Stolen Puppy Found, Then Gone Again

The stolen puppy is found.

A Chihuahua puppy was taken from Pet Safari, 1577 S Highland Ave, July 11, according to a post shared on Clearwater Patch.

A neighbor who saw the flyer, which offered a $500 reward, turned in Chris Laliberte who they recognized as the man wearing the black shirt and black and red ball cap.

Laliberte, 30, of Clearwater, was arrested and charged with grand theft July 14 by Clearwater Police, according to arrest records.

The dog was a little dehydrated when he was returned and was checked out by veterinarian, said David Schuler, manager at the pet shop. The tipster did receive a portion of the $500 reward, Schuler said.

What is the stolen puppy's name? None of the animals have them so there are no attachment issues when they are bought, Schuler said.

Which did not take long for the little black Chihuahua.

“Someone came in on vacation and fell in love with him,” Schuler said. “He is living in Tennessee now.”