Tacoma Police have successfully recovered a dog missing from a Seattle family after an unfortunate series of events involving a man with a significant criminal record. The micro bully dog known as "Buddy" had slipped away from his home earlier this summer, setting off a search that would lead to unexpected and criminal twists. The Seattle Police Department is now appealing to the public for assistance in reuniting the almost three-year-old dog with his distraught owners.
After Buddy's escape, a neighbor reported seeing him and informed the family that another resident, "Jose," had promised to return the animal home. However, "Jose," later identified as Jose Antonio Haughton, denied possession of the dog despite evidence that Buddy had been at his residence, a transitional housing facility. Video footage from the facility later revealed a figure covering what seemed to be the dog in a blanket and transporting it to a vehicle. According to the Seattle Police Department Blotter, Haughton, who has been convicted 17 times previously, was apprehended on July 28 for an unrelated incident and subsequently charged with theft on August 21 by the King County Prosecutor's Office.
Desperate to locate Buddy, the family has collaborated with law enforcement in their search. In an appeal for public help, Michelle Barker, the lead investigator on the case, expressed the family's distress: "The owner is heartbroken. We don't know where he left the dog, if he sold it, gave it to someone, we just want to bring this owner's dog home," as obtained by the SPD Blotter. The plea underscores the desperate situation Buddy's family finds themselves in and amplifies the call for information sustaining any hope of reunification.
Authorities are urging anyone who might have knowledge of where Buddy is to come forward. The Seattle Police have asked that individuals with any relevant information about the dog's whereabouts either turn him in to their nearest police station or contact 911 immediately.
