Katy Gartner and her family in Penticton were excited to get a dog. They researched breeds and breeders until they finally decided on an Alapaha Blue Blooded Bulldog from a breeder in Kamloops. They had named him ‘Gator’. Gartner says they paid the full price of $3,000 for the dog, but were unable to get him home before he and his companions disappeared.

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Instead, they received a message saying the dog breeder, 33-year-old Dainya Watson, had died suddenly and the entire litter, eight six-week-old puppies, was gone. Story continues below ad “We contacted the roommates she lived with who had the puppies when she passed,” said Kearston Burton-Weatherhead, Dainya Watson’s sister. “We were advised that they had been stolen within an hour of medical personnel and RCMP leaving the scene.” Trending Stories

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The housemates told Burton-Weatherhead that someone had stolen the puppies from the side gate of the yard. However, he says the story sounded “off”.

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“I found the gate that they had obviously been taken out of and there was three feet of grass, there was no way anyone could have got in and out without making a path,” Burton-Weatherhead said. “It just didn’t make sense for me or my family.” In addition to filling out a police report, Watson’s sister also posted a series of posts on social media platforms that have been shared thousands of times. “These dogs are worth between $2,500 and $4,500,” Burton-Weatherhead said. “So I’m sure the people who took them had the intention of selling them and making a quick buck.” Story continues below ad

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Katy Gartner worries about the safety and well-being of all the puppies that have been reported stolen, but she can’t help but focus on the one that already won her heart, the one she’s been waiting to take home. “We chose Gator. As soon as I saw him, I felt “this is my dog”. That’s just hard,” Gartner said. Anyone who may have information about the puppies is asked to contact the Kamloops RCMP Detachment.