Elmhurst Woman Gets Zoey Back, Thanks To Chicago Woman

ELMHURST, IL — Thanks to a Chicago woman, an Elmhurst resident now has her dog, Zoey, back, Elmhurst police said Tuesday. The dog was inside a car that was stolen last week.

Early Tuesday afternoon, Elmhurst police detectives were contacted by Chicago resident Carolyn Foster, who reported she found the shih tzu mix wandering near 13th Street and Kostner Avenue in Chicago.

The woman took care of the dog and did some research, discovering the dog looked like the one that was reported missing in Elmhurst, police said.

Elmhurst detectives went to the woman's Chicago home and were able to verify with a chip reader that the dog was, in fact, Zoey, according to police.

Zoey appeared to be in good shape, and the detectives returned the dog to the owner's home.

"The family was elated that their beloved Zoey was safely reunited with the family," the police department said in a Facebook message. "We would like to thank Carolyn Foster for taking care of Zoey and helping to bring her home. A big thank you to the 11th District-Harrison (Chicago Police) District for their help and cooperation."

Last Tuesday morning, the car was stolen from the parking lot at Elmhurst Crossing's At Home store on Route 83. The keys and Zoey were left inside the car, police said.

A couple of days later, Elmhurst police announced that Chicago police in the 11th-Harrison District found the car, but the dog wasn't in it.

The driver of the stolen car said he traded five bags of crack cocaine for the car on Chicago's west side, according to police.

The dog's owner, Yvette Colbec of Elmhurst, told WGN last week that Zoey was her emotional support dog and her companion.

"I don't think I could ever find another dog like my dog," Colbec told WGN.

She told the station she left her car running while she went into the store. The car was a 2004 Pontiac Vibe.