Last month we told you the story of Rica, a 13-year-old, white, bull terrier who was stolen from her owner’s home in North Austin, Texas. Stephanie Hardie, Rica’s owner, never gave hope and searched for Rica day and night, well, 17 days after the pet was taken, Rica was returned to a worried but happy owner.
On September 13, 2013, thieves entered Hardie’s home and took the pet. Nothing else was stolen but the dog.
Hardie turned to her community and the media asking for help. All she wanted was to have her dog returned safely. Rica suffers from epilepsy and for Hardie it was unbearable to think her pet was sick and in need of her medication.
After an arrest was made and after organizing two search parties on different days, Hardie got the phone call she had been waiting with reliable information on the whereabouts of her pet.
The following message was posted on Rica’s Facebook page detailing the emotional reunion.
I got a call today at about 4:15pm. I was feeling pretty frustrated and upset because I’d gotten some not-so-great news from the detective working the burglary case and I thought it would be just another dead end. The guy on the other end said he had Rica, his mother recognized her from the paper (Ahora Si), and he wanted to get her back to me as soon as possible. This was his story:
He’s an electrician and he was working on a job site in Lakeway when a guy showed up in a dark truck with Rica. They were talking about the dog and agreed on a sale price of 200$. The guy in the truck claimed he had papers for her and would be right back with them. He waited for quite a long time and, of course, the man in the truck never returned.
She was in bad shape when he got her, refusing to eat and staring at the ground. When his mom told him Rica was stolen, he called me…
We met him and his friend near a police station, just to be safe. He opened the car door and Rica lay in the floorboard, barely moving. Her skin was a mess and she had multiple bite wounds. She was feverish and seemed disoriented. I gave the man the 200$ he paid for her (I insisted) and we shared a few hugs. He was very sweet and really seemed to like Rica.
Erica rode with me and Pete followed as we rushed her to the Emergency Vet. Literally riding on fumes, we arrived and she was examined, partially shaved, doctored, and prescribed some antibiotics and steroids. She began acting more like herself but was very anxious to get home.
We arrived at home and Rica was very happy to get some people food treats and to be reunited with her bed. She also had some chicken strips, french fries, and a hot bath!!
At this moment, she is on the couch next to me, snoring and chasing cats in her sleep.
NONE of this would have happened without YOUR support. YOU made this happen and I can never thank you enough.
Welcome home Rica!
