TAYLOR -- A family in Taylor says their house was broken into and their puppy was taken Sunday.
Fort St. John RCMP were called to a house in Taylor on Sunday. A family member says their father-in-law was watching TV when a man walked into his home.
“He noticed the lights, and thought it was a bit odd, but it could have been a neighbour. The next thing he knew, a man was standing in his front entry. He asks, "What do you want?" to which the man replies, "I don't have a dog." The man knelt, took Millie, and then left,” says Tora Halter.
They say their family dog, Millie, runs up to anyone. They describe the unknown man as 6 feet tall with blonde hair and a ginger beard. He was said to be in his 30s.
The incident happened on Sunday at 12:30 a.m. Video surveillance showed the man leaving in a blue vehicle.
“My father-in-law tried to pursue me down the road, but the man left so fast. My father-in-law proceeded to call the cops,” says Halter.
The family member says that the community tracked down the man later that day. “I received a report of the address where the man parked his vehicle. My husband and I picked up his dad to identify the man. We called the police who now had no choice but to investigate, and we waited down the road from the location until the police arrived.”
They say when police went to knock on the door, the man wouldn’t answer. But, the officers looked in to see the man lying on the couch with Millie. The puppy was then returned to the family within 12 hours of the incident.
“We figure the man scoped out their house beforehand. He was caught on camera whistling for my in-laws' dogs before pulling into their driveway. My in-laws are so thankful to the group that kept their eyes open for his vehicle or any info they could find. Thank you to the police who showed up and got Millie to her mom and dad,” says Halter.
They say the RCMP has been involved and has arrested the man since the incident.
“We are thankful no one was hurt, and we want to warn others that these kinds of things happen,” says Halter. “He did however invade someone's home and made them feel unsafe in a home they have lived in for over 30 years. Your mind always goes to the worst places when your pet goes missing or abducted.”