AfriPulse
A dog that was taken from outside a day care center on Chicago’s North Side has been safely returned to its owners.
Thanks to the efforts of some Good Samaritans, the dog was located, and the owners shared the happy news with ABC7 on Sunday.
Charlie, a 5-year-old canine, disappeared after his owner, Erin Franzblau, tied him outside a nearby day care while she hurried inside to pick up her children. Initially, Franzblau had reached out to ABC7 on Saturday, hoping that surveillance footage might lead to the person responsible for taking Charlie. Fortunately, the family is now joyfully reunited with their pet.
ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch
The incident occurred just before 6 p.m. on Friday near the intersection of Armitage and Clifton avenues in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, according to Chicago police.
“I was overwhelmed after a long workday, and my husband was away in Denver,” Franzblau explained. “I was juggling three kids—two toddlers and a baby—by myself and in a rush. I tied Charlie up outside the day care by a window where he was visible to everyone.”
When she came back out, Charlie was gone.
“Usually, he jumps up to greet us. He’s so excited to greet us, and we both see that he’s not there,” Franzblau said. “I start freaking out, asking people where he is.”
Franzblau says home surveillance video showed her dog with someone in a dark hoodie shortly after the pet was taken.
“She was asking people, ‘Whose dog is this? Whose dog is this?,’” Franzblau said. “She did unleash the dog, and take the dog, and walk west of Racine… “She was kind to him, but he was shaking.”
Charlie’s owners say they plan to give the man that found him a $5,000 reward.
Chicago police are still investigating the case.
Copyright © 2026 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Source: NewsFinale | Read the Full Story…
