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Pet 'reunion' turns out to be woman stealing dogs
What seemed to be a happy reunion on Ring camera between a dog and her two lost French bulldogs is a crime caught on tape. The real owner of the dogs is heartbroken and wants them back. FOX 26's Randy Wallace has more on the exclusive story.
HOUSTON - The real owner of two expensive dogs is heartbroken and wants them back.
After you see the video, it's easy to understand why Lorraine Herrera, the woman who found the French Bulldogs, believed the woman claiming she owned the dogs.
"My puppies, my babies. Why did you leave us," the woman can be heard saying through tears on the Ring camera video.
"She was so happy. She was crying. She was shaking, got out of the car all excited," Herrera said. "I was so happy for her. Great, she found her dogs."
For 24 hours, Herrera felt like a hero, but it all changed after learning the two French Bulldogs she found roaming in her Tomball neighborhood, belonged to her neighbor, Joseph Caccamo.
"I've raised them both since they were puppies," Caccamo. said. "I've got to tell you they're my whole world."
Rex and Maximus have a doggie door to go in and out whenever they want.
Last week, they slipped through an opening in the gate and took off.
"I scooped them up. I put them in my garage hoping somebody was going to come look for them," said Herrera.
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She did what a lot of people do after finding a lost pet: post it on Nextdoor.
"She showed up literally with pictures looking for a dog. Like, she was in the neighborhood looking for a dog," Herrera said.
Another neighbor alerted Caccamo about Herrera's post.
"You have no idea how relieved I was," he said.
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That quickly changed when he learned Herrera unknowingly gave his dogs to a thief.
"In the beginning, I was so upset with Lorraine," Caccamo said. "But after I watched the video of the show this woman put on, I probably would have done the same thing."
"I was devastated. I couldn't believe this happened to me," said Herrera. "This is crazy, that somebody would do this."
Herrera wants others who find lost pets to learn from her mistakes.
"Check for a chip first. Don't just take their word for it, tell them you want more proof," said Lorraine. "And don't fall for tears and crying."
Herrera says her biggest mistake was putting her street name on the post.
The dog napper used that to track Lorraine down and pretend to be someone she's not.
Caccamo has filed a police report but says he won't seek criminal charges if his two dogs find their way back home.
"Those dogs are my whole life," he said. "I'm a disabled veteran and those are my support dogs. I look forward to coming home to those dogs every night it's all I've got to come home to.
Anyone with information on the woman or the whereabouts of the dogs can email Katie.frick@icloud.com or call 832-515-8850.
A $3,000 reward is being offered for the safe return of the dogs.