What would you do if your vehicle was stolen with your pet inside? One couple from King’s County in the state of Washington faced this nightmare when their truck was stolen from a gas station with their beloved poodle Monkey inside. Fortunately, Monkey is safe after being rescued following a standoff where the suspect was shot and killed.

Monkey is inside the vehicle when it is stolen

Carl Sanders had left Monkey in his truck while he ran to pay for gas inside the Cenex gas station in Black Diamond, WA. Upon returning, Sanders saw the suspect, 36-year-old Anthony Chilcott, driving off in his Toyota Raptor pickup truck with Monkey inside.

“I ran outside and there was my truck taking off with my dog looking straight at me,” Sanders said in a KIRO 7 interview. “Gas going all over — and he almost ran over a couple of people and flew out onto the highway.”

A record of trouble with the law

According to Sanders’ wife Stefanie, Sanders and Monkey were inseparable. Each day Monkey would hop in the truck when Sanders asked if he was “ready to go to work?”

Chilcott had been arrested by police just 10 days prior on an outstanding warrant. In the prior arrest, Chilcott had tried to flee officers and had even tried to break out of the patrol vehicle once he was arrested, kicking the door repeatedly and causing several thousand dollars in damages. He was booked into the King County Jail but had subsequently been released.

The suspect is shot and killed

Plainclothes deputies spotted the vehicle with Monkey inside on the following Monday and approached. As they approached, Chilcott started ramming their vehicle. The deputies exited their vehicle where they were met by Chilcott and a physical fight ensued

During the altercation with police, Chilcott was shot and killed. Fortunately, Monkey was unharmed. He was soon reunited with Sanders and his wife. And while he was hungry and thirsty, otherwise the poor dog was okay.

Stefanie said that she cried with relief upon Monkey’s return, “I’m just so relieved that he’s fine and that he’s safe and we’re back with him.”

Luckily, Sanders’ neighbors were on the lookout

It was due to the fast action of one of their neighbors that the police were alerted to the presence of the stolen truck in the area. Sanders believes this is what led to the police finding his stolen truck and dog.

The deputies involved in the incident were also unharmed according to a department spokesman. The two have been placed on administrative leave as per department policy whenever there is an officer involved shooting.

Always remove your keys and lock your vehicle when paying for gas inside

According to Sanders, it’s a trip he’s made a thousand times. He thought nothing of leaving his keys in the vehicle as he ran in to pay for his gas. It was only upon exiting that he realized the tragedy that was unfolding. This just goes to show the importance of removing your keys and locking your vehicle when paying for your gas, especially if you have a pet inside the vehicle.

Here is a video with more on the story of the recovered dog.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: KIRO 7 News