WEST ALLIS, Wis. — A puppy stolen from Preppy Pups in West Allis has been returned after a whirlwind 24 hours that ended with the dog being dropped off at a Milwaukee fire station.
Surveillance video from the store shows a man taking the dog out of its cage and handing it off to a young girl, believed to be his daughter, while manager Sue Anderson was helping another customer. The dog was then taken out of the store.
The store's owner reached out to TMJ4 for help tracking down the people responsible and getting the dog back.
Anderson said the multi-poo requires special attention and care and is not suited for children.
"If her sugar falls, it's called hypoglycemia. That can kill a puppy real fast. So we're very concerned," Anderson said.
Anderson said the man involved had called and said he would return the dog Saturday morning. That never happened.
While TMJ4 was inside the store Saturday afternoon, the man involved called again claiming he would bring the dog back and blamed his daughter for taking it. The store waited, but neither the man nor the dog appeared before closing time.
In a later call to the store, the man said someone else would drop the dog off outside of West Allis at a fire station. The dog was dropped off near at Milwaukee Fire Station 12 near 22nd and Oklahoma in Milwaukee — about 4 miles from where it was taken. When the supervisor arrived to pick up the puppy, the person who dropped it off was not the same man seen in the surveillance video.
Anderson said the ordeal took a toll on the puppy.
"This has been a lot for her. It really has, and then to drop her off at the fire department with some other guys you don't know, and then somebody else. The police were there," Anderson said.
The puppy was returned shaken but okay. Anderson said she was relieved.
"I almost cried when I saw her. I'm gonna give her a bath and clean her up. She's a little dirtier on her face," Anderson said.
"I'm just so happy she's back. I really am. I was really very worried about her," Anderson said.
The West Allis Police Department continues its investigation into the people involved. The puppy does not yet have a name, but Anderson has a suggestion.
"Lucky, yeah. Lucky is right," Anderson said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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