"All that's important is that I got my dog back, and that's what was most important to me," Rachel Avery said.
French bulldogs can sell for as much as $5,000, which has made them a favorite target of thieves. One woman's runaway dog was taken in California and ended up on the other side of the country.
Rachel Avery was out when her dog Jag slipped out of his leash and took off. Witnesses saw the dog getting grabbed by three strangers in an SUV.
Avery, who lives in West Hollywood, was frantic and immediately offered a $5,000 reward.
Then, she got the call she was praying for. Cops told her they had tracked down the guy who had her dog. He claimed it wasn't dognapping, but he was just trying to rescue the little guy.
He agreed to return Jag, except he was already back home, 3,000 miles away in Philadelphia. Avery agreed to make the cross-country trip. They met at the airport in Philadelphia and she was finally reunited with her dog.
Avery was skeptical about the man's claim that Jag wasn't dognapped.
“They could have taken him to an animal shelter, they could have taken him to a vet,” she said.
She also said she was “unable to make a statement on the reward situation."
"All that's important is that I got my dog back, and that's what was most important to me.”
Avery says she does not plan on filing charges.
One expert on French Bulldog thefts recommends all owners have their dogs microchipped, so if they are taken, there's a better chance of getting them back.
