Purebred Puppy Prince, Stolen, Then Sold In A Salem Parking Lot, Found Safely: Police

SALEM, MA — A purebred Yorkshire Terrier stolen in Lynn and sold out of a parking lot at the Salem Walmart Tuesday night was found safe and reunited with its owner on Wednesday, according to Lynn police.

Police said a suspect was taken into custody on Wednesday and that the person who bought Prince out of the parking lot between 9 and 10 p.m. on Tuesday is not believed to have known he was stolen.

A post on the Missing Dogs Massachusetts Facebook page said early Wednesday night that the person who bought Prince was notified by a family member who saw a post online that the dog they purchased was stolen.

"That person did the right thing and immediately brought little Prince to the police station," Missing Dogs Massachusetts posted Wednesday night before adding, "Stolen dogs are on the rise and this is a clear example of why it's important to always keep your eyes on your pets because things can happen in seconds, and also be sure you have a microchip that is registered.

"Prince's family did everything right to try to get him back and they are grateful for the outpouring (of interest and support) of the dog-loving community."

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)