Correlation does not imply causation, but when one Florida family’s dog suddenly went missing, they had a pretty good hunch about what had happened to her.
On Wednesday, the family in Fort Myers fired their long-term nanny, Eileen Schultz.
While the reason for her termination was not shared, she must have felt pretty put out by it, as she allegedly nabbed the family’s Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Lady before making her final exit.
When the family realized their beloved pet was missing, they contacted authorities and said they suspected Schultz had stolen her.
Schultz was found at a hotel in the area, but when detectives found her she was alone and said she had not taken Lady. Despite her claim, hotel staff told authorities they’d seen Schultz with the dog earlier.
“Schultz then told detectives she took Lady to the hotel but changed her mind and wanted to return Lady to the family,” the Lee County Sheriff’s Office shared in a Facebook post covering the incident.
“Deputies learned instead of returning the dog to the home, Schultz dropped off the dog in the area of Penzance Blvd & Caisson Lane. Multiple detectives and deputies searched the area overnight looking for Lady.”
Thankfully, someone in the local community had found Lady and had been caring for her. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office shared a heartwarming video of the moment Lady was placed back in the arms of her owner.
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“I am disgusted by this woman’s actions to steal an innocent dog and drop the dog on the side of the road,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno said.
“Because of the dedication of my deputies & detectives, we were able to locate the dog, Lady, and reunite her with her family.”
Many people commented on the post to thank the officers for their work and condemn the thief’s actions.
“Awesome job! God bless you and the beautiful woman who took Lady in and kept her safe!” one person wrote.
“This horrible woman probably never dreamed she would quickly come under that large of a spotlight!” another said.
Schultz, meanwhile, has been charged with grand theft, a felony offense.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
