Staff report
A Salisbury couple who raise small purebred dogs is trying to cope with the theft of six puppies from a kennel near their home.
Barbara and Lee Higgins, who own and operate Paws and Wags on U.S. 29, across from the Foxy Lady, still can’t believe what happened.
On Wednesday morning, they went to the enclosed kennel to check on the puppies and moms.
Six puppies, ages 6 to 7 weeks, were gone. The missing puppies include a Chinese pug, four Shih Tzu puppies and a Maltese.
One or more people apparently entered the kennel building, possibly through an unlocked door, and carried off the puppies.
While the dollar loss is put at nearly $3,000, Barbara Higgins is concerned about what will happen to her puppies.
“You become attached to animals,” she said, “If somebody comes in and pays good money, you have an idea of where they’re going and they’ll be taken care of. If somebody takes them at night, you don’t know where they will end up.”
She thinks the people who took the puppies knew what they were doing. They passed on older, larger dogs and on smaller ones that are still nursing. “They knew exactly which ones to take.”
During 14 years of operating the kennel, the Higginses have had only one other theft. Many years ago, a small dog disappeared a couple of days before Christmas.
Barbara Higgins said it’s scary to think of the theft occurring so near their house. “The kennel is almost connected (to the house).”
The couple will be out this weekend, checking flea markets and other places where the puppies are likely to be sold.
“They’ll be sold in close proximity,” she said. “They may have already had buyers lined up.”
This week a new alarm system has been installed and Higgins said they may add a big dog.
As soon as people heard of the theft, the couple began getting calls and e-mails offering support.
Anyone with information about the theft should call the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office at 704-216-8700.