UPDATE: Kodiak, the dog stolen from an elderly couple in the parking lot of Kickback Jack’s, has been found and is back safe with his owner, Teresa Hiatt. Hiatt posted to her Facebook page on Monday morning that Kodiak had been found near Laurinburg, and that she was on the way to get him. Shortly after, Hiatt posted a photo of her and Kodiak in the back of a vehicle headed home.
A professional search team is on the ground in Scotland County searching for Kodiak, the Shih Tzu reported stolen from an elderly couple’s car in the parking lot of Kickback Jack’s on Friday.
On Sunday, Moore County News was with Kodiak’s owner, Teresa Hiatt, and her family at Laurinburg’s Fire Station 1, located on Highway 15-501 just outside of the Laurinburg city limits. A team from K9’s On Call Missing Pet Services was searching both by air and on the ground for Kodiak.
Hiatt told Moore County News that the State Highway Patrol contacted her regarding a hit-and-run that happened Friday night on Highway 15-501 near McFarland Road, and that they believed it could be connected to her stolen dog.
Hiatt says the alleged suspects that stole their dog was headed to sell the dog in Laurinburg, when they crashed with another vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle reported two people, a male and a female, were running from the crash scene. At the same time, a dog that appeared to be Kodiak also ran away from the car after the crash, according to Hiatt.
Over the last two days, volunteers have been in the area searching for any sign of Kodiak. On Sunday morning, a team of professional dog trackers responded to the area. Using drones and a scent tracking dog, they combed a few wooded areas, and a field in the area of the crash from Friday night. The search team reported they were able to find what appeared to traces of a small dog in the area, and the scent tracking dog did pick up on Kodiak’s scent.
The family says they appreciate and are thankful for the outpouring of support and offers to help search, however the best thing now is to let the professional search team do their work. Too many people in the area could scare Kodiak further into hiding, and Hiatt says she feels the smaller team is the best chance at finding Kodiak. If you are in the area and think you have seen Kodiak, you can call 910-758-1775 to speak to a member of the search team.
Hiatt says that she was told the alleged suspects were arrested in Scotland County after the hit-and-run crash, however Moore County News has been unable to independently confirm that with authorities.
