when she traveled for a week, according to Kelly.
But none of that has made her love Theo any less, she said.
“It’s work to take care of him but it’s a big part of my life,” Kelly said.
