Campbell County pet owners on edge after recent dog thefts

RUSTBURG, Va. – It's been a long three days for Heather Lowry and her family. 

On Tuesday, Lowry, said 4-year-old Lector, a pit bull, was in his locked cage, outside on the porch with their two other dogs in a separate cage. 

When she got home Lector was missing. They found his cage flipped on its side with their puppy locked in it. 

"And there's no way that they could have done it themselves. The type of cage we have for him, you have to pull up, pull over and then push down to latch it," Lowry said.

A day and a half and 100 Facebook shares later, Lowry got a call that Lector was found. 

She says he had been dropped off not too far from her home in a person's driveway.

"The person who found Lector didn't see who had dropped him off, but went straight to his house and stayed on his porch all night. They fed him, gave him water," Lowry said.

This is the second stolen dog case in Campbell County in the last two weeks. Pamela Robertson's 12-week old German shepherd, Livingston, is still missing.

"I'm willing to double my pay (a reward) just to get my puppy back. So bring her home," Robertson said.
 
Law enforcement and Campbell County Animal Control are now urging pet and home owners to get surveillance cameras and have their dogs microchipped.

"They can't be tracked with a microchip but it's... great for identification," said Joseph David, an animal control officer.
 
Lowry is glad to have Lector back and hurts for the Robertsons, who have yet to learn where Livingston could be. She says to the thief or thieves, these dogs are more than animals-- they're family.

"I hope you get caught. I hope you get punished. If you have a heart at all, you'll return these animals and stop it," Lowry said.

Investigators encourage people to report suspicious activity.

Anyone with information about these cases is asked to contact Investigator Stuart Herndon at 434-332-9574.