Where’s Payton? West Seattle schnoodle stolen on Capitol Hill

| Crime | Pets | West Seattle people

That’s Payton the schnoodle — whose person Dan Nicholson hopes everybody to be on the lookout citywide, after Payton was stolen from Dan’s car on Capitol Hill last night. Here’s his report on what happened:

Our 10 month old puppy, Payton (named after the Glove. In honor of my lost and beloved Sonics), was stolen from our car (last night) while we were dining at Piecora’s. He is a Schnoodle (Schnauzer/Poodle mix) and weighs 13.5 lbs. We were parked in their back lot and planned to go to the Beveridge Place in W. Seattle afterward as they allow dogs. I had to talk my wife into letting him come as I felt bad locking him back up after working all day. The camera photage literally shows them pull up, throw a boulder through our window, grabbed him and go. Fortunately they left our other dog. He’s our little buddy and basically we’re desperate to get him back. We’ll pay a reward to have him safely returned.

We’ve also pointed Dan toward our fellow neighborhood-news sites closer to the scene of the crime, including Capitol Hill Seattle. Call police if you’ve seen Payton.

Cheryl March 29, 2009 (12:44 pm)

Are you kidding me? They threw a boulder through the window to steal a dog? Who ARE these people? I swear, the world has gone mad.

Best of luck Dan in getting your buddy back!

muttleys March 29, 2009 (12:57 pm)

Oh how heart breaking. If there is anything we can do to help please let me know. Do you have flyers we can put up?
You and payton are in our thoughts!

cjp March 29, 2009 (1:07 pm)

I’m sorry for your loss, and I know it would suck but there are two issues here. Theft is wrong, but also: Dogs don’t belong locked up in cars while people go about their day.

Nor do they belong tied to parking meters outside QFC, or any of the restraunts on Broadway. It’s illegal and irresponsible.

Leave the dogs at home, in a yard, where they belong, and where its natural for them to be.

cjp March 29, 2009 (1:08 pm)

And yes, good luck getting him back.

jeannie March 29, 2009 (1:15 pm)

I’ll keep an eye out for Payton. What awful people who stole your dog. Not to open a can of worms, but I hate the “blaming the victim” attitude I see all too often.

Note March 29, 2009 (2:16 pm)

Keep an eye out on Craigslist. People are stealing dogs and either selling them to make $$$ on the site or are selling them to all the biotech research facilities that are located here. Also contact all the Humane and Animal Control facilities in the state, send a picture and any info you can…you never know where your little guy may turn up. My heart really goes out to you.

J March 29, 2009 (2:34 pm)

Again so glad we moved from here over a year and a half ago. We lived right near that corner and had our house broken into.

JanS March 29, 2009 (4:07 pm)

J….is the area that you’re in n ow crime free, by any chance?

t March 29, 2009 (4:08 pm)

I seriously doubt people are breaking car windows and selling stolen schnoodles to biomedical research companies.

lina March 29, 2009 (4:15 pm)

i will keep my eyes open for little payton- he looks so sweet! i am so sorry that someone stole him- that is awful. as for the pups left in the car – as long as the weather is cool and the car is equipped for a pup (meaning enough room for them to rest comfortably) i think it is totally fine and have done that numerous times with my dogs. They feel safe in the car and have enough room to relax in their ‘mobile den’ for short periods of time. i hope he turns up soon!

lina March 29, 2009 (4:16 pm)

an idea- is there a capitol hill neighborhood blog that you would be able to post this info and payton’s pic on as well?

