Cruella De Ville or some other Grinch apparently made a late-night raid on a litter of Christmas puppies at a kennel outside this small town.
Three 5-week-old Samoyeds were discovered missing Saturday morning from North Woods Kennels, a fledgling business on the Juab-Utah county line."They were sold and were somebody's Christmas presents," said Diana Taylor, who runs the kennel along with her husband, Kenneth. The pedigreed, American Kennel Club-registered dogs are valued at $450 each.
Taylor believes the three puppies - two females, one male - in a "special" litter of four were taken from a dog run late Friday or early Saturday. "They missed one because he was hiding in a corner. He's kind of bashful," Taylor said. The thieves also took some dog food.
"I wish the Rottweiler would have been loose. Then this wouldn't have happened," she said.
The white long-haired puppies weigh between 5 and 10 pounds. "They look like a kid's teddy bear," she said.
The breed was developed by the Samoyed peoples of northern Siberia. They use the dogs to guard reindeer herds and to pull sleds. The dog is intelligent and has a pleasant disposition.
"They're considered a Christmas dog because of their smile," Taylor said. The line formed by the Samoyed's closed mouth leaves it looking perpetually content.
The theft took a bite out of the Taylors' business - they're in the middle of building new kennels. But knowing somebody's Christmas presents were stolen is what has Diana Taylor angry.
"You don't do this to other people," she said. "This is an emotional issue. It's a heart issue, not just a monetary issue."
Taylor worries that the puppies are susceptible to viruses because they haven't had their first set of shots.
Juab County sheriff's deputy Jim Stephensen said footprints and tire tracks around the dog runs indicate someone had been there late Friday or early Saturday.
"I'm just spreading the word around," he said. Stephensen is also asking veterinarians to keep an eye out for the puppies.
Anyone with information about the dogs may call the Juab County sheriff's office at 623-1344.