Puppy stolen in front of owner in neighborhood park has Columbia police on the hunt

Columbia police are searching for a man who reportedly carried off a dog right in front of its owner in Rosewood.

Around 8 a.m. Wednesday, the dog’s owner took his 9-week-old German shepherd named Katara out to play near the Edisto Community Garden on Superior Street. A man got out of a late model, dark red Buick sedan and began to pet Katara, Columbia police said.

Then the unidentified man scooped up the dog, put her into his car and drove away before the dog’s owner could react. The owner ran after the car for as far as he could, before it turned off of Superior Street onto South Edisto Avenue and disappeared from view.

Katara was wearing her “favorite” light pink collar with a doughnut-themed print, and a pink, bone-shaped name tag with her name as well as her owner’s name and contact information.

The owner was reportedly “devastated” by the dog’s kidnapping and is very concerned about Katara’s well-being.

Columbia police ask that anyone with information about Katara’s whereabouts contact CrimeStoppers at 888-274-6372, or go to www.midlandscrimestoppers.com to submit a tip.

Bristow Marchant

The State

803-771-8405

Bristow Marchant covers local government, schools and community in Lexington County for The State. He graduated from the College of Charleston in 2007. He has almost 20 years of experience covering South Carolina at the Clinton Chronicle, Sumter Item and Rock Hill Herald. He joined The State in 2016. Bristow has won numerous awards, most recently the S.C. Press Association’s 2024 education reporting award.  Support my work with a digital subscription