WSB March 29, 2009 (4:48 pm)

Thanks, that’s what I mention in the last line of the story above. Justin at CHS has the info now. I don’t see it on his site yet but that’s his decision whether and when to post about it. We also have 2,000 “followers” on Twitter and almost 1,300 on Facebook and I have shared the link both of those places; some of the Twitter people in particular are in other areas of the city and have already “retweeted” it, so you can call it virtual flyer posting :) – TR

jason March 29, 2009 (6:15 pm)

so what’s the difference between leaving the dog locked up at home and locked up in a car? the 10-15 minutes you spend with him during the drive?

i don’t envy anyone who’s the victim of a crime but the lesson learned here is to never leave anything of value that you’d feel terrible to loose alone while you go get pizza (or drinks, groceries, etc).

also, what camera footage and can you provide screen caps of the people who threw the boulder through your car’s window? knowing what the people who stole your dog look like will do more to solve the crime versus a pic of your dog that looks pretty generic.

lina March 29, 2009 (6:21 pm)

it’s up on the cap hill site now “the puppy equivalent to an amber alert” with a really cute pic of payton. good luck dan-wishes for your doggie home safe and sound!

Chuck and Sally\\\\\\\'s Van Man March 29, 2009 (6:53 pm)

Man this angers me. A slow, painful death is too good for the scumbags that would inflict such anguish. Best of luck finding your cute pup.

Chuck

Dan March 29, 2009 (7:24 pm)

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for their support and help. It means a lot to my wife and me. Payton is literally like a child to us. We strongly urge everyone to not leave their dogs unattended because it’s clearly not worth the risk (in spite of how badly your pet may want to go and even if you’re only going to be inside for a few minutes). We never could have imagined something like this would even happen.

Jackie March 29, 2009 (7:30 pm)

You know, I agree with Jason. Yeah, it sucks that your dog was stolen, but really, what were you thinking leaving him locked in your car? Leaving a dog locked in a car is always a bad idea, but doing it in a high crime area like Capitol Hill is just begging for trouble. Since you were coming back to West Seattle anyway you should have just left him at home and picked him up before hitting Beverage Place. You should never leave anything in your car that you’re not willing to have stolen, ESPECIALLY your pet. This is a living, breathing animal that’s completely dependent on you for care, love and safety. Leaving him locked in your car was not a responsible choice. Again, I’m sorry about your dog (and I’m glad you still have the other one!) and I hope from now on you think carefully about the decisions you make.

KEM March 29, 2009 (7:55 pm)

I don’t really get how a posting about a crime becomes a forum for opinion. Do you really think the owners of this dog aren’t feeling totally horrible for having the dog in the car? Is it truly that necessary to state your opinion on the matter? What good does that do, really? I know feeling superior has its charms, but c’mon.

Steve March 29, 2009 (7:58 pm)

Thanks Jackie and Jason! You’re insight into dog care is really valuable to this nice family right now. This is a couple who are going to great lengths to find their dog, using every resource that they can come up with. Do you really think your righteous attitude will help at this point? Obviously they feel terrible and wouldn’t make the same decision.
“I hope from now you on think carefully about the decisions you make”
Thanks Mom, that’s really helpful.
S

Dan March 29, 2009 (8:11 pm)

I know there’s lots of people who feel that we were ignorant, careless, etc. Frankly, we won’t argue with you at this point. There are so many things we would do differently at this point. This is a hard way to learn a less. That said, we’re not looking for pity or for even your understanding on why we did what we did. We just want our dog back and whether you think we’re bad dog parents our not I’m 100% sure he wants to come home. I think it’s probably an understatement to say we won’t leave him in the car unattended again.

j March 29, 2009 (8:44 pm)

This makes my blood boil. Dan, I hope you find some leads and bring Payton home asap. Can’t believe that people are willing to go such great lengths to steal a dog. People who could do this to an animal and their family should get a one way ticket straight to you know where!

zeebleoop March 29, 2009 (10:35 pm)

dan,

you mention camera footage in your note. can you provide us a snapshot of the people breaking your window and stealing your dog? even a cell phone image of a video monitor showing the type of car they were driving would provide some help. i think your focus should be on getting the word out about the description of who did this; since you say you saw it all take place on a video.

honestly, your dog looks like any other dog to me and i’d have no way of knowing if it was yours if i saw it on the street. but a description of the people or the vehicle might do more in tracking down your stolen pet.

homedk March 29, 2009 (10:40 pm)

To Dan, I’m so very sorry to hear about the theft of your dog. We’ll keep our eyes open for him.

