Deputies: Couple's puppy stolen at gunpoint
CLACKAMAS, Ore. – An Oregon City couple's puppy was stolen at gunpoint Friday afternoon, deputies said.
Jim and Pat Steele met the suspect at around 2:45 p.m. in Clackamas after they arranged to sell the English Bulldog puppy through Jim Steele’s business website for Aldercrest Kennels, according to Clackamas County Sgt. Adam Phillips.
The advertised price for the puppy was $2,000.
The suspect looked at the puppy, then pulled out a handgun and demanded that the Steeles give him their wallets, watches and cell phones, Phillips said. The Steeles refused and the suspect reached into their car, grabbed the puppy and ran to a waiting car driven by another suspect.
The Steeles drove after the suspects in their car, but lost sight of them. The couple called 9-1-1 after they pulled over on I-205.
The first suspect is described as a black man in his 20s who is 5’8’’ tall and weighs about 150 pounds. He was wearing a green sweatshirt with black patches on it and a hat. He had a silver semi-automatic handgun.
The second suspect, who drove the getaway car, was described as a black man.
Phillips said the car was a dirty black 1995 Acura with the Washington license plate 246YRU. The car had an unknown state trip permit in the rear window.
The Steeles were not hurt during the robbery.
Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 503-723-4949.
The guy pulled a gun and demanded wallets, etc, and they.... refused? REALLY?
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Holy moley, can you say "balls of steel?"
I would NOT give up my wallet or watch reguardless if they had a gun.
Never trust a Black man in a dirty car to make you a fare deal is the moral of this true crime drama. They just want to feed him to the their fighting dogs - fact & not fiction for those that do not believe this really happens...
These people were a$$holes to sell a puppy on Craigslist. Don't sell animals on Craigslist. Period! I hope they find this puppy safe and he gets a loving home.Â
 @Rae0224 "...arranged to sell the English Bulldog puppy through Jim Steeleâs business website for Aldercrest Kennels..."
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This sale had nothing to do with Craigslist
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No mention of Craigslist in the article. Where did you get that information?
This is weird. And $2k for a DOG? Give me a break. The Oregon Humane Society has dozens of sweet dogs for the price of inoculations and a little more. If you want a nice dog, go to the OHS. If you want a toy, go to Toys R Us.
 @Old29 While I agree with you in principle, I also believe that a humane society dog is not always the only choice. For someone who has a desire for a particular breed, there are some breeds you just won't find there, or if you do, good luck being the first one to find them.
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I specifically needed a livestock guardian dog- sorry, but not taking my chances with a humane society dog when it comes to something like that. That said, I've certainly adopted my share of homeless dogs.
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Regardless, eb's are pretty much good for nothing other than looking cute and having health problems. Want to spend 10k on vet bills? Get an eb!
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@Agent Sydney Bristow I know. Acura drivers are just terrible people!
Why can't they trace the license plate number to the owner? Unless the car was stolen, I would think the owner of the car should know who was driving their car. I don't have any sympathy for these people. It was pretty stupid to meet someone in a mall parking lot. If they had to meet them somewhere, pick a place with cameras and a lot of witnesses, at least.
 @QuandoQuandoQuando "The car had an unknown state trip permit in the rear window." This means the license plate was registered to either the previous owner after a sale from a dealership or was registered to the dealership.
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More thank likely the first statement.
 @kaigth  @QuandoQuandoQuando Why do you have a new name, so you can continue your game playing?
WOW. $2000 for a man-made breed with a short life span and a boatload of health issues. Get a mutt. They are smarter and healthier than pure-breds.
@ormom Citation Please? "Mutt" to me means whatever was in heat in the neighborhood finds whatever donor is willing and able... You might as well say they are richer and taller as those are just as objective as the words you chose.
 @ormom And save $2,000 plus!
