Woman steals dog after posing as sitter on Craigslist, Boynton Beach police say

Police searching for woman who sent picture of Fluffy to vacationing owner

Police say Fluffy was stolen by Shamari Patrick (right), who agreed to watch the dog while the owner was out of the country.

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. ā€“ Police in South Florida are looking for a woman who replied to a Craigslist advertisement in search of a dog sitter and stole the 4-year-old shih-teese while the owner was away.

Boynton Beach police said the owner posted the ad on Craigslist in early July because she and her family were traveling out of the country and needed someone to watch Fluffy.

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A woman claiming to be Keyana Morales replied to the ad and met the owner on several occasions at a Boynton Beach park before deciding to leave Fluffy with her. The owner said she kept in contact with Morales during her trip and that Morales even sent photographs of Fluffy to her.

When the family returned from vacation Aug. 4, the owner called and sent an email to Morales with no response.

The owner eventually went to the home where Morales claimed to live only to find out that it was vacant.

Fluffy has a microchip, but the information wasn't updated after the owner moved from Georgia.

Detectives later learned that Morales was actually Shamari Patrick, a 23-year-old woman believed to be living out of a burgundy Grand Marquis with large rims.

Anyone with information about Patrick or Fluffy is asked to call police at 561-742-6135 or Palm Beach County Crime Stoppers at 800-458-TIPS.

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