CNBNews

Those who own dogs will agree with the notion that dog ownership is one of the most pleasant experiences people can have. For many, dogs become another family member, a character that has their own personality. There is no doubt that dogs are simply easy to love and hard to hate, which is why it is so upsetting when something terrible happens to them. One of the worst things that can happen to a dog owner is that their dog falls sick, but at least there is always the chance to say goodbye in these situations. When dogs are snatched though, the sudden malicious crime can hurt even worse.

This is exactly what happened to the Colon family of North-eastern Philadelphia on September 21st. 6-month-old puppy Niko called the Colon family his home, and it is exactly here where he was snatched from when he, unfortunately, managed to get out of the house. Surveillance footage captures three people, two men and a woman, who walk away with Niko in broad daylight. The fact that this did not happen at night and was in such a public face highlights the brazen audacity of the perpetrators and suggests a wider issue when it comes to dog snatching. It is way too easy for it to happen, and more must be done to avoid such a thing happening.

We rarely come face to face with evil in this world. But those who willingly want to take a dog from its home knowing of the sadness that this will cause are valid examples of evil existing in the world. When the context of the story is understood too, this only becomes truer. Niko was a favourite pet of Elizabeth Colon’s 15-year-old grandson who deals with severe anxiety. Niko acted as a therapeutic friend for Colon’s grandson, a fact that is true for most people struggling with mental health issues. Dogs can be infinitely useful in managing mental health, so it is easy to understand why he would have been “inconsolable” following Niko’s kidnapping. 

People typically take dogs as they see them as a product to be sold and is upsetting to learn that the trade can be highly profitable, especially when it concerns pedigrees. Whether the unscrupulous individuals use the money on things like gambling at sites like these or investing in more ways to snatch dogs is anyone’s guess, but it is clear that more must be done to stop such things from happening. Colon believes that the ordeal was not malicious, but this is a hard fact to take in considering the dog was clearly on a property. 

The family is offering a $200 reward for the return of Niko, who can be contacted at 267-709-3509 or 267-506-5886.