A dog being held at the Yucca Valley animal shelter because it was deemed dangerous, was stolen sometime Monday night. According to a Sheriff’s report, someone jumped the fence of the animal shelter, broke the lock on the kennel of a dark brindle pit bull mix named Thor, and stole the dog. Thor has a long history with animal control. Last July, the Yucca Valley animal shelter started receiving calls about Thor, who would get loose from his yard and wander Yucca Valley neighborhoods, scaring and threatening pedestrians. Whenever animal control tried to contact Thor’s owners, the residents said he didn’t live there anymore and belonged to someone else. Then on August 30, Thor actually bit a woman who was walking near Coronado Street and Warren Vista Avenue, but animal control was unable to find him or his owners. In February, animal control took the unusual step of holding an administrative hearing—without actually having Thor in custody—to declare Thor a dangerous dog. Animal care and control manager Melanie Crider said the Town sent out letters to people it had contacted previously informing them of the hearing, but no one showed up at the hearing to claim that Thor as their dog. Thor was found March 1 and impounded at the shelter. Then Candace English, 34, told shelter staff that Thor was her dog. She was told about the special requirements, such as kennels and liability insurance, she would need in order to bring Thor home. On Monday, March 18, Thor was stolen. On Tuesday, Sheriff’s deputies arrested Candace English and her companion, Paul Lawson, 35, on outstanding, no-bail warrants. They are being held at West Valley Detention Center. Animal control is still looking for Thor. Thor is described as a dark brindle pit bull mix, with a white strip on his face, a white chest, and white toes. He stands about 2 feet tall and weighs 85 to 90 pounds. A photo of Thor can be seen with this story at KCDZFM.com. Anyone with information about Thor or his whereabouts is asked to call the Yucca Valley Animal Shelter at 760-365-1807 or Sheriff’s Dispatch at 760-245-4211.
