Service dog returned after being taken and disguised, owner says

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS5/Gray News) – A man in Arizona was reunited with his service dog two weeks after she was taken and noticed the white bull terrier looked different.

“The spots, I was kind of floored when we got her back and I saw that,” Anthony Graziani, the dog’s owner, told AZ Family.

Graziani said it looked like the person who took his white dog used black dye in an effort to disguise her. One of her ears was entirely black, and her belly had spots on it.

“I’m very shocked and offended that anybody would even go through those lengths to mask or hide something that belongs to somebody else,” Graziani said.

He said his 3-year-old service dog, Daisy, was taken from his girlfriend on Sept. 8. He said she fell asleep in public with the dog leashed to her ankle, but Daisy and her belongings were gone when she woke up.

Graziani posted about the incident on social media and called the microchip company, which sent out missing fliers of Daisy.

A QuikTrip convenience store worker posted online about a dog that was found that Graziani claimed was Daisy.

When Graziani reached out to the QuikTrip worker to get his dog back, he learned that she had given the dog to a coworker.

The woman stopped responding, so Graziani filed a police report.

The Phoenix Police Department, QuikTrip Corporate and animal advocates helped get Daisy back home.

Finally, Daisy and Graziani were in each other’s arms after two long weeks.

“She jumped on me, and I knew it was Daisy,” he said.

Since being home, Daisy hasn’t left his side.

“She’s not only my service dog -- she’s my best friend,” Graziani said.

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