Kindness And A Microchip Reunite Twice Stolen Dog And Owner

SHERMAN OAKS, CA — A stolen black Labradoodle is back with her Sherman Oaks owner today thanks to a Good Samaritan. And police now have a lead on a pair of burglary suspects thanks to the dog's microchip.

Stella, a 4-year-old Labradoodle, was stolen from her home during a burglary Friday in Sherman Oaks. Barbara Goodhill arrived home to find she had been burglarized. Thieves took her jewelry, left behind her sheepdog Daisy and took Stella, according to ABC7.

"My darling Daisy is so missing her little black sheep. She likes to herd Stella," Goodhill said earlier this week.

Goodhill said she immediately reported Stella missing to Home Again, the pet microchip company, and she was in luck.

"They sent an alert out and within an hour I got a message that Stella had been found. They said she was at an animal hospital in Lawndale," Goodhill said.

But then it seemed like her luck ran out.

Two men had taken Stella to VCA Advanced Care Center of Lawndale, telling staff they'd found her, she said. But as the attendant got the microchip information, the men slipped out, saying they were taking the dog outside to go to the bathroom, and never returned. Stella was stolen again.

The hospital had surveillance video of the two men, and Goodhill hopes police can use it to track down the burglary suspects. But once again, Stella was gone.

However on Tuesday, a man who noticed Stella following him and brought her into an Animal Services shelter in Downey Tuesday morning. The shelter scanned Stella's microchip and contacted Goodhill.

Stella had been stolen from Goodhill's home during a burglary Friday night. It was an emotional rollercoaster for her, but Goodhill did discover a bright side to her ordeal. She met several kind people on the NextDoor app who worked to help her search for Stella.

The silver lining in the theft of Goodhill's dog is the people she has met through the Samaritanwho have been a source of support.

"Strangers have become friends overnight, using their skills to help me crack this."

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.