You've thought about it, you've worried about it, but it does actually happen. We have a report from a reader whose dog was stolen while tied up in front of Robert's Hardware yesterday afternoon.

According to the reader, who was shopping at Robert's Hardware yesterday afternoon, she came back outside and found her dog, which she had tied up at the storefront, missing. She found it being walked away by a street kid, caught up with them a block down the street, and took her dog back. The dog's owner called the police, who came and arrested the woman who stole her. The police, however, said there was probably little they could do, and that technically, tying a dog up unattended is illegal. When they saw the suspect who they arrested, they also confirmed that this woman had stolen dogs in the neighborhood before. The thief was seen wearing a camo jacket and bluejeans, and was in her early 30's, white with straight dark brown hair. As of yesterday afternoon, the police were unable to detain her and released her back onto Haight Street.