BILLINGS — The employees of Vet-To-Go veterinary clinic in Billings are coming together after a heartbreaking incident involving one of their coworkers. On Saturday morning, her car, phone, and three dogs were stolen. The suspect and the car have not been located, but the two dogs were found early Sunday morning, with one sadly deceased and the other severely injured.
The woman, who has chosen to remain anonymous, was dropping off one of her four dogs for grooming at Quirky K9 Grooming on 24th St W. She left her other three dogs in the car with the air conditioner on. Suddenly, someone stole her car with her dogs and belongings still inside. One of the dogs was left in its crate a few blocks away, while the other two, Posh and Tye, were still missing.
Vet-To-Go/Facebook
The authorities are aware, and the suspect is described as a thin male with long black hair.
Many of the Vet-To-Go employees, including Lizzie Rupp, Laura Rareinhardt, Taylor Curtiss, Amy Lamm, Kendra Slotsue, and Nicole Dell, were deeply saddened by the news.
Rupp expressed, “Heartbreaking,” while Curtiss mentioned, “Something I never want to hear as a pet owner.”
The women quickly took to social media to raise awareness. Rareinhardt shared, “Our immediate thought was to find pictures and create a Facebook post.”
The post quickly garnered thousands of shares across Facebook.
Rareinhardt noted, “Everyone was vigilant. People were driving around, trying to locate the vehicle and offering help in any way they could.”
After hours of being missing, a tip led to the car being spotted in Pryor, where some of the woman’s belongings had been removed. Posh was found deceased, likely thrown out of the vehicle, while Tye was discovered alive but injured, possibly due to ingesting rat poison. Tye received treatment at Moore Lane Veterinary Hospital and was released later that day.
Rareinhardt said, “He is now home and receiving all the love he deserves.”
The incidents left many feeling a range of emotions. Dell expressed, “It’s a mix of anger, heartbreak, and shock,” while Lamm added, “We’re all a family here. We can all imagine if it happened to us.”
They are thankful for Tye’s recovery and the tremendous support from the community. Dell said, “We appreciate every share, donation, and prayer in this situation.”
Rareinhardt acknowledged, “The overwhelming support from the community has been humbling and wonderful.”
The clinic has set up a GoFundMe for the victim. To donate, click here.
