DENVER -- A Denver family is missing one of it's furry members after a Good Samaritan ended up doing more harm than good.
The family dog, Lily, got loose and was found by a Good Samaritan who posted an ad online hoping to return the dog to its rightful owner. He ended up giving the dog back to it's owners -- or at least the man claiming to be the dog's owner.
"He (the man who responded to the Craigslist ad) said it was his mom's dog that had been missing for three weeks, and was given the dog and took it," Lily's owner, who asked not to be identified, told Denver7.
The Good Samaritan who found the dog posted an ad on Craigslist with an address in the Highlands neighborhood. When the man came to pick the dog up, he wasn't questioned. But he did appear on the home's security cameras.
Denver family says this man responded to a good samaritan's ad for a found dog, claimed the dog that was theirs! @10 pic.twitter.com/97JbBpuTMp
— Jason Gruenauer (@JGonTV) June 14, 2017
That was Sunday night. Lily has been missing ever since.
"We would love to get our dog back but we want people in the community to know there are individuals out there doing these kinds of activities," the dog's owner said.
Posts for lost and found dogs are all over social media. So what should you do if you find someone's pet? While Craigslist and NextDoor are great for if you lost a pet, if you find one -- trust the pros.
"Come into the shelter. It just makes it easier. We have so many more resources," Tracy Koss of the Denver Animal Shelter said.
Dozens of lost pets can be found at the shelter on any given day. They have dedicated people that scan for microchips, trace tags, and reach out to possible owners. Then when those owners come in to claim their pet?
"We ask for proof of identification, we ask for pictures on cell phones that everyone has now, we ask for medical records," Koss said.
"Hopefully by telling this story, the next family that has this situation happen will get their dog back," Lily's owner said.
Some more tips from the Denver Animal Shelter:
- All found pets are listed on their website.
- It is cost-free for people to drop off found pets.
- There is a 24/7 drop-off kennel for found pets.
- People who find pets have first dibs on adopting if an owner isn't found.
- If you find a pet and post it online, ask for detailed info from someone who claims it.