@ormom Not always. My best dog is the golden retriever...both were long-lived and smart beyond words.Â
Why on EARTH meet these people elsewhere if you own a kennel?!??? I've gotten a few dogs in my years, from kennels, and we always went there!!! First of all...you want to see the parents, puppy siblings...how the place looks, if it's clean and well run. Why would you take this precious little being elsewhere? I can only imagine how horrible this pup's life will be now. Bless this little puppy....it's going to need a miracle to bring it home...and pereferably NOT to the Steele's ! It's all about the money!
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 @Bewitchin1 That was my first thought.  Any reputable breeder is not going to sell to someone they just meet in a parking lot.  The first piece of advice I ever got about buying a dog is "Go see the kennel.  Meet the parents." Â
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These people's website, http://www.aldercrest.com/index.php?page=index, is pretty shabby.  I hope it isn't representative of their kennel. Â
 @Beti  @Bewitchin1 Looked at their website and their "history" is rally weak.
There is very little information given and only a few pictures. They showed a few dogs at one time, but it was more than 20 (looks like 30+) years ago. Â Anyone that $ells a baby like that in a parking lot is quite obviously about the $$. Â Purchasing from a truly reputable breeder would require a pre-screening process, which consists of a prior vet referral (history), possible home visit and so forth. Â
Very few breeders go to that extent to ensure sincere good homes for their "retail".
Most rescues go to far more trouble screening than these people.
Clearly, these folks just wanted their $2000.
Yes, they were robbed but this baby will likely be considered a loss of "property valued at $2K" to insurance, and they will be compensated.
It's not about the baby, its about their financial loss.
:(((
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@Beti I don't know Beti...something doesn't seem right. How come all the females are pregnant? How come there's only photos of the Shelties playing? And I don't know about you, but the photos seem dated...look at the clothing in the judging photos. Somethings not right :(
 @Bewitchin1 Did you actually read the text accompanying the photos? There is a clear explanation in the text for why the photos are dated - it's showing several decades of history raising a small, select line of show dogs - there's nothing at all about the website that suggests puppy mill.
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And there's a whole ONE pregnant female dog on the entire website. Granted, there are three photos of her - but it's pretty clearly identified as the same dog. As if that weren't obvious enough from the pictures.
 @Beti  @Bewitchin1 All too often kennels are a euphemism for puppy mill.
@eyeonchina @Bewitchin1 @knottriel That is probably close to the truth. Some of these "breeders" are just that and in it for $. Couldn't care less about the dogs (or cats, or birds) welfare. Probably keep the dogs in a cage with a concrete floor over crowded. I like the Idea above by "Old29". Why enable these puppy mills when you can save a doomed dog or cat? I rescued my half-breed from a psyco b-itch from hell and after a month and a half of convincing him not everyone is abusive in this world he is the most loyal best friend I ever had. All he cost me was the price of a couple shots and a gripf food; I think he eats more than me :-)
 @Bewitchin1  @knottriel Probably.  "kennel" folks would rather not have to "clean up" when visitors come, so they prefer to meet in parking lots half way.
 @Bewitchin1 ...it's possible the thieves convinced them to meet at a spot picked out by the thieves.Â
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"Yeah, I got cash but you'll have to meet me...I'm new in town and only know this spot, please, it's for my daughter..."Â
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That can be irresistible, especially if selling puppies is their only source of income.
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@knottriel @Beti  Yep...on both of your posts. That kind of money changing hands for this little dude...and they meet away from the kennel??? Something there they don't want someone to see?
Jim and Pat Steele got what they had coming to them.
 @swimbad That's a little harsh...someone needs to come up with an app-explosive collar that can be activated when stuff like this happens...put an end to dog thefts in a jiffy.
@str1ngb3nd3r @swimbad So you want to blow up the pup? so the thef took your pup you loose, you blow up your pup you loose. I must be missunderstanding you
@str1ngb3nd3r Good, I thought we were loosen ya there for a minute.
 @Pvpbw No, I don't want to blow up the pup...that response was just an inside joke to Mr. Swimbad's comment in a different article (theft of cellphones). Sorry for the confusion, my bad.
 @swimbad Oh really? the thieves have what is coming to them. JAIL!
 @lee986321 Hopefully, Jim and Pat conducted the transaction in an area with surveillance cameras...any image would help.