Long Island carpet store owner reunited with beloved stolen service dog
LEVITTOWN, Long Island (WABC) -- The owner of a Long Island carpet store has been reunited with her trained medical service dog that was stolen from outside her business Tuesday.
Nancy Skolnik says her beloved 12-year-old Teddy Bear Bichon Shih Tzu mix Ellie was found by a woman and brought to Farmingdale Animal Hospital for their reunion.
The theft happened outside Skolnick's Carpets & Us store in Levittown, where surveillance video showed a woman with two children first playing with Ellie before picking her up and walking away.
Skolnik says her dog, which also requires medication, is always at the store and was outside when they received a Fed Ex order.
"Ellie comes in here every day," Skolnik said through tears Wednesday. "I know that she's out there someplace. I just need to get her back...I'm heartbroken."
She said she later found the dog had been taken.
"Anybody that knows me knows my dog," she said. "She alerts me for my medical condition, and I need her back."
Further details of who found Ellie, or whether the person claiming to have found her is the one who took her, were not immediately available.
The investigation is ongoing, but Skolnick is just happy to have her best friend back.
ALSO READ | 'It's not safe': Woman recounts harrowing attack on NYC subway
----------
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
