By Tracy Manzer For presstelegram.com
BELLFLOWER — A Redding couple visiting for the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship dog show in Long Beach pleaded for help Tuesday in finding four show dogs stolen from their Bellflower motel.
The couple awoke around 6 a.m. Tuesday to find their cargo van was stolen from the parking lot of the Motel 6 where they were staying.
“I don’t think they were after the dogs. I think they just saw a cargo van and thought there’s high-priced stuff in there,” said David Peek, whose girlfriend is a professional dog handler.
Inside, however, was something almost beyond value, the couple’s two purebred Akitas — Trace and Deedee — and a client’s two purebred Corgis — Bunny and Peter.
“We had them in the van because they have heavy coats. It’s more comfortable for them to sleep outside where it’s cooler. It’s better for their coats too,” Peek explained.
Peek and Kristina Rickard arrived at the motel at around 11 p.m. Monday.
They left the four dogs with the heavy coats in the van, and took three dogs with shorter coats — a Boxer, a Brittany and a Parson Russell Terrier — inside the motel room.
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