SF community helps reunite owner with stolen dog found near Golden Gate Bridge
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The San Francisco community came up big this week for a man whose dog was stolen near Lake Merced.
After his friends got the word out about his dog on social media, people spotted the dog near the Golden Gate Bridge and CHP moved in.
Her name is Bonnie, she's a 12-year-old German Shepherd who on Sunday, was stolen from outside of the Lakeshore Plaza strip mall in San Francisco while her owner Chaz was inside a store.
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"When she first went missing he was heartbroken and it was very devastating to see somebody in that shape and that like torn up because I would be too," said Bree Taylor who is a friend of Chaz and a dog lover herself. Taylor went to work to try and find Bonnie with the help of her boyfriend.
"That same night I put a post on Reddit, Nextdoor, Facebook, and it generated a lot of buzz," said Taylor.
Less than 24 hours later, a tip came in. Bonnie had been spotted on a Lands End trail with an unknown man, then Tuesday another tip.
"That morning they texted me a photo and were like, 'Is this Bonnie?' and it was 100 percent Bonnie!" said Taylor.
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Everything came front and center when the man eventually caught with the dog was spotted at the Golden Gate Bridge.
"They saw that poster and I guess they were crossing the Golden Gate Bridge and they saw Bonnie and that person going northbound along the bridge," said Taylor.
Within a short time, Bree and others had found the man who had Bonnie. He was on a trail near the Golden Gate Bridge in Sausalito.
The California Highway Patrol said he wouldn't give up the dog before they arrived but officers were called in and animal services identified the dog as Bonnie, a huge relief to Chaz.
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"When we got the phone call I could see on his face when I told him that we might have a sighting of him it just renewed this new hope on his face, like we have to go now too, and that was coming from three days of seeing him very swollen and down," said Taylor.
Officers say the suspect is unhoused and was arrested on misdemeanor theft charges. At last check, he was no longer in jail but Bonnie is now back home.
"Story with a happy ending and I'm happy that so many people get to share in that happiness as well. It's definitely deserved for all the people that helped," said Taylor.
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