When Susan Leong's chihuahua-corgi mix Casey was abducted while tied up outside a Safeway in San Francisco, she was not going to give up her search. She called police, contacted rescue organizations, put up flyers, hired a private investigator, and offered a thousand-dollar reward. Door to door interviews were conducted by ex-FBI agent private-eye Rick Smith.

Police lieutenant Tom Buckley noted, "She was frantic. Dognapping is serious. Especially if you're the dog's owner."

A call for witnesses got a response from someone who'd been at the Safeway, thought there was something suspicious about the guy who took the dog, and had gotten a partial liscense plate. "The witness knew there was something up because Casey kept looking out the back window of the thief's Marcedes-Benz, as if looking for her real owner."

Susan Leong's persistence paid off, though when Casey was found, turned out the thief had had the dog's fur cut short and the remainder dyed pink in an effort to disguise him (in the photo below, Casey is still a bit pink). An actual stake-out by Rick Smith's detective agency cinched the capture of dognapper Jeffery Snyder.

This story with a happy ending took place in 2003. Susan Leong (1952-2007) has since passed beyond the veil, after a seven year struggle with cancer.

Susan Leong Memorial