THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 3, 1995 TAG: 9503030376
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
Carmella Keller hadn't served a home-cooked dinner in two weeks.
Her two adult sons hadn't reported for work in almost as long.
And together they lost countless hours of sleep, all to pursue their pilfered pooch.
The 55-pound Labrador/shepherd/chow puppy that captured their hearts 10 months ago was stolen Feb. 13 from the Kellers' Lenox-area yard.
It set off a frenzied search that would have left even the best huntin' dog howling with envy.
Sixteen days, almost $2,000 and hundreds of phone calls later, the Norfolk family was reunited with their beloved ``Chica'' Tuesday evening.
``We've gone through hell for two weeks,'' an elated Carmella Keller said Thursday. ``We're so thankful. It's a miracle.''
Those who followed the daily classified-ad campaign in the newspaper were joyous as well.
Keller said hundreds of sympathizers called in response to her ads, which pleaded for mercy from the alleged dognappers.
The family also mailed color pictures of Chica to every veterinarian and humane society in Hampton Roads. After all, they'd had the dog's photo taken with Santa twice during the holidays.
The mystery began on a Monday when Keller let Chica out to browse around the family's chain-link-fenced yard.
About 15 minutes later a neighbor knocked on her door to ask if her dog was outside.
``Yes, she's outside,'' Keller said.
But upon closer inspection, Keller realized the dog was gone.
``My God, then those two women took your dog!'' Keller quoted the neighbor as saying.
Keller's neighbor said he had seen two women put the dog in a small, red banged-up car.
Keller and the neighbor drove around the neighborhood, but Keller went home heartbroken.
She called the police.
She called the newspaper and placed a classified ad that ran for 15 days with a picture of the dog and the caption, ``Is there a new dog barking in your neighborhood?''
She and her two sons scoured neighborhoods and leads that came in. They even awoke at 4 a.m. to search the nearby Norfolk Naval Base for a ``red, banged-up car.'' And they drove to Nags Head, N.C., to check on a tip that the dog was there. She wasn't.
But a call came Tuesday evening from a Churchland woman who said she thought she had their dog.
The Kellers - Carmella, her husband, Jim, and their two sons, Jimmy, 36, and Joe, 32 - drove to Portsmouth and sure enough, found Chica, alive and well, minus a pound or two.
The woman who turned the dog over said she had found her around the Tidewater Drive area.
The Kellers paid the $500 reward and went on their way.
They were so appreciative of everyone's interest that they placed a final ad in Thursday's paper saying the dog had been found.
The Kellers' youngest son, Joe, also offered the family's thanks to neighbors.
He painted a sign that hangs on a tree in their yard. It says: ``Thank you, God, for answering our prayers.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MOTOYA NAKAMURA/Staff
Chica is a happy dog, indeed. Stolen from the Keller home two weeks
ago, Chica was found Tuesday - to the delight of the Kellers, and
scores of well-wishers who read a series of ads asking for Chica's
return.
by CNB