Woman begs car thief to return her dog

A Boston woman is desperately trying to find her yellow lab, Chief, after a thief stole her SUV with the beloved dog inside it.

Rosa Nese told CBS Boston she left the dog inside her running SUV while she went into a convenience store on Sunday. She says she went into the store at 8:45 a.m. to buy a lottery ticket, and within just a few minutes, the car thief struck.

“At 8:51 I came out and saw my car was missing,” she said. “I went hysterical because my dog, Chief, was in it.”

Surveillance cameras showed a man get into the SUV and drive off with Chief in the back seat.

Chief has been Nese’s companion for quite some time, and was especially helpful through difficult times last year.

“He’s basically a lovable yellow lab. Friendly, he loves everybody and everything,” Nese said. “He rescued me, actually. A year ago my mother passed away, and two days later, I had a fire and I lost my home.” Nese said Chief was the constant in her life that comforted her during this time. She’s also worried because Chief needs his medication.

Nese’s friends and family have embarked on a search and set up what amounts to a war room inside her East Boston apartment. The search for the vehicle, a white Hyundai Santa Fe with an Italian flag on the back, is ongoing. 

It is unclear if the dog is still inside the vehicle, although it did return to the same store just after 11 p.m. Sunday. The driver didn’t stop after spotting someone else in the parking lot.

Nese is less worried about her missing car and is focused on her beloved pet. “I really don’t care about the car,” she said. “I just want Chief back. It’s been a long day now.”

Chief is microchipped and was wearing a collar with tags. Boston police are looking through nearby surveillance video in an attempt to locate the dog and the car.