To add to the discussion, I realize there are differing opinions on whether leaving a dog briefly in a parked car or tied up outside a business is responsible or not. Until recently it hasn’t seemed like the risk of having a pet stolen from these places was very high, so labeling the owners as irresponsible seems pretty harsh to me. Most dogs love to go for car rides & the car is like a second home to them.

As criminals sink to new lows, there may be all sorts of crimes that people don’t anticipate. Labeling & blaming the victims of the crime & making it seem like crimes only happen to careless people, gives everyone a false sense of security that crime is preventable.

Unfortunately, crime is not preventable. Pet theft is not preventable. I’ve heard of pets being taken from yards and homes… and indoor pets being let loose during burglaries. Leaving a pet home does not ensure its safety.

I see a lot of parallels between this pet issue & other crime-related issues such as car prowls, home burglaries & personal safety. Are we irresponsible if we park our cars outdoors & they are stolen or vandalized? Are we irresponsible if our home doesn’t have barred windows & a security alarm? Are we irresponsible if we are out walking in our neighborhoods unarmed & someone decides to harm us?

Not to sound naïve, but I think the answer to those questions is a resounding “No!”. As a community, we need to fight back when criminals start to overtake our neighborhoods. We should focus our frustration & anger toward the criminals, not toward the victims.

as March 29, 2009 (10:41 pm)

I’m so, so sorry for your loss and will definitely be keeping an eye out for Payton…that being said, I personally take my dog with me on most of my errands, as she seems to prefer it to being home alone. I prefer to stay out of these “discussions”, but here I have to say you are most Certainly Not At Fault. Why would you expect someone to steal a dog like a purse? In the course of a dinner? I’m someone who is very, very security conscious; I also leave my dog in the car all the time. I do not believe blaming the victim is helpful. I sincerely hope you will find your pet.

WTF March 29, 2009 (10:42 pm)

Oh, HELL NO! Along with this being completely f’ed up, these people, no wait, let me correct that, they are not people they are AHs that (not who) need to be tarred and feathered in the town square.

PLEASE post pictures and information at our local dog parks. Mercer Island, too. Westcrest, etc. Not sure what photage you’re referring to? Can you see them? Description? What about their car. Tell us…not sure if these AHs know just how relentless “dog people” in West Seattle are.

I will spread the word. And, to the AHs who took Payton: F you

Ouchy March 29, 2009 (11:05 pm)

If anyone’s watching KOMO, they’re covering the story! They have the video and everything. Poor puppy! :(

alki_2008 March 29, 2009 (11:20 pm)

Wonder why they only took Payton, and not the other dog in the car. What breed/age is the other dog that was left behind?
.
If the other dog was older or of a less ‘unique’ breed, then the thieves are likely going to sell Payton (but prob not to research). We should all keep our eyes out for ‘dog for sale’ items, not just locally but also in other counties. The thieves would prob find it safer to sell a dog in an area that isn’t so close to where the theft occurred…since a further away place would be less likely to have publicity.

WSB March 29, 2009 (11:32 pm)

Ouchy, glad to hear it. I suggested to Dan, who wrote here first since they’re from WS, that he approach TV news too, to cast the widest net possible. Did they get the surveillance video? I’ll check their site but I’ve still been looking for a different story they allegedly covered on-air earlier this weekend that hasn’t turned up online yet – TR

Kayleigh March 30, 2009 (7:44 am)

Can we have a moratorium for piling on people who are already hurting and upset and quite well aware of what they would do differently if they had the chance to do it over?
.
Sorry about what happened to Payton, Dan. And about the Sonics. (I miss the Sonics, too.)

wundrgrrrl March 30, 2009 (8:35 am)

Sounds like they found Peyton according to this post on Craigslist.

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/pet/1098575679.html

Hope he’s home safe and sound now!

Wilson March 30, 2009 (9:01 am)

Just saw on Craig’s List Peyton was found in Federal Way…someone saw the KOMO news report and spotted Peyton crossing a highway (not sure if I got that part right)
Any-who..Soooo happy for Dan and his wife that they got their dog back safe and sound…I love happy endings!
From one Doodle owner to another – I’m very happy for you!!