An alleged Craigslist “hit” over a disputed dog has left Robbery detectives scratching their heads and working to collar a shaggy suspect who, police believe, attacked a man and tried to steal his puppy in the Central District earlier this month.
On June 2nd, the victim was walking his small puppy outside his apartment near 23rd Avenue and E. James Street when he noticed the suspicious, shaggy man following him. The suspect walked up to the victim and began petting the victim’s puppy, before he 
unclipped the dog’s collar, picked up the pooch and took off running.
The victim chased after the man, tackled him and wrestled the dog away from the suspect, who fled.
The victim, who sustained cuts to his hands and arms in the attack, called police and reported the incident. Officers searched the neighborhood, but weren’t able to find the suspect.
A few hours later, the victim called police once again and said he had found ads on Craigslist offering $100 to anyone who stole his dog. The victim told police he believed the $100 “hit” was posted by a woman, who he had recently had a falling out with over the dog.
According to the victim, the dispute with the woman began about a month earlier after the woman returned from a trip to Mexico with a brand new dog. The victim said the woman offered him the dog, but began hounding him to return it after the victim had already paid to vaccinate, license and feed the pooch.
Officers later contacted the woman about the ads, and while she admitted to posting them, she said he had not intended for anyone to attack the victim. She simply wanted the dog back, she said.
The strange case was sent to robbery detectives, who have dug up a few leads in the case, including a few pictures of the suspected dognapper.
The suspect is a white male, 25 to 35 years old, about 6’0, last seen wearing tight pants, dark shaggy hair, large dark glasses, and a possibly ironic Dick’s Drive-In commemorative Seahawks t-shirt and Seattle Supersonics cap.
If you can help detectives put this suspect in the dog house, please call (206) 684-5535 with information.
