Heartless thieves steal ute with sleeping dog inside: ‘Keep the ute, just give us Arnie back’
A heartbroken family has pleaded for the return of their stolen ute and beloved pet dog, who was sleeping in the back when the vehicle was taken.
Nathan McKeown had his seven-year-old German Shepherd, Arnie, with him when he dropped in to visit friends in Wynnum, Brisbane, last Friday night.
His friend’s Kelpie didn’t get along with Arnie, so he put his dog in the back canopy of his Toyota HiLux and gave him some water.
When Mr McKeown went to leave, both his ute and Arnie were gone.
‘I went and met one of my mates, he picked me up, we drove around looking up streets, checking car parks seeing if it had been abandoned,’ the father-of-one told Seven News.
‘I would have heard him if he barked, he probably thought it was me getting in the ute.’
Mr McKeown’s wife, Louise, and their five-year-old daughter are just as devastated.
‘He (Arnie) knew I was pregnant before I did,’ she said.
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Brisbane couple Louise and Nathan McKeown have pleaded for the return of their beloved German Shepherd Arnie
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Arnie and his owner’s Toyota HiLux ute were stolen from outside a Wynnum home on Friday night
‘We’ve been through a lot with him, we just want him back.
‘He’s very special.’
‘We just hope he’s being looked after, he’s a big dog, but he’s a big friendly giant.’
The couple have spent the last four days driving around frantically trying to track down Arnie, calling vets and the local pounds.
They have even hired a pet detective.
Mr McKeown issued this desperate plea for the person who took Arnie.
‘Please just return our dog, you can keep the ute, we don’t need the ute, we just want our pet back,’ Mr McKeown said.
‘We just want to know he’s safe.’
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Arnie’s family are heartbroken over his disappearance
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Mr McKeown’s black Toyota HiLux also remains missing
The ute was last seen in Davidson Street, Wynnum.
The black Toyota HiLux has for sale signs handwritten in white marker across the rear and side windows with the registration number 653SLY.
Anyone with information or who spots Arnie or the ute is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.
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