Show Dogs Van Stolen From In-N-Out Burger Parking Lot

A show dogs van was stolen from an In-N-Out Burger parking lot Wednesday with 14 dogs inside the van, which was left running to keep the dogs cool. 

The dogs were on their way to the annual Woofstock Dog Show in Vallejo, California, with dog handler and van owner Tony Carter when Carter left them in the van with the air conditioner running to get something to eat. In the space of four minutes, the van disappeared, KTUV reported.

“Stupid me, because obviously, I thought, ‘It’s busy, it’s the middle of the day,’” Carter told the Record Searchlight.

The dogs were in kennels in the back of the van and could not be seen from the outside because the windows were tinted, the Record reported. 

After almost a day of searching, the van was recovered from a gully in south Redding with all the dogs locked inside. The dogs were fine, but did have to go to the bathroom, KTVU reported. The dog owners had offered up to a $30,000 reward for the return of the dogs in their desperation. 

Lynda Leffel, whose miniature Australian shepherd Blaze was in the van when it was taken, was relieved that the van was found, KTVU reported. She didn’t get mad at her friend Carter but was heartbroken about her missing dog. 

“Nobody is perfect,” she told KTVU. “We all make mistakes.” 

It wasn’t clear whether the dogs would still go to Woofstock after their ordeal, KTVU reported. The event is sponsored by the Contra Costa Kennel Club and the Yosemite Kennel Club, and will run through Sunday.

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