Two days after her dog went missing from her Kitchener, Ont., home, Julie Young got a mysterious phone call.
An anonymous woman said she knew where Young鈥檚 beloved pug, Bailey, was being held. The woman said she was willing to meet up in person to provide more information.
The peculiar call set off a series of strange and oftentimes confusing events that eventually led to a demand for $150 in exchange for information, a texted photo of the pug in a Superman suit, and a co-ordinated police takedown.
鈥淚t was something out of a movie,鈥� said Michael Green, Bailey鈥檚 second owner.
The pug vanished Sunday while Young was out shopping and kept the screen door open a few inches for her cats to come and go. The couple posted photos of Bailey across the community on Monday, and got the call from the unknown woman on Tuesday.
The woman contacted the couple after seeing a poster and agreed to meet up at a nearby convenience store.
鈥淪he came in and she was really, really nervous. She didn鈥檛 want anyone to know who she was or anything like that,鈥� Young said.
The woman gave them an address to go to. When the couple went there, they were directed to a new address. Once there, another man took their number and said he鈥檇 call back 30 minutes late.
Eventually, a different man called and said he could provide information about where Bailey was -- but there was a catch.
鈥淗e wanted $150 just for an address of where they were keeping Bailey,鈥� Green said.
The man initially asked for only one person to meet him behind a dumpster, and, according to Young, told her: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want anybody to see, just you guys and the money.鈥�
The unknown man then sent Young a text message.
鈥淗e sends me a picture of my pug in a Superman outfit saying, 鈥業s this your dog?鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 like, 鈥榊es, that鈥檚 definitely my dog.鈥欌��
What the man didn鈥檛 know was that the couple had been in contact with police, and they informed officers that the man was demanding money.
Young and her friend drove to the agreed upon location -- a Tim Horton鈥檚 -- but said the man changed his mind at the last minute and wanted to meet behind a church. They agreed.
The friend left the car and walked to where she was told to wait with the cash. When the man left his vehicle and started walking toward her, the police made their move.
鈥淗e gave up the address right away,鈥� Green said.
Police then went to the final location, where they retrieved the missing pug. Young said she was overcome with emotion to have her dog back, but that Bailey seemed pretty nonplussed.
鈥淢y pug is half-deaf to begin with and he鈥檚 exhausted, so literally I鈥檓 pretty sure he didn鈥檛 even know I was there at first,鈥� she said.
The couple said officials told them that cases of stolen dogs aren鈥檛 all that uncommon in Ontario, or across the country.
鈥淭hey will come, they鈥檒l take dogs, and sometimes make you pay to know where they鈥檙e at,鈥� Green said.
鈥淎nd Julie chased them across town and into the seediest parts of the city, and never gave up once. And my kids have their dog back and we have our family pet back.鈥�
Young said she鈥檚 still processing the whirlwind rescue mission.
鈥淚 was more exhausted but relieved. I鈥檓 just grateful to have my dog back.鈥�
With files from CTV Kitchener
