FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — What began as a desperate plea for help will soon end with a reunion for a South Florida dog owner who feared she would never see her puppy again.
Carolyn Kalagher was speaking with Local 10’s Jolena Esperto, asking for help finding her 6-month-old poodle, Sophie, when she was overcome with emotion after learning Tuesday that the dog had been found.
“You have my dog. Oh my God, he has my dog!” Kalagher said through tears.
Moments earlier, she had been recounting how her white Bentley was stolen Monday afternoon in broad daylight with Sophie still inside.
Authorities said the theft happened around 2:45 p.m. in the 2700 block of Northeast 19th Street in Fort Lauderdale.
Surveillance video obtained exclusively by Local 10 shows a dark-colored sedan pulling up behind the Bentley. They said a person wearing a dark top and white pants then jumped out, got into the luxury vehicle and drove away.
Police said the driver had briefly gone inside a home, leaving the dog and the key fob in the car.
Investigators said the culprit was last seen heading south on Bayview Drive in the stolen white Bentley Continental with Florida license plate RSSD40.
Kalagher told Local 10 that the person who stole the car later threw the dog onto the road.
A neighbor saw the dog and rushed to help, pulling her out of harm’s way before she could be struck by a vehicle. The neighbor then took Sophie to a veterinarian.
The man later recognized the dog after seeing coverage on Local 10 and went to Kalagher’s home Tuesday morning to let her know Sophie was safe.
“God is with us — that’s what’s going through our heads,” Kalagher said. “He has a plan, and he is with us. Another little miracle.”
Kalagher said the moment felt surreal after a night of uncertainty.
“It’s almost like it wasn’t real, and now we’re going to have her back,” she said. “I was looking at her toys on the floor — she had a new bed. She hadn’t even been in it yet.”
Authorities have not announced any arrests. Anyone with information is urged to contact Fort Lauderdale police or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.
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