Stolen dog reunited with Crawfordsville family after turning up in Omaha

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — A dog is now home safe after being snatched outside of a Cracker Barrel in Crawfordsville earlier this month.

Amanda Richardson said her dog’s 560-mile journey began on June 7 when she ran from home to a nearby Cracker Barrel, where she was seen getting picked up by a stranger.

But to Richardson and her family, 2-year-old Lucy is more than just a mini goldendoodle.

“That was the longest six days of my life,” Richardson said. “When animals become a part of your family, they’re just like your kids.”

Richardson’s search for Lucy began by calling up Drone Heroes, a company that uses thermal drone technology to help find missing animals. But in this case, the drone search did not yield any results. That’s because, until a Cracker Barrel customer commented on Richardson’s Facebook post that she witnessed the theft, and police checked nearby security camera footage, Richardson had no idea her dog was taken across multiple state lines.

“After reviewing the cameras they had on the interstates, they were able to find a clear image of the license plate and found out that it was Nebraska,” Richardson said.

On Friday, nearly a week after Lucy vanished, Richardson got the phone call she’d been waiting for. Lucy was safe, but all the way in Omaha with a woman who claimed it was all a big misunderstanding.

“She said she saw somebody dump my dog,” Richardson said. “However, that was just somebody else actually trying to take my dog as well. Part of me wants to think that was a sincere concern for her, but at the same time, if somebody finds a dog, please, please, please, contact authorities, even if you think the dog is being dumped because that shouldn’t happen either.”

Despite the days of panicked heartache spent in a house slightly emptier and quieter than usual, and the 8-hour road trip to pick Lucy up, Richardson doesn’t want to see criminal charges filed against the alleged Nebraskan dog thief. If her story serves as a warning to others, she said that — plus having Lucy home unharmed — is more than enough.

“Hopefully she learns a lesson with police contacting her and knowing this isn’t something you should do,” Richardson added.

FOX59/CBS4 reached out to the Crawfordsville Police Department for more information on the investigation but have not heard back.