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Stolen Dog Returned To Owner After Social Media Outcry

A stolen dog was returned to his owner Thursday morning after a woman reportedly took the dog and refused to return him, prompting a social media backlash from the community.

Monday morning, a black schnauzer named Toby reportedly got out of his Valencia home off of Vista Ridge Drive, and his owner wasn’t made aware until 20 minutes later.

“I’ve just been sick to my stomach,” said Toby’s owner, Heather Lucchese.

Lucchese later received a call from a blocked number, with a woman who identified herself only as Stephanie saying she had found Toby, but would not return him due to Luccheses’s “negligence,” according to a post on the neighborhood watch app “Neighbors.”

Lucchese filed a report with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station and posted about it on social media, prompting an outcry from many members of the community. 

“This makes me angry that someone would do this to this family,” one commenter wrote.

On Thursday morning, Stephanie called Lucchese with good news: she had dropped Toby off at a shelter, and Lucchese could go get him.

“I’m so happy that she made the decision to stop her ugly craziness and let us have him,” Lucchese said.

Lucchese attributes Stephanie’s change of heart to the fact that her story got so much attention on social media.

“I think she saw all the comments saying what a terrible thing she did, and she realized what she did was wrong,” Lucchese said.

While Lucchese may never know exactly who Stephanie is, she wants residents to be aware that people like her are out there, and that they should be careful with their pets.

“No one should think that they can keep someone else’s dog,” Lucchese said.


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Stolen Dog Returned To Owner After Social Media Outcry

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About Michael Brown

Michael Brown has lived in Santa Clarita his whole life. Graduating from Saugus High School in 2016, he continued to stay local by attending The Master’s University, where he achieved a Bachelor's Degree in Communication. Michael joined KHTS in January of 2018 as a news intern, and has since gone on to become the News Director for the KHTS Newsroom. Since joining KHTS, Michael has covered many breaking news stories (both on scene and on air), interviewed dozens of prominent state and federal political figures, and interacted with hundreds of residents from Santa Clarita. When he is not working, Michael enjoys spending time with his family, as well as reading any comic book he can get his hands on.