Bellingham police have arrested a woman who allegedly stole a pet sitter dog in August and then allegedly ran away with it.
Caitlin Emmaline McLean, 20, was taking care of someone’s dog while they were out. When the owner returned, McLean claimed he had lost the dog, said Megan Peters of the Bellingham Police Department. She then dyed the dog green to cover it up, Peters said.
Multiple parties reported to the dog’s former owner that they had seen MacLean with the dog after it “got lost.”
Police interviewed MacLean about the possible theft in early October, and MacLean reiterated to officers that he had lost the dog in August.
McLean is accused of selling the dog to a third party for $500, who then took it to Whatcom Humane Society to register it. Since the dog was already registered, the buyer found out the dog was stolen.
The buyer and McLean then took the dog to the Bellingham Police Department and reported the incident. Peters said it’s unclear how she got the dog back after selling it. Police said MacLean admitted stealing the dog and said he did it because he suspected the dog’s original owner had abandoned it.
Mr. McLean was arrested on October 14 and later charged with first-degree trafficking in stolen property, a Class B felony. Felony taking or hiding a pet and making a false statement to a public official.
She was arrested and released from the Whatcom County Jail the same day.
Peters said police returned the dog to its original owner after McLean was arrested on October 14, more than two months after the dog was taken from the owner.
