Man Offers Reward After Dog Was Stolen From Outside River North Restaurant

The dog's owner is offering a reward for the safe return of his dog, who was stolen on Sunday

By Patrick Fazio

Published Oct 17, 2019 at 3:36 PM | Updated at 4:07 AM CDT on Oct 18, 2019

A Chicago man is pleading for the safe return of his dog after she was stolen from outside a River North restaurant earlier this week. NBC 5’s Patrick Fazio reports. (Published Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019)

A Chicago man is pleading for the safe return of his dog after she was stolen from outside a River North restaurant earlier this week.

"I just wish I would’ve looked around or something, or heard something," owner James Perry said.

Perry says that he had tied his dog Caela up outside of Gus’s Fried Chicken on Sunday evening while he went inside to get food. When he came back out, he saw that the dog was missing, and surveillance video revealed that a man had untied the dog and stolen her.

"I was horrified, mad at myself," Perry said. "[It was] just stupid of me to leave her out there."

Perry says he adopted Caela after she survived a series of storms that hit Alabama last year. Now, he’s left handing out flyers with her picture on them around the River North neighborhood and in Chicago’s Loop.

"I was absolutely heartbroken about the fact it happened in front of our store," Gus’ General Manager Kelli Kosikas said. "This should be a safe place." Kosikas is helping Perry spread the word, and has posted video of the thief on social media.

"It was so sad to watch. The dog seems so trusting, and her tail was wagging," Kosikas said. "And more than anything else, she’s looking back in the store at her owner, confused."

Perry is offering a reward to whomever took the dog, saying that he will pay out the money and won’t press charges if the dog is returned.

"Just take her back to one of the shelters or the pound if you can. There’s a reward. No questions asked," he said.

Poster Comment:

Video at source.

Who the hell would steal a dog?

I knew a guy in Chicago who sold his German Shepherd to a junk yard. He went back that night and called the dog and she jumped over the 6 foot chain link fence.