Beloved Bulldog Stolen On Family's Move from Dallas
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DALLAS (CBS11) - A Dallas couple who just moved to Colorado is missing a member of the family – their puppy – stolen the day they moved.
Mike Doty and his fiancée Corrine McGaughy are now working with their friends back in North Texas to try to bring Pinky home.
"I don't have a child, but she's the closest thing I have," Doty said.
Pinky is a brindle English bulldog, weighing 35 pounds. She has nine white toenails, and one black 'pinky' toenail – hence her name.
"She's like my best little friend, this dog goes everywhere with me," said Doty.
Saturday morning, Doty was ready to leave on the road trip to Denver. The couple sold their home in East Dallas, and was excited to move to the mountains. The moving company had come and gone.
Doty was driving his Cadillac Escalade, towing a flatbed trailer carrying recreational his ATVs and dirt bikes. His possessions that he did not want to entrust to movers were inside his SUV – along with his five-month-old dog.
Doty noticed a strap loose on the trailer, so he pulled over in the Keller's restaurant parking lot to fix it. It was around 8 a.m. and the parking lot was empty.
"I pulled in because there was a lack of people at the place," he said.
Doty says he left his keys in the console, and walked to the back passenger side of the trailer to tighten the strap. Less than 60 seconds later, he heard the engine start on his SUV.
"I heard my truck start and drive away – over the curb, running cars off the road and driving through the red light on Northwest Highway and Abrams Road," he recalls.
Doty says he remembered seeing an early 90s model Ford pickup driving behind him, then parking a few businesses down from the restaurant. He recalls seeing that vehicle speed off after his was stolen. He wonders if he was followed – and someone jumped out to steal the vehicle and trailer.
"The vehicle I own is very noticeable, and also the trailer full of brightly colored ATVs and dirt bikes is also noticeable," he said.
Dallas police say they are looking to obtain surveillance video from businesses along Northwest Highway, but have no leads at the moment.
"At this point I'm sure the vehicle is gone. All I'm hoping for is to see my dog again," Doty said.
Now in Colorado with his fiancée, the couple is receiving help from friends in North Texas to look for the dog.
"We miss her so much and that's all our concern is – we just want our dog back. She's our family, our child. Such a sweet, sweet loving animal," said McGaughy.
In Dallas, their friends are making fliers, posting Pinky's picture at businesses. Callie Rhoades created a 'Help Find Pinky The Stolen Bulldog' Facebook page.
Callie says Pinky's picture has been shared more than 14,000 times.
"We don't think they knew she was in the car. We don't think they were after a dog they did not know was there. So if she's out there roaming around somewhere – she deserves to be back in the loving arms of her family. I just want Pinky to come home," said Rhoades, who is a friend of the couple.
Doty says Pinky has a microchip – and veterinarian clinics and animal shelters have been alerted.
They hope someone will find her, turn her in, so she can rejoin her family in Colorado.
"[The thieves] took everything valuable that I own, that I would not want my movers to have – but the only thing I care about is the dog and her well being," Doty said.
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