Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Crimes against San Diego pets

Kensington, Little Italy, Ocean Beach, City Heights, Tijuana, Prescott, Arizona

Millie was nabbed from its owner at the Jack In the Box
Millie was nabbed from its owner at the Jack In the Box

In recent months, stolen pets and bizarre pet theft incidents have stirred up communities on both sides of the San Diego and Tijuana border. Local internet groups and social media platforms are buzzing with reports of missing animals — ranging from turtles to dogs and even horses — raising concerns over pet theft, bizarre criminal encounters, and scams targeting pet owners desperate to get their beloved companions back.

Over the recent weekend, A. Gonzalez from Facebook captured a concerning encounter on video in Ocean Beach, where she spotted a man suspiciously “walking car per car, checking door handles.” In her post, she shared that she had confronted him: "I knocked him down after he tried grabbing my dog!"

Six large turtles were stolen from the Good Vibrations Sanctuary on September 27.


In another instance, horse trainers across San Diego County shared missing posters for a 15-year-old horse named Cash, who disappeared from Prescott, Arizona, and is said to be in the San Diego or Oceanside area. Cash, a red dun gelding with distinct white markings, has rallied the equestrian community in hopes of a safe return.

South of the border in Tijuana, someone reportedly driving a blue Chevy Tahoe stole a small pug-chihuahua mix named Percy. Percy’s owner shared that he has a curled tail with a black spot and a small dangling finger on his hind leg, a distinct feature that makes him recognizable. Other reports of stolen pets across Tijuana have surfaced on the Perritos Perdidos en Tijuana (Lost Doggies in Tijuana) Facebook page recently, with certain breeds commanding high prices on both sides of the border.

In Tijuana someone reportedly driving a blue Chevy Tahoe stole a small pug-chihuahua mix named Percy.


Sponsored
Sponsored

Meanwhile, back in San Diego, Kensington neighbor Mindi Davis took to the NextDoor app to share that six large turtles were stolen from the Good Vibrations Sanctuary on September 27. Some nearby dwellers speculated that animal activists might have taken the turtles, while another suggested the turtles could have been stolen for culinary purposes.

Around the time the turtles were stolen, Millie, a small black-colored dog, was nabbed from its owner at the Jack In the Box in Little Italy on Pacific Highway. The owner offered a reward of $2500 on the Reddit app.

The rise in stolen pets has opened the door to a new scam. As some thieves and scammers prey on vulnerable pet owners by offering rewards, the scammers may lure owners into meeting in unsafe locations to steal the reward money or threaten to harm the pet unless a ransom is wired.

Jeanette M., who lives just west of where the turtles were stolen, reported a frightening encounter in City Heights last April. She warned neighbors about a bald Hispanic man who was about 6 foot tall and weighed between 180-200 lbs. who chased her, attempting to snatch her French Bulldog. “I was able to get away, and cops were called,” she shared.

Since 2021, French Bulldogs have become a top target for dognappers, especially after Lady Gaga’s two Frenchies were stolen in a violent incident where her dog walker was shot.

According to the Dogster website, around 10 million pets go missing or are stolen across the U.S. each year.

In San Diego, turtle thefts are rare; however, last year, an older man was reportedly caught trying to steal a tortoise from an exhibit hosted by the San Diego Turtle and Tortoise Society in Balboa Park, prompting a call to the police. 

P.S. On October 4, Mindi Davis provided us with a hopeful update on the stolen turtles in Kensington: two of the six missing turtles had been returned to the sanctuary. “Thank you to the person who had a change of heart,” she wrote.

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Was Reddit ghost sighter hired by Hotel del Coronado?

Parking 1/2 mile away and complaints of vandalism
Next Article

Operatic Gender Wars

Are there any operas with all-female choruses?
Millie was nabbed from its owner at the Jack In the Box
Millie was nabbed from its owner at the Jack In the Box

In recent months, stolen pets and bizarre pet theft incidents have stirred up communities on both sides of the San Diego and Tijuana border. Local internet groups and social media platforms are buzzing with reports of missing animals — ranging from turtles to dogs and even horses — raising concerns over pet theft, bizarre criminal encounters, and scams targeting pet owners desperate to get their beloved companions back.

Over the recent weekend, A. Gonzalez from Facebook captured a concerning encounter on video in Ocean Beach, where she spotted a man suspiciously “walking car per car, checking door handles.” In her post, she shared that she had confronted him: "I knocked him down after he tried grabbing my dog!"

Six large turtles were stolen from the Good Vibrations Sanctuary on September 27.


In another instance, horse trainers across San Diego County shared missing posters for a 15-year-old horse named Cash, who disappeared from Prescott, Arizona, and is said to be in the San Diego or Oceanside area. Cash, a red dun gelding with distinct white markings, has rallied the equestrian community in hopes of a safe return.

South of the border in Tijuana, someone reportedly driving a blue Chevy Tahoe stole a small pug-chihuahua mix named Percy. Percy’s owner shared that he has a curled tail with a black spot and a small dangling finger on his hind leg, a distinct feature that makes him recognizable. Other reports of stolen pets across Tijuana have surfaced on the Perritos Perdidos en Tijuana (Lost Doggies in Tijuana) Facebook page recently, with certain breeds commanding high prices on both sides of the border.

In Tijuana someone reportedly driving a blue Chevy Tahoe stole a small pug-chihuahua mix named Percy.


Sponsored
Sponsored

Meanwhile, back in San Diego, Kensington neighbor Mindi Davis took to the NextDoor app to share that six large turtles were stolen from the Good Vibrations Sanctuary on September 27. Some nearby dwellers speculated that animal activists might have taken the turtles, while another suggested the turtles could have been stolen for culinary purposes.

Around the time the turtles were stolen, Millie, a small black-colored dog, was nabbed from its owner at the Jack In the Box in Little Italy on Pacific Highway. The owner offered a reward of $2500 on the Reddit app.

The rise in stolen pets has opened the door to a new scam. As some thieves and scammers prey on vulnerable pet owners by offering rewards, the scammers may lure owners into meeting in unsafe locations to steal the reward money or threaten to harm the pet unless a ransom is wired.

Jeanette M., who lives just west of where the turtles were stolen, reported a frightening encounter in City Heights last April. She warned neighbors about a bald Hispanic man who was about 6 foot tall and weighed between 180-200 lbs. who chased her, attempting to snatch her French Bulldog. “I was able to get away, and cops were called,” she shared.

Since 2021, French Bulldogs have become a top target for dognappers, especially after Lady Gaga’s two Frenchies were stolen in a violent incident where her dog walker was shot.

According to the Dogster website, around 10 million pets go missing or are stolen across the U.S. each year.

In San Diego, turtle thefts are rare; however, last year, an older man was reportedly caught trying to steal a tortoise from an exhibit hosted by the San Diego Turtle and Tortoise Society in Balboa Park, prompting a call to the police. 

P.S. On October 4, Mindi Davis provided us with a hopeful update on the stolen turtles in Kensington: two of the six missing turtles had been returned to the sanctuary. “Thank you to the person who had a change of heart,” she wrote.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

National City to junk permissive land-use code

Airbnb regs would be like Chula Vista's
Next Article

Operatic Gender Wars

Are there any operas with all-female choruses?
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader