A man has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of stealing a family’s dog – a mini Goldendoodle – from the Campland on the Bay in Pacific Beach. The dog has since been returned to the vacationing family from Utah by San Diego Police.
“The value of the dog was over $950,” said Tanya Sierra, public affairs of the District Attorney’s office on Thursday, Sept. 29.
The charge is a felony because any theft that is over $950 in value is automatically a felony. Mini Goldendoodles are valued between $1,600 to $2,500 and are a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Standard Poodle, according to petkeen.com.
The grand theft dog charge was filed against Johnny Dwight Smith, 40, of National City, after police reviewed video surveillance camera footage that showed a man walking in the campground by himself in the early morning hours and later leaving with the dog on a leash at 2:30 a.m. on Aug. 2.
Smith appeared before San Diego Superior Court Judge Laura Halgren and she set a preliminary hearing for Nov. 3. Smith remains free on a $20,000 bond.
The family was sleeping in a tent and their dog Chancho was in a crate outside the tent when he was taken. They discovered he was not there at 4 a.m. and reported it to security at Campground on the Bay, which is by Mission Bay.
The family began posting photos of Chancho on flyers, and the campground gave the surveillance video to the police. Hannah McGuire said she put Chancho in a crate outside the tent only because she was afraid the dog would get overheated when it was so hot.
Police arrested Smith and recovered the dog. The family was reunited with Chancho at the Northern Division police station on Aug. 10.
KFMB-TV Channel 8 broadcast a video of the reunion, which showed Chancho greeting the family with lots of kisses, wiggles, and jumping up and down on them.
“So many people told us it would be so hard to get him back, but the police have been with us through this, and News Channel 8 has been with us and we’ve been so grateful for everyone’s help,” said McGuire.
McGuire said it was a 12-hour drive back to Utah with her husband and 8-year-old son and “Chancho slept the whole way – he seemed so exhausted.
“It was a long drive, but it was really nice – just a big relief,” said McGuire. “He’s doing really well. He’s really happy. Everyone is at peace.”
Police Captain Scott Wahl said the suspect “was there earlier in the day, saw the dog, then brought his own leash, and later came back in the middle of the night to retrieve the dog.”
A reporter called Smith’s attorney Thursday but he could not be reached for comment.
The police department recommended that pet owners make sure their pets are microchipped with their current contact information and also consider purchasing a GPS pet tracker that can attach to a pet’s collar and ID tag. They also recommend taking photos of your pet in case they go missing.
As a result of all this, Chancho now has an Instagram account and several hundred followers.
