A woman from Connecticut was reunited with her dog on Saturday after her car was stolen with the emotional support animal still inside.
Ashlyn Kelly left her dog, Aspyn, in the car while making a quick stop at a Walmart in Putnam, FOX 61 reported. When she returned about ten minutes later, her black 2017 Kia Sportage and Aspyn were gone.
The Dogo Argentino, is Kelly’s emotional support animal.
“I needed something to help me a little bit when I was in college for my own personal reasons and I always love dogs and I always love big dogs. I grew up with bullmastiffs,” Kelly told the station.
Aspyn is a rescue dog from New Hampshire.
“She's completely deaf,” Kelly said. “She had mastitis all on her stomach, she had wicked bad separation anxiety…she didn't even know how to lay on a dog bed. At first I was overwhelmed, but once we kind of got used to the routine, you know, it just became a part of life and she became my best friend.”
Kelly said she was devastated when she realized her dog was missing.
“The worst part is not knowing where she is, or who has her, or how they're treating her, if she's eaten, if she's you know, if she's outside, if she's in the cold,” she said.
A good Samaritan in Moosup spotted Aspyn wandering through the woods. The man gave the dog food and shelter for the night.
“It was a homeless man, and he happened to stumble across Aspyn,” Kelly said. “I don't know if it's because she ran down there or was dumped down there, but yeah he was a great Samaritan, he took great care of her.”
The family said they are grateful for support from the community and CT Dog Gone Recovery, who assisted in the search.
Police are still searching for the 2017 Black Kia Sportage with a license plate of BB35504. Anyone with information should contact Connecticut State Police.
