Vango’s journey took an unexpected twist when he accompanied a couple, who typically visited a pet store in Gatineau, Quebec, for cat food. Little did anyone anticipate that this curious pup would stumble upon a potential dognapping scheme.
Yves Jodoin, a devoted staff member and dog trainer at Au Royaume des Animaux, can vividly recall the moment. “The dog was barking, poking, and showing a strong desire for my attention,” Jodoin remarked.
His concerns deepened when the couple appeared ignorant about basic information regarding Vango—details like his age, sterilization status, dietary preferences, and the amount they had spent on him. “They evaded answering the questions,” Jodoin added, “but the dog continued to bark.”
Simultaneously, a coworker decided to scour social media for reports of missing dogs and stumbled upon a photo of Vango. Astonishingly, the dog had been reported missing from his home in Buckingham, Quebec, just two and a half hours earlier.
Suddenly, everything fell into place for Jodoin—he had trained Vango as a puppy. “At that moment, I shouted, ‘Vango, come!’ And the dog reacted, jumping eagerly,” Jodoin reminisced. “All along, he had been barking and poking, trying to convey, ‘Hey, I’m not the dog they claim I am.'”
The couple asserted they had discovered Vango in the woods, with the woman expressing her intent to keep him as a support animal due to her health issues. However, surrounded by witnesses, Jodoin urged them to return the dog and promptly contacted Vango’s rightful owner, Josée Francoeur.
When Josée received Jodoin’s call, she couldn’t hold back tears of relief. She had last seen Vango when he vanished from her enclosed yard that very morning. In her frantic desperation, she combed her area and even enlisted a police officer’s assistance to file a missing dog report.
Thanks to the couple’s visit to the pet store, Vango was joyously reunited with his grateful owner. Josée subsequently filed a police report to ensure the couple comprehends the gravity of their actions. “I want to discourage others from engaging in such behavior,” she emphasized.
Gatineau police are investigating the case, focusing on whether the couple deliberately stole the dog or genuinely stumbled upon him. Meanwhile, the SPCA de L’Outaouais, where the couple attempted to register Vango under a different name, is using this incident as a reminder to pet owners about the importance of microchipping.
Josée Francoeur has taken steps to microchip Vango, hoping to prevent such a heart-wrenching ordeal in the future. Let this story serve as a poignant reminder to cherish and safeguard our furry companions.