Service puppy stolen from nonprofit focused on helping those with disabilities

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Canine Assistants needs your help after one of their service puppies was stolen.

The nonprofit focused on helping those with disabilities posted on their

that Dorie was taken from the Canine Assistants Farm on Sept. 2 in Milton. %

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“You don’t know how much it means to get a dog. This dog becomes your best friend,” said Allison Martin, who has a service dog like Dorie.

Martin says every day is a struggle because her Type 1 diabetes is out of control. She says, the only thing that prevents her from going into diabetic shock is her service dog, Stuart. He paws her to alert her that something is wrong.

“He saves my life every day. He comes into my parents’ room to wake them up when I'm having a low or high blood sugar. And if they hadn't come in. I could have died,” she said.

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She says when she learned that Dorie had been stolen from the same nonprofit from which she got Stuart, she was livid. Canine Assistants helps place dogs with people with disabilities at no cost, which is a huge deal because the average service dog costs about $25,000.

The organization says whoever took Dorie also took her service dog vest, harness and leash. Her vest is green and has a Canine Assistants patch on it.

“They knew where to find her equipment. It wasn't an easily accessible area. It was someone who knew what they were doing,” said founder Jennifer Arnold, who believes it was an inside job.

She’s now begging the person who stole Dorie, to return her.

“They didn't just take Dorie from Canine Assistants, but from someone who is desperately waiting for one of our dogs,” she said.

Canine Assistants is offering a $3,500 reward for information leading to the safe return of Dorie. Arnold says if you have Dorie, you can drop her off, no questions asked.

Dorie is not microchipped yet and is intact. Arnold says the 3-month-old pup still needs her vaccinations.

Cox Media Group