[Photo by Sally Davies]
EVG regular Moe shares this story about Ricky, a familiar face in the neighborhood...
Until 2 weeks ago, Ricky was always accompanied by a cute little wiry-haired terrier chihuahua mix named Pookie who has a very nice disposition.
Turns out his dog was stolen 2 weeks ago when he left it tied up for a minute — yes, I know — outside the Ottendorfer Library on Second Avenue near St. Mark's Place to go inside for a book.
A witness said that it was a "junky-looking blond woman with hair pushed up in the middle of her head" who took it.
Turns out this woman is currently in jail on some other charges, and that she allegedly was also responsible for five other recent dog thefts.
She has some sort of arraignment today [Jan. 6] at which time Ricky and a lawyer who has helped him before will be present to see if, at the least, information about the current whereabouts of these stolen dogs can be obtained.
24 comments:
When are people going to learn to stop leaving their dogs tied up outside alone? This isn't Vermont.
Anon 8.09am: I agree in principle and yes, Ricky made a mistake, but you shouldn't rush to judgment. He seems to have a disability and has visible difficulty walking, so it's a bit more understandable that he tries to integrate walking /spending time with his beloved dog into running errands. He's not a yuppie trying to shave off a few minutes off his previous busy day. This is a good man who loves his dog very much, so please, have some compassion.
Anon. 8:50: Ricky could get a doctor's note allowing him to use his terrier as a service dog, meaning he could take the dog into public places without having to leave it tied up outside.
Oh for crying out loud...how about blaming the people who steal dogs for the dog being stolen?
Lots of people have -- for millenia -- brought their dogs along on their days. Sometimes this has meant the dogs waiting outside of a place that its owner can go into but the dog can't.
I hope they find this poor dog. It helps that EV Grieve is spreading the word. And please, please, please don't leave your dog tied up outside while you run errands or grab coffee. I have had to step in a few times over the years to save dogs from being snatched or taunted while their guardians were nowhere to be found. It simply isn't worth the risk. Leave your dog at home if you have to go into a store or restaurant.
Heartbreaking. I hope they're reunited soon.
This is very sad. Ricky is a nice guy who everyone in the neighborhood knows. He always has a smile for people. When Pookie came into Ricky's life you could see that this was a perfect match.
The sad part is that you can't even leave your dog outside for a moment with predators, thieves and assorted other "mean to do you harm" types out there just waiting for the opportunity to screw with your life on some level.
Hopefully Ricky and Pookie will be reunited.
Poor guy.
Hopefully the cops and DA can get lots of info on the stolen dog fencing operation from the woman being arraigned and that she has some subsequent success in rehab. And that Ricky gets his dog back.
I will always stay and watch a dog that is tied until the owner comes out. I then walk away and they never know that I was even there.
But it makes me feel better. I would hate for a dog to be taunted or stolen.
The person who took the dog is most certainly at fault however, people please never tie your dog up ever and leave it unattended.
8:09 here. I have a dog that I love more than life itself and I would never, ever, ever leave her tied up outside unattended. If I have to run errands and know I am going to a store that has a no dog policy, I leaver her at home. Her safety is more important than my convenience. With that said, I hope the dog is returned safely.
I often see Ricky and Pookie walking and it's obvious how much he loves this dog. I hope they are reunited quickly! Some people are completely heartless.
How awful! I just saw Ricky (never knew his name until now) this morning and was wondering where his little dog was. Ricky and Pookie are such nice, familiar friendly faces on my morning commute. Best wishes to him for him to be reunited with his Pookie.
Put the blame where it belongs- on the junkies who steal and sell dogs. Its true that Ricky could get his pet designated as a service dog- but something needs to be done about the homeless traveler tweeker junkies who have dogs, steal dogs, sell dogs etc. Cant these degenerates be removed from TSP and the surrounding streets?
Like Anon. 12:22, I stand guard over any dog I see tied up outside a store until the owner comes out. Unlike Anon. 12:22, I then lecture the owner on the danger of leaving their pup unattended, making sure they walk away with the term "bait dog" ringing in their ears.
I had no idea that stealing dogs was a thing. I guess I could ask what these bastards do with someone else's dog but I rather not know. Hope he gets his dog back.
Dogs get sold. Some to pet stores or individuals. Other dogs get sold to.be used as training dogs for dogfighting. These dogs get literally ripped to shreds by bigger dogs who are being trained to kill . Please watch your dog.
Dogs also get stolen to get sold to research labs. To experiment on; think about that.
I stole my dog once; my roommate had tied her outside the Associated on 8th and C, and I was coming around the corner and found her tied all alone there. So I untied her and took her around the corner.
The people in the store did notice she was missing, and my roommate said to me later, "If there's any way to give someone a heart attack, that's it!" But my point was that it only takes a second.
The people downstairs from us had ridgebacks, and one time one of then tied the female outside Saifee Hardware "just for a minute." It took about a minute for a thief to snatch her—apparently with the idea of ransoming the dog.
They did recover her, at Animal Care and Control, and she had been spayed while there. ("And I don't believe in that," said my neighbor disdainfully.)
People, this is New York City; you have to keep tabs on your animals. It's like saying, "But I only left my purse on the street corner for a second!" It's fair game.
My heart breaks for the dog. In this world, you can't leave anything outside while you run inside "for a minute." That includes bikes, dogs and kids.
Any updates on this? I keep hoping to see a happy resolution.
Yes please continue to update this story. This is one of the worst things I've read on here.
At this point the phone numbers I have for Ricky do not get answered, or come back as out of service, so until I run into him on the street, (or you do), your guess is as good as mine.
I met Ricky & Pookie on 2nd Ave. Ricky spoke eloquently about how Pookie has positively impacted his life. Thank you for publicizing this story. I hope that Pookie is found soon.
Latest Pookie update: ricky's phone is back to life, his girlfriend called me on it with him, that is big improvement as a lot less is lost in Spanish~English translation when she is there, a native English speaker as am I. I now have her direct number as well. The dog is still missing. The supposed arraignment of the suspected napper was apparently just more confusion never happened. They appreciated the blog posting though they were not familiar with what that actually means.
I told them to make a couple hundred posters with a picture, the story, and offering a $100 reward no questions asked, we'll get that much money together. Hit the streets handing out the posters and create an army of crackheads junkies and regular joes chasing that hundred dollar bill. Get on it ASAP like tomorrow morning. Told them I would monitor the blog and call if anything interesting. I suppose any genius ideas are welcome.
PSS they are way torn up over the missing dog, and appreciative of any help.
Moe - I will donate $20, keep me posted.
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