Dog stolen from Humane Society for Greater Savannah

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) -A man walked into the Humane Society for Greater Savannah and stole a dog that had just undergone surgery, according to staff.

The incident happened May 5 during the shelter’s open hours from 1 to 6 p.m. Surveillance footage shows the man looking at kennels before entering a staff area, taking a leash and walking out with Brisket, a dog available for adoption.

“The next thing you know, he goes into the back, a staff area of our adoption center. Retrieves a leash and he just kind of takes Brisket and just walks her out and leaves with her,” said Nina Schulze, director of animal outcomes with the Humane Society.

How the theft happened

The public can view the dog adoption and cat halls during open hours. Staff members were helping with adoptions and taking other animals out when the theft occurred.

“There’s a lot of moving parts, a lot of people in different places,” Schulze said.

The man entered a staff area that cannot be locked due to fire code. He took a leash from behind Brisket’s kennel when staff were not in the area.

Staff were busy with adoptions, volunteers walking dogs and other programs at the time. Schulze said it was difficult to know if the person was part of any programs when staff were handling other adopters.

Microchip not a GPS tracker

Brisket is microchipped and legally registered to the humane society. When animals are adopted, the microchip transfers to the adopter’s name.

The microchip is not a GPS device. If Brisket is taken to a vet, another humane society or animal control, they will scan the microchip.

“They’re going to scan for a microchip and is going to alert 24 Pet Watch, which is also going to alert us that she’s been found,” Schulze said.

Investigation underway

The humane society is working with the Savannah Police Department. Staff have received leads from social media and news outlets and are forwarding them to police.

“Anything that we may get is automatically being sent to the investigator,” Schulze said.

Brisket recently had been spayed and was under medical care and medication when she was taken. All animals are spayed or neutered before adoption.

“At the end of the day, we just want to make sure she’s okay and we can get her back so we can continue her medical treatment,” Schulze said.

Security measures under review

The humane society will discuss additional security measures to prevent future incidents. Options include more security cameras and increased staff accessibility.

Schulze said staffing limitations make it difficult for staff to be in multiple places at once during busy adoption hours.

“We are mighty but small and between one and six, we are helping animals get adopted. We are taking animals out. We are dealing with the public in so many different areas of our adoption center,” Schulze said.