Teenager uses social media to track down dog

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Teenager uses social media to track down dog

3News NZ

The intruder also brought a lead to take Titan away

The intruder also brought a lead to take Titan away

By Jennifer Humphreys

An Auckland teenager is using the power of social networking and the media to track down the man who stole his dog.

Titan the German shepherd was taken from his home in Botany on Friday, but the man who led him away was caught clearly on CCTV cameras.

There are six cameras guarding the Walker family home, so when a man jumped the fence the whole scene was caught on CCTV.

Titan was a Christmas present for Bryant Walker from his dad, so when the dog was stolen he was quick to use the power of the radio, Facebook and Twitter to get the message and the images out there.

“I've got a lot of people on Facebook and decided to take it onto Facebook,” he says. “I put everything I can to get my dog back. I decided to go for gold and it has been shared all around.”

There's certainly been plenty of interest, with the YouTube clip being passed around and viewed hundreds of times.

Mr Walker and his dad have their own ideas about the break-in.

“He had an intention to take the dog anyway, but he had been casing the house looking for activity. But he had been casing the house, and he brought food to quite the dog down, so if he were to break in there wouldn't be any barking from Titan.”

The intruder also brought a lead to take Titan away and he ripped one of the cameras off the wall before he left the property.

It's not the first time social networking has stepped in to try and save an animal. Sites like Pets and Pats find homes for needy cats and dogs. In China, a truckload of dogs heading for the slaughterhouse was halted by a passing motorist who contacted other animal lovers through the Chinese equivalent of Twitter and managed to save all of their lives.

Mr Walker is now hoping the power of the media will help return his dog safely.

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Comments

4/08/2012 6:08:47 p.m.

Ciaran wrote:

glad you got him back bryant now come on skype.

17/04/2012 2:05:36 a.m.

Bryant Walker wrote:

Hey guys Titan is back!! Hes very skinny doesnt look himself hes a bit stressed out but hes back! I was on my way to put flyers up with Duane and i got a call from police comms who i have been talking with , And they said that a lady had picked up titan and was on route to Manakau Police Station and asked me to come asap and i saw the one and only :) What happened was that these two young ladies were going to lunch and about 5 Maori/Pacific Isalanders where asking people if they wanted to buy Titan for $200.00 , She automatically recognised him from facebook and the news so she asked to hold him and once she had him in here hands ran to her car and threw him in the back and jumped in the offenders chased after her and began to abuse her etc and where getting mad, so she picked up her phone with her friend and was shouting that the police where on there way and the offenders drove off . She then called police and this is where the Police comms contacted me to tell me a dog was picked up that looks just like Titan so me and Duane raced over to Manakau Police , and sure enough it was him , we took him back to dads and then to get a full check over with the vets who all knew who he was and began calling him "Super Star" :P He was all fine hes just really stressed out and skinny and just tired he'll be fine in a couple of days and is moving out of dads asap to a home on the shore temporairly. The police told me that they all knew about him and that the story of him went viral all over facebook and even got hits in Australia :O Wow . I'd just like to say from the bottom of my heart of how happy i am and how much i appricate all the time and effort and help iv gotten from the public all the support from my friends about what happend it doesnt seem alot to some but it means the world to me and hes like a member of the family like any other pet :)And just to have him back is amazing so thank you so much guys , I'll never forget this :) Kind Regards Bryant Walker

15/04/2012 11:08:44 p.m.

Bluey wrote:

Its awful that we have to live in a society that requires cameras in/around our homes to protect ourselves...in the old days we had a more community feeling and neighbours would watch out for each other - i sincerely hope you get your dog back Bryant good luck. To the thief...return it buddy people are watching you....

15/04/2012 8:10:36 p.m.

Suey wrote:

Good on you Bryant! This is the way of the future, and it's likely most of us will end up with cameras installed as part of security, and more thieves will be caught because of Social Media.