Did Citizen ‘Discover’ Dog Thief–Suspicious Businessman?

Thursday, West Richland police say a concerned citizen led to the return of a missing dog to it's owner, and possibly uncovered a 'shady' individual.

The woman noticed a vehicle near her home with a dog inside, obviously suffering from heat. The man with the car and dog told her as she approached that "his" dog was a "high blood line" of champion animals and worth a lot of money.  She offered to let the dog rest inside her home while he was trying to sell his "boat for money" nearby. The woman told police later she didn't feel right about him, so she took the dog inside.

He then tried to sell HER the boat, and left to go get "proper papers."  However, he never returned, and she called police. Turns out the dog was chipped, and had been reported missing  a week ago. The dog has been reunited with it's owner, and police are working off her description and searching for this suspicious businessman. They're also investigating whether he had any role in the dog's disappearance.

The moral of the story from West Richland police?  If something just feels out of place, make a note of it and call police, and make sure all your animals are chipped with your correct name and contact information.