A Washington couple had their puppy stolen Tuesday afternoon in broad daylight in northwest D.C.
The 4-month-old puppy, Magnolia Steel, belongs to Michael and Mary Kathryn Steel. Steel is the former spokesman to ex-Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). He also worked on Jeb Bush‘s presidential campaign. Mary Kathryn is a longtime public affairs consultant in Washington. The couple has had Maggie for two months.
The incident happened at around 2 p.m. at 9th and K Streets NW. Police were called to the scene. The window of Steel’s car was smashed to take the puppy.
Asked if police deemed this a common crime, Steel told The Mirror, “You know they didn’t talk much about that. The Humane Society said there’s a real black market for these puppies, so it does happen. Which is awful.”
Much like a child that goes missing, the Steels were told that timing is critical. The Humane Society said “that our best chance is within the first 24 hours.”
Steel has been spreading the word on social media, informing people that Maggie is sick with giardia and needs her meds. “Again, please spread the word,” he wrote this morning. “She’s a sweet dog, and she’s sick. She needs to come home.”
Like most dog owners, this wasn’t the first time Steel had briefly left the pooch in the car. “Oh sure…she loves riding in the car,” he said. “It’s kind of her happy place. She sits in the carrier and looks around and takes in the world.”
Steel said he’d been running errands. He went to the hardware store and got his hair cut. His wife was a at work. Some 40 minutes later he returned and the dog was gone.
He noted that Maggie thankfully has a chip — “so as soon as someone takes her to a vet they’ll find her.”
The couple is offering a generous award of $10,000. “We want people to be looking for her and want people to help us bring her home,” Steel said in a phone interview.
They spent the night searching dumpsters and trash cans. Today they’re working on more fliers.
“She’s a big part of our life,” he said. “There’s a very big hole there right now and we love her very much.”