Stolen Puppies Offered for Sale on Craigslist, Cops Say

Stealing puppies and then trying to offer them up for sale via Craigslist might not be the best idea.

A Tampa woman found that out the hard way recently. Temple Terrace Police say they arrested her after she allegedly tried to pull off the caper. Her pitfall occurred with the dogs’ real owner happened to spot the ad and then wasted no time in alerting authorites.

Police received the call from the distraught owner just before 2:30 p.m. Sept. 17, the department told Patch. After responding to the man’s home in the 12600 block of North 51st Street, officers worked with him to get the woman to bring the dogs back.

“When the suspect arrived on scene, she was placed under arrest for the theft of the dogs,” department spokesman Michael Dunn said.

Officers also searched the woman’s vehicle and found a felony amount of drugs in her possession, Dunn added.

Alexsia Nicole Owen, 24, of Tampa now faces petty theft, possession of cannabis, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis with intent to sell, possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia charges.

Owen was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail and was later released in lieu of $10,250 bond, jail records indicate.

While the puppies in this case wound up back where they belong, Temple Terrace Police warn that scams – online and off – are always a concern.

“Deal locally, face-to-face,” officers recommend. “Follow this one rule and avoid 99% of scam attempts.”

Booking photo courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office