A local Law Enforcement officer was deservingly praised for his herculean efforts which secured the swift rescue of a beloved four-legged family member, just hours after security footage of the brazen theft was circulated.
Mahdi Hercules went beyond the call of duty to recover the rare-breed, white pitbull and reunite the seven-month-old pup with his human parents mere hours after the incident, which occurred shortly after lunchtime last Wednesday (13 July).
One of the owners, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recalled being at home when she noticed the dog, lovingly called Storm, was missing from the premises on the security monitor in the kitchen around 13:20. Thinking he must have managed to escape somehow, the owner immediately jumped into the car to search the streets. With no success, the owner later returned home and reviewed the security footage, which revealed the dog was stolen.
“I was very upset,” recalled the owner, who cannot fathom why anyone would resort to stealing a dog, which is considered part of the family, instead of asking for help. The footage, which was widely shared on social media, shows the suspected thief pounce, lifting the dog – which was one of three including a boerbull and smaller breed – over the front Vibracrete wall of the property located in Lower Gordon’s Bay Road, Strand, and walk off with the animal held aloft over the shoulder.
The footage coupled with information shared on various platforms raised the ire with Hercules, who was prompted to action as fellow dog owner despite being off-duty at the time.
“I immediately reached out to my informants in the area and they divulged the dog was seen in the vicinity of Eighth Street with the suspect who tried to sell the dog off,” he recalled.
“With my superior’s okay, I went on in pursuit of the suspect.”
Further follow-up yielded another tip-off, which led the 31-year-old Strand resident to a property in Onverwacht Road, where the dog was found.
The dog was apparently already sold for a ridiculous amount of about R200 and was on a lead attached to a pole near an outside toilet behind a container awaiting collection.
Hercules recalled no-one being able to account for the dog or answer questions regarding ownership on enquiry. Confirmation that the dog was the one stolen was that it reacted almost immediately to Hercules, who called out to it by name.
“I am just happy I could aid in the rescue and reunite the dog with its owners,” said Hercules, who dedicates himself to the fight against crime and bringing perpetrators to book.
The owner expressed elation at the safe return of their furry friend and their gratitude to rare finds such as Hercules, who still goes the extra mile and, in doing so, restores others’ faith in mankind. “He championed the task without hesitation, and we are truly thankful.”
