Charges pending in missing dog case

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NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) - Norfolk Police said Thursday that charges are pending against a woman in the case of a missing dog. Officers have not said who they plan to charge or what the charges will be.

Last week, Michael Jancarole of Norfolk said he was looking for his husky, Koda. He said someone found the dog and posted about it on Craigslist. Then someone else quickly claimed the dog.

Jancarole said he went to the house that made the original 'found dog' post: 'I talked to him, and I asked if they had a husky, and he was like, 'Yeah, we had a husky Friday ... but the woman came and claimed him.' I was like, 'What?' I was like, 'That was my dog.''

Jancarole thinks the dog ended up being sold on Craigslist because of a post he found about a husky. He said the person who made that Craigslist post sent a friend a picture that looked just like Koda.

The case is similar to that of a husky from Chesapeake named Nikita. Her owner said he lost her and then found a post on Craigslist, showing she was for sale. He got Nikita back and Chesapeake Police charged Jessica Colleran, saying she fraudulently took the dog from a 'found dog' post on Craigslist, then tried to sell it on the website.

Lisa Peterson from the American Kennel Club said from 2012 to 2013, stolen dogs increased by 33 percent, nationwide.

'This year, the trend that we're seeing is dog flipping,' Peterson said. 'People are finding dogs for sale or lost dogs and are taking those dogs, claiming to be their owners and turning around and selling them over the internet as their own for quick profit. Clearly the criminals have found yet another way to get dogs without actually having to steal them directly from the owners.'

She said people looking for pets should be careful online.

'The best way is to actually meet people in person. If you want to get a puppy, go to a responsible breeder, but be careful for terms like 'reduced price' or 'almost free to a good home,'' she said.