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A Rotorua dog owner has been left red-faced by her pet canine’s serial pilfering.
Repeat offender and accomplished escape artist Leothe labrador is well-known in his Fordlands neighbourhood for making off with neighbours’ possessions. His swag of stolen goods so far includes a pair of work shorts, jandals, cheese graters, tongs, pies and coffee cups.
However, when he arrived home recently with a stolen beef roast, his embarrassed owner Jerrikaa Mcclutchie felt it was time to post an apology on Facebook.
The latest theft came after an earlier incident in which Leo brought home a “whole tarakihi fish”.
”Me and my whānau live in the Ford Block, and I just want to apologise on behalf of my dog. My toddler has learned to open our front door and let him out. So apologies if my dog has taken [things] from anyone [who] has possibly had their kai or other things taken,” Mcclutchie posted on Monday.
Commenters could see the lighter side of Leo’s offending and replied in kind. One praised him for his cleverness and for “trying to provide for his whānau”.
Another commented: “At least he’s bringing home useful things. My cat has bought home a half-eaten chicken wing, a chewed-up golf ball and a piece of lawn turf.”
Others suggested an Apple AirTag, which allow users to track items, could trace Leo’s escapades.
Leo is not the first pet to show a fondness for their neighbours’ possessions. Other cases have included Mo the cat burglar, who made off with five box-loads of clothing, including underwear, over two years, and Neko, a Pāpāmoa cat that stole an estimated 50 shoes - mostly left-footed - from his neighbourhood in just a few months.
Mcclutchie told the Rotorua Daily Post 1-and-a-half-year-old Leo was “energetic”
“He’s got a really cheeky personality.”
The first item Leo brought home was a jandal that belonged to a neighbour. Mcclutchie returned it, but the next day it was back on their property.
“It had been more chewed up. I had to apologise to the neighbour.”
She said Leo enjoyed sharing his treasures with his family.
“He brings it home, he’s gonna show you.”
Rotorua's Leo the labrador steals neighbours’ roast beef, tarakihi fish and cups of coffee. Photo / Andrew Warner
Mcclutchie said she recently placed a box of Leo’s stolen items on the roadside, including a pair of work shorts, jandals, cheese graters and tongs, for neighbours to collect.
“He’s even brought home a hot pie once. The pie must have been hot, because he put it on the lawn and sat there waiting for it to cool down before he ate it,” Mcclutchie said.
She said her partner had also caught Leo with a freshly caught tarakihi.
It was taken off the puppy, but Leo “somehow got the fish back and hid it under his blanket”, Mcclutchie said.
It was the same with the “big chunk of meat”, she said, referring to the beef roast he had brought home.
“He didn’t try to eat it, he just brings it home.
Mcclutchie said they were trying their best to dissuade Leo from the behaviour and hoped their neighbours would understand. They had to tie Leo up in their backyard because he could “easily” jump over their fence and escape.
“I just had to put an apology out and just let everyone know that I’m aware that he’s bringing the stuff home, [and] I’ve also tried to keep him home.”
A police spokesperson said, tongue-in-cheek, “Police receive occasional reports of cat-burglary and opportunistic snaffling by man’s best friend, but it can be difficult to track down suspects unless they’re caught red-pawed.”
The police spokesperson said getting to know your neighbours and “staying in touch can provide a good opportunity to discuss pet-related matters before they become a problem”.
If you have concerns about the behaviour of dogs in your community, contact Council Animal Control, unless there is an immediate danger, in which case call police on 111.
