TACOMA, Wash. — A Tacoma woman was reunited with her missing dog Wednesday morning after she turned to the public to help.
Nicole D’Amico’s car was stolen from the Target parking lot Sunday afternoon with her two dogs Koji and Coconut inside.
Koji, a 10-year-old red Shibu Inu, was missing for over two days before D'Amico posted on NextDoor that he was found.
"Koji is back home!" D'Amico posted on NextDoor Wednesday morning. "Thank you for your help everyone!"
It all started when D'Amico ran into Target to grab a few things and left the dogs in the car. She put her keys in the shopping cart and did not realize they were still there when she went to the restroom. She said surveillance showed a man was right behind her and stole the keys from the cart.
D'Amico said he went outside with the fob and found her car, then pulled to the front of the store and picked up another man. She is trying to get the footage and a picture of the suspects.
“I really didn't think something like this could happen," D'Amico said on Tuesday. "I think I was really naïve and I think that I learned a valuable lesson. Hopefully, Koji doesn't have to pay for that lesson."
By Sunday night, Coconut was reunited after a vet’s office called and said a passerby found her running near River Road.
“She's bloody, I don't know if they beat her up, if they threw her out of the moving car," D'Amico said. "She’s patched up. She’s still in a lot of pain but I think doing OK. I think she's really traumatized by what happened."
D'Amico and her sister drove around, posted flyers and combed through tips before Koji was found on Wednesday. The woman said she did not sleep in two days.
“I haven't slept in two days, I've been crying on and off all day," D'Amico said at the time. "This is a part of our family. We've had him for 10 years. He's our baby."
D'Amico posted a $2,000 reward for Koji's return on Tuesday.