Thanks to the continued generosity of the PAWS Atlanta community, we are able to offer a $2,000 reward for any information that leads to Princeton's safe return. If you have any information regarding his whereabouts, please contact PAWS Atlanta at (770) 593-1155. Thank you for your help and support!

We are thrilled to share that both Emilia and Violet, our previously missing pit puppies, have both been adopted by wonderful families! We will continue to share updates about them on our social media channels, so follow along at @pawsatlanta.

VIOLET HAS BEEN FOUND AND RETURNED!

On the morning of Sunday, September 18, Violet was spotted by a man walking his dog. She was tied to a light post and wearing a leash and harness. The man recognized Violet and brought her to PAWS Atlanta immediately. Violet is now safe at the shelter and is unharmed. We have no reason to believe that the person who found and returned her is related to the break-in, and we're grateful for his care and assistance. 

The leash and harness Violet was wearing when she was found do not belong to PAWS Atlanta and potentially do belong to the person who took her. The harness is red and padded. The leash is bright pink with a large silver clip. They are also visible in this photo.

The location where Violet was found is close to PAWS Atlanta and also in the same area where Emilia was found. It's highly possible that the suspect lives in that area, so we encourage people who live nearby to be especially vigilant. The best way to assist us currently is to print flyers and post them in the area. Please also continue to look for Princeton on Nextdoor, Craigslist, Facebook, and in your community. More pictures of Princeton are available here.

Thank you for all of your amazing support during this time.

Thanks to the generosity of our community members, we are now able to offer a $1,000 reward per dog for any information that leads to their safe return.

If you see Princeton or Violet in your community please contact PAWS Atlanta immediately at (770) 593-1155.

ONE OF OUR PUPPIES HAS BEEN FOUND AND RESCUED!

Last night, September 16, around 8pm, a PAWS Atlanta volunteer spotted a photo of a puppy on the Nextdoor app that strongly resembled one of our missing pups. The dog had been wandering, scared, in someone's yard for a few hours. The volunteer contacted PAWS Atlanta staff who immediately drove to the location and determined that it was, indeed, Emilia! 

We are beyond elated that Emilia is safe and sound back at PAWS Atlanta. Other than a few scratches and a hungry belly, she is unharmed. We don't believe that the person who located Emilia in their yard had anything to do with the incident at PAWS Atlanta. It's possible that, because Emilia was rescued from a neighborhood only a short distance from the shelter, she may have escaped from the man who stole her after being taken. It's also possible that he lives in the area, but we can't say anything for sure at this time.

A huge thank you to everyone who has sent their love and support over the last 24 hours. Finding Emilia gives us hope that we can find our other two missing pups as well. Please stay vigilant on social media, Craigslist, and Nextdoor so that we can bring all of our babies home.

At approximately 1:30am on Friday, September 16, a man was caught on film walking through the parking lot of PAWS Atlanta. He then broke into our dog intake building and removed five dogs from their kennels. He dropped two during his escape but successfully stole three. He also attempted to steal other supplies by breaking into our larger shelter building. Police were called and arrived on the scene quickly. However, there is little physical evidence to assist in identifying the perpetrator. There is video surveillance of the break-in, but the man appeared to know where our security cameras were located and was able to avoid being filmed directly from the front. His car was parked out of view of our cameras as well. He appears to be tall, thin, and wearing a dark colored jacket.

The dogs taken were: 

• Emilia (4 months old, pit bull mix, white with brown spots around both eyes, 18 pounds) - FOUND
• Violet (4 months old, pit bull mix, white with brown spot around right eye, 17 pounds) - FOUND
• Princeton (3 years old, Yorkshire Terrier, brown and black, approx. 6 pounds)

Emilia and Violet arrived at PAWS Atlanta a few weeks ago when they were abandoned in the parking lot. They were sick, scared, and undernourished. A great deal of love and care has gone into helping them grow and thrive for their future forever home. Princeton was surrendered by his previous owner and needed to find a soft place to land. We’re heartbroken that these animals we care for so deeply were taken.  

Our hope is simply for these dogs to be returned safely to PAWS Atlanta, even if it is done anonymously. Please be on the lookout for Emilia, Violet, and Princeton on Craigslist, NextDoor, Facebook, and out in your community. If you see them, please contact the police and PAWS Atlanta (770-593-1155) immediately. 

Thank you for your help and support.

MEDIA

Fox5 Atlanta Article

11Alive Feature

Yahoo News Article

11Alive Update Article

Fox5 Atlanta Update Article

For press inquiries, please contact Brenna Lakeson, Communications and Campaign Manager, at blakeson@pawsatlanta.org or visit our Press Kit.

To report a tip, please contact our front desk at 770-593-1155 or email info@pawsatlanta.org.