Shannon McFarlane, an Edinburgh local, had her two dogs leashed outside a business while running errands late at night. She was only gone for a few minutes, but when she returned, she was in for a rude awakening. Zuma, her brown Bullmastiff dog, had been stolen, while the other pup was still wrapped up.
Shannon and her family were heartbroken by the puppy theft, especially considering it was normal in their community to leave dogs outside shops. They quickly alerted the authorities and asked the public to keep an eye out for Zuma. However, the pooch was not to be found during the night.
Zuma had been in the family since she was a 5-week-old pup, and they couldn’t imagine living without her. They gained hope the next morning when they were able to retrieve the shop surveillance footage from the dognapping event. A woman (later identified as Stephy N Hazlett) exploited Zuma’s naive trusting nature and swept her away into the crowd, according to the tape.
When the community found out about this, they launched a large social media campaign to find Stephy. After a 19-hour search, they were able to find the woman’s home, where Zuma was hiding. Zuma was saved with the help of the cops, while Stephy, who is claimed to be mentally ill, was dealt with by the authorities in accordance with the law.
Zuma felt relieved to be reunited with her worried family. She cuddled up to her favorite blanket and fell asleep peacefully, secure! The McFarlanes are grateful to the community for their unwavering attempts to reunite them with their child. They have lauded the strength of social media, which was critical in establishing the necessary communication flow!
