In Khabarovsk, an incident unfolded in a local supermarket where a man took someone else’s dog and then attempted to replace the pet with alcohol. This account was released by an official spokesperson from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, identified as Irina Volk, and it has been shared to inform the public about the events.
The sequence began when a woman entered the store with her dog and tethered the animal to the leg of a table at the entrance before starting her shopping. After moving through the aisles, she returned to the entrance to retrieve her pet, only to discover that the dog was missing. Concerned, she sought assistance from store staff to locate the animal.
Store employees promptly reviewed the security camera footage, which revealed that an unidentified individual had stolen the dog. The woman immediately contacted local police to report the crime and provide any available details that might help identify the suspect.
From the footage and subsequent investigative steps, law enforcement established that the thief had stopped by a nearby ice cream vendor before the theft, consuming a treat and discarding the packaging in a nearby area. The investigation progressed as fingerprints recovered from the scene led to the perpetrator’s identification. The man, aged 49, resided on a street not far from where the incident occurred.
During questioning, the suspect did not contest the accusations. He admitted to stealing the dog with the intention of selling it. In a further attempt to mislead or recoup a loss, he tried to substitute the stolen animal with a quantity of alcohol. The plan did not unfold as hoped, and the man eventually published an online advertisement to facilitate the sale of the dog, which drew the attention of authorities.
Following these developments, the dog was returned to its rightful owner. A criminal case was opened against the man, and investigators continue to pursue any additional evidence that could support the prosecution and ensure appropriate accountability for the theft and related actions.
A separate but related note was made about a separate incident in St. Petersburg, where footage captured an unknown person stealing a dog from an anti-café. That event was reported in the same general news cycle and has been cited to illustrate ongoing concerns about pet theft in urban settings.