'We have a real tight bond': Kelowna man searches for puppy stolen with truck in Medicine Hat
'The relationship that we've had since I acquired her back in February has been life-changing for me'
A Kelowna, B.C., man is desperately hoping to reunite with his nine-old-month puppy, who was waiting in his pickup truck when it was stolen Tuesday afternoon from an Alberta mall parking lot.
Brad Kuich stopped at the Medicine Hat Mall for 15 minutes on Tuesday to pick up a new phone.
Just after 4 p.m., he discovered his Chevrolet Silverado 1500 was missing.
"I was in total shock. My heart just went right up into my throat," Kuich said on CBC's Radio West.
"The truck is replaceable. But this dog is quite special to me."
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The puppy, Belle, is a nine-month-old black-and-white border collie that Kuich described as active and very bright.
Kuich drove to Saskatchewan from Kelowna in February to pick up Belle from a breeder. She stayed on his lap the entire drive back home, Kuich said.
"The relationship that we've had since I acquired her back in February has been life-changing for me."
Medicine Hat police confirmed they had received a report of a stolen truck and missing dog, but said neither had been located as of Tuesday afternoon.
"Our hope is that once the vehicle is located, it'll lead us to potentially where this dog is," said Staff Sgt. Jason Graham.
Kuich hopes whoever stole the car will drop off Belle somewhere safe.
"If I can get Belle back, that's all I really care about right now."
Listen to the full interview below.
With files from CBC's Radio West