Poached pooch returned to rightful owner

KELOWNA – An allegedly pilfered pug has been found and re-united with its owner after a routine traffic stop by an officer with the RCMP Kelowna Integrated Traffic Unit.

Anastasia went missing in the Pandosy area in mid-October and Const. Brad Smith spotted a little dog matching the description of the lost dog in the back seat of a Chevy pickup he had stopped on Guisichan Road.

While Smith was speaking with the people in the truck the conversation turned to the dog. They claimed it was “found” wandering in the Pandosy area, according to a media release from the RCMP.

“Suspicious the dog might be lost or stolen the constable dug a little deeper,” Const. Kris Clark says.

Over the next few weeks, Smith’s dogged investigation turned up photos of the missing 13-year-old pup that had a striking resemblance to the canine he’d seen in the pickup.

He tracked down the driver and confirmed it was indeed Anastasia.

“By looking beyond the traffic stop, Const. Smith was able to return a beloved pet to an overjoyed owner,” Clark says.

No word if charges will be laid in connection with the poached pug investigation.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander at halexander@infonews.ca or call 250-491-0331. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.