In the end, it was a local couple who took Jackie the dog.
They returned the aging, deaf canine, but not until news reports of Laura and Tai's desperation aired across the Phoenix metropolitan area.
They had Jackie, 15, a week. They had taken her to the vet, bought her special food and were about to build a new doggie door for her.
In short, they were simply going to keep her.
Yes, the story has a happy ending. But there didn't have to be a story. The family who dog-napped the 50-pound pooch should never have merely put her in their car and driven off.
Here is what happened, in Laura's own words:
"A couple saw her and thought Jackie was abandoned and took her, thinking they were rescuing her. The weird part is that they never thought to come in to the store and ask or look anywhere to see if she was wanted and missing.
"They live in a bubble (up off of Carefree Highway). Someone saw the news story and told someone that knew them and finally got the story back to them, so they called this morning. (Thursday, Aug. 20).
"We went to get her, and she was waiting for us in an air conditioned house, and when she saw us I think Jackie was thinking, 'Thank God. What took you so long.'
"The woman's mother also lived with them and is older, and it does seem like they all got attached to her and were contemplating putting in a new, larger doggie door for Jackie (they also have a small poodle puppy, Baxter.)
"Tai thinks they wanted to keep her.
"They live in a bubble (up off of Carefree Highway). Someone saw the news story and told someone that knew them and finally got the story back to them, so they called this morning. (Thursday, Aug. 20).
"We went to get her, and she was waiting for us in an air conditioned house, and when she saw us I think Jackie was thinking, 'Thank God. What took you so long.'
"The woman's mother also lived with them and is older, and it does seem like they all got attached to her and were contemplating putting in a new, larger doggie door for Jackie (they also have a small poodle puppy, Baxter.)
"Tai thinks they wanted to keep her.
"It was a little strange that they just seem to live in their own world up there and knew nothing about Jackie's story.
"We thanked them profusely, paid them for taking care of Jackie and taking her to the vet and buying her special food. (They never seemed to grasp the desperation and suffering we endured, but they were very kind and waved us on our way and sadly said their goodbyes to Jackie.)
"It was the best-case scenario."
By now anyone reading this blog knows the rest of the story, how Laura Scandrett and Tai got married in Colorado a little over two weeks ago, how Jackie the dog was their ring bearer. How the newlyweds love Jackie so much they got her shots, so they could be a threesome on their Mexico honeymoon, and how they stopped in Phoenix on their way south.
This is where the tale turns sour. The couple, not knowing the ways of the desert, committed what is here considered a faux pas: They tied their dog up outside a store, a Barnes and Noble, to be precise, while they dashed inside to acquire a road map. Even so, they left Jackie with a bowl of water. And they tied her in the shade, and for less than half and hour.
But, when the exited the store, to their horror, their companion was gone, pink
This is where the tale turns sour. The couple, not knowing the ways of the desert, committed what is here considered a faux pas: They tied their dog up outside a store, a Barnes and Noble, to be precise, while they dashed inside to acquire a road map. Even so, they left Jackie with a bowl of water. And they tied her in the shade, and for less than half and hour.
But, when the exited the store, to their horror, their companion was gone, pink
rhinestone collar, leash, water bowl and all.
Laura and Tai spent the next week in anguish, chastising themselves for not knowing that tieing up a dog outside a store is simply not done in Phoenix, as it is in Colorado; they hired a private eye, offered a $2,000 reward, put up fliers, scoured the pounds, even stood on street corners wearing billboards with photos of their dog.
It wasn't until Channel 3 TV aired on segment on their plight that they got news of the pooch.
"I guess this was a real lesson in many things. You probably already know that we just stopped in Phoenix at the time, but have now learned so much about the city and dogs and the summer and how things work.
"We also have been so moved by our experience of checking the pounds everyday, that Tai has his heart set on rescuing at least one dog from the Maricopa pound tomorrow and taking it with us back to Colorado.
"It was devastating every time we went and did not find Jackie, but it was also heartbreaking just to see how many incredible loving beings were there on death row. Jackie lost her twin sister a year ago, and I never wanted to get another dog for her golden years because she has mostly expressed irritation at the prospect, but now we have a real motivation to do what we can and pay back this city and all its fellow dog lovers by taking back one of its little dears."
"We also have been so moved by our experience of checking the pounds everyday, that Tai has his heart set on rescuing at least one dog from the Maricopa pound tomorrow and taking it with us back to Colorado.
"It was devastating every time we went and did not find Jackie, but it was also heartbreaking just to see how many incredible loving beings were there on death row. Jackie lost her twin sister a year ago, and I never wanted to get another dog for her golden years because she has mostly expressed irritation at the prospect, but now we have a real motivation to do what we can and pay back this city and all its fellow dog lovers by taking back one of its little dears."
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