Distressing moment dog stolen from dad on walk by group of youths
There has been a happy end to a nightmare situation that unfolded for a 72-year-old dad walking his dog in Melbourne.
Five-year-old Morticia, known as 'Morti', who was stolen from her owner Boguslaw Gawrysiak by a group of youths in a distressing situation in Mount Waverley on Friday was returned home on Saturday evening.
Mr Gawrysiak was walking Morti along Huntingdale Road at about 2.30am when a black Holden Commodore with five young people, who looked to be in their late teens and early 20s, approached.
Mr Gawrysiak's daughter Ewa Gawrysiak told news.com.au those in the car started yelling demands for Morti like 'we want the dog' and 'give us the dog'.
'[Dad] blew it off as drunks coming home after a night out,' Ewa said, explaining her family were shift workers and it wasn't unusual for her dad to walk the dog after finishing work in the early hours of the morning.
But then, she said, they came to a stop and at least one person appeared to exit the car.
Mr Gawrysiak ran into a nearby convenience store on Waverley Road in Chadstone.
Ewa said her dad was 'hiding' with Morti in the store when the two young women and three young men all confronted him.
She said her dad tried to pull Morti back as one of the women patted her saying how 'cute' she was, but then the dog was unhooked from her lead as Mr Gawrysiak was pushed away by others in the group.
In an update on Saturday night, police confirmed the dog had been reunited with her owners.
Ewa told news.com.au they had collected Morti from RSPCA in Burwood after a passer-by found her abandoned on Huntingdale Road on Saturday afternoon.
It is a huge relief for the Gawrysiak family.
Ewa said her sister, who adopted Morti from the RSPCA in 2022, was 'heartbroken' to hear the news on Friday while overseas and was trying to get home to Australia.
Morti is a white English staffordshire terrier cross.
Ewa described her as 'oversized lapdog' and 'a giant snuggle buddy' who loves people and is 'so sympathetic to their emotions'.
Victoria Police is investigating and said the Commodore had no plates and was last seen driving south on Huntingdale Road.
Any witnesses or anyone with CCTV, dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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