Dog theft case ripples through New Mexico town

MORIARTY, N.M. (AP) — The cases were often heartbreaking: Families coming home to find their dogs had vanished from inside houses, behind locked fences and outdoor kennels in rural communities east of Albuquerque.

But with the recent arrest of a woman accused of stealing two pit bulls — then throwing them from her moving car as the dogs’ owner gave chase — officials think they have confirmed longstanding suspicions that the animals were victims of an overzealous animal rescuer turned serial dognapper.