A Sydney dog owner has spoken of her devastation after her two beloved pugs were brazenly stolen from her own garden, an ordeal captured in chilling detail by her home security system.
The Midnight Snatch Caught on Camera
Amanda Winton returned to her Alexandria home in Sydney's inner-south on Sunday morning to discover her cherished pets, Monty and Olive, were missing. Her fears were confirmed when she reviewed the CCTV footage from the early hours of the morning.
The footage showed an unknown man walking past her property just before 3.30am. He was seen peering over the wooden fence at the dogs before leaving and returning shortly afterwards with a leash. The man is then seen attaching the leash to one of the dogs before snatching both 11-year-old Monty and six-year-old Olive from over the fence.
In a particularly distressing detail, the thief placed one of the pugs inside a bag and held the other in his arms as he fled the scene.
A Community Effort and a Happy Return
Desperate for their safe return, Ms Winton took immediate action. She offered a substantial $5,000 reward for information leading to the return of her pets. She also put up missing posters across the local area and appealed to the public for help on social media.
In a heartening turn of events, Ms Winton confirmed on Monday that her efforts had paid off. Her dogs had been returned overnight. She reported that both Olive and Monty 'seem well and very much ok'.
Shaken but Seeking Justice
Despite the joyful reunion, Ms Winton admitted she was still deeply shaken by the entire incident. She expressed particular concern for her older dog, Monty, stating, 'The boy, he's 11 and unsteady on his feet... he would have been so scared.' She described her younger dog, Olive, as being more confident and trusting.
The emotional impact has also affected her third dog, Baxter, who she said is now 'highly strung' and barking at everything. With her pets now safely home, Ms Winton's focus has shifted to justice. She has contacted the police, who have visited her property to search for forensic evidence such as fingerprints and DNA.
However, she revealed that police are not optimistic about finding usable fingerprints. 'The fact that somebody could do that and I don't know, it's awful,' she said, summing up the violation felt by many victims of such crimes.
