A West Valley resident was reunited with his missing dog after it was apparently sold by an unauthorized vendor.
Here's what to know
As AZFamily reported, Anthony Roman said Oliver, his 3-year-old goldendoodle, got out at the end of August through a gap near the fence.
Roman said he first learned Oliver was gone after multiple community alerts started appearing online. Before leaving for work, he had left the doggy door open because he wanted Oliver "to be able to go out and use the restroom."
"So I checked in and immediately his picture blew up and my neighbor's like, 'Someone's dog got out,'" Roman told the publication. "I was like, 'Oh my gosh.'"
A neighbor kept Oliver in her yard for a time, but the dog later escaped again.
"He dug the same exact hole," Roman noted.
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During the search, Roman turned to Facebook, Nextdoor, the Ring app, and TikTok, and also hung flyers around town.
The turning point came when a woman texted Roman a photo so he could confirm the dog was Oliver. She said she had paid $700 for him outside Desert Sky Mall, and Roman got his dog back within an hour.
More background
Roman said the setup outside Desert Sky Mall was something he already knew about.
"They would pick a grassy area and the people, the vendors, they would set up chairs and have all the cages outside so people can come look at the dogs or the puppies or turtles, whatever the case may be, and play with them and kind of hang out with them," he told AZFamily.
The grassy area has since been fenced off, and no vendors were there on September 9.
What can be done?
Roman said he would submit a police report to try to find the sellers responsible. He also intended to give the couple who returned Oliver a $500 reward.
"He was safe," Roman said. "The young couple took great care of him."
Where can I learn more?
Oliver's story is one of many cases where a missing dog makes it back home because someone recognizes a photo or shelter record and acts fast.
• In Cincinnati, a pit bull mix beat a shelter deadline after his owner recognized him online.
• In Utah, a senior shelter dog was reunited with his owner after more than a decade.
• In Wisconsin, former lab beagles made a stunning turnaround as every rescued dog found a home.
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