Stolen Dog Found Dead In Castro Valley

CASTRO VALLEY, CA — A three-year-old German Shepherd reported stolen from a yard in Castro Valley was found dead on Friday. According to a Facebook page dedicated to finding the missing dog, "It's with a heavy heart that we have found Murfee. He is deceased. The people that took him put it in the car on JJ's property and we do not have much details other than this. He was found this morning ... Please say a prayer to JJ and Pat that they find a little peace."

Murfee was stolen from his yard near Palomares Road between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday, authorities said.

Murfee helped to mentor hundreds of rescued German Shepherd Dogs to help them learn proper social skills before they moved on to their homes. Murfee taught rescued German Shepherds and Belgian Shepherds, many of whom are very under-socialized, how to get along nicely with other dogs and what proper dog-to-dog etiquette is, authorities said.

Murfee's owner, JJ Jacobson, has worked with German Shepherd Rescue since 2002 and has taken in as many as 3,500 German Shepherds to be fostered and successfully placed in new homes.

Murfee was taken into police protective custody after he was being thrown against a wall during a domestic violence disturbance, authorities said.

Because Murfee was so young, animal control officials reached out to Jacobson to care for him while the case went through the court process. A few months later, the suspect gave up all rights to the puppy, and Jacobson adopted Murfee.

A $10,000 reward had been offered for his safe return. GoFundMe

Also See:

• Stolen Dog 'Murfee' Socialized Other Shepherds Before Adoption
• Stolen Dog: 'Koda' Was In A Car Stolen In San Leandro
• Rattlesnake Victim Airlifted Off Mission Peak

Image via GoFundMe