Panic set in as Paul Thomas walked in.
“I cried,” he remembered. “I screamed. Just wondered why somebody would have done that.”
Burglars used a screwdriver to pry open his sliding glass door in northeast Dallas on Oct. 29. They stole the flat-screen TV, video games, his wife’s jewelry – more than $7,000 worth of belongings in all.
Thieves also took something else insurance doesn’t cover: the family’s 1-year-old miniature Schnauzer, Gimli.
“He was such a bright spot,” Cynthia Thomas said. “We live far from our family, and he is family to us – a source of joy and happiness in our lives.”
The burglars not only took Gimli but also made off with his crate and the leashes.
One of the Thomases’ neighbors saw two men walking out with the television and the dog crate.
The neighbor, realizing it was unusual, jotted down the license plate and make of the car. It’s a newer dark blue or black Chevrolet four-door sedan, maybe a Cobalt, the Thomases said, with Louisiana license plates.
The American Kennel Club says pet thefts have risen three years in a row. Some speculate the recession has driven it. Thieves either keep the purebreds or give them as gifts.
In some cases, they have held the pets for ransom.
“I could care less about my stuff,” Paul Thomas said. “I just want my dog back.”
He and his wife have posted fliers offering a $500 reward.
Cynthia Thomas checks several Web sites daily that list found pets. They have even placed an ad on Craigslist.
The Thomases have improved security in their one-bedroom apartment and purchased new belongings. But they can’t replace Gimli.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Thomases at Cynthia Thomas or Paul Thomas
