On November 12 Mary took her little Norwich terrier, Lola, for a walk in the park across from the Newberry Library, then went to visit a cousin who was in hospice care nearby, leaving her tote bag and Lola in her car at a meter on Walton. About 40 minutes later Walgreens rang Mary’s cell with the news that someone had found her tote bag, which contained a prescription bottle, about a mile away, near North and LaSalle.
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Knowing better isn’t necessarily a defense against a determined dognapper. Less than two hours after Lola was abducted, a 13-year-old boy was walking a bull terrier named Clementine in Lincoln Park when a man leaned over the puppy, brazenly unhooked its leash, and took off with it in a truck driven by an accomplice.
Mary says the officer who responded to her call said she’d probably never see Lola again. Since then people have told her that small animals are sometimes used as bait for fighting dogs–to give them “a taste of blood.” She’s also heard that dogs are hawked out of cars on the Illinois-Indiana border, sold on the street, or sold to labs for use in scientific experiments.
Holladay says the government requires dealers, who are subject to surprise inspections, to “maintain records of acquisition and disposition” for their animals. But it’s easy to fake a paper trail for stolen pets.
Mary struggled with the idea of offering a reward. “If you do put up a big reward you’re encouraging dog theft,” she says. But she loves Lola and wants her back. “If they come forward they get a reward–no questions asked.”
