Couple Spots Their Stolen Car And Risks Everything To Save Their Dog Still Inside

When Maggi MacDonald and Peter LeBlanc’s car was stolen, they weren’t thinking about the vehicle.

They were thinking about Tim. The couple’s beloved four-year-old Lab-Husky mix was still inside.

It happened outside a Sobeys grocery store in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Peter had left the car running with the air conditioning on while he quickly went inside to buy dinner, leaving Tim comfortable in the back seat. When he returned about 20 minutes later, the car had vanished.

At first, he couldn’t believe it. Then Maggi received an alert that her credit card had been maxed out at a nearby gas station. That’s when Peter called with the news.

“I immediately started screaming—instinctual, just gut-wrenching screams and crying,” Maggi told CBC News. “And there was no way that we could sit home and let someone else find them.”

After reporting the theft to police, the couple climbed into their other vehicle and began searching. About an hour later, under the fading evening sky on a rural road in Pictou County, they spotted something unbelievable.

Their stolen car was driving right toward them. Praying Tim was still inside, Peter pulled ahead and blocked the road. The couple jumped from their vehicle and ran toward their car.

The driver tried to escape but backed into a ditch and became stuck. He bailed out and ran, and Tim burst from the car and sprinted straight after Peter.

The suspect fell to the ground, and Tim started biting him. “We were proud,” Maggi said with a smile.

The suspect scrambled back toward the stolen car and tried to steal it again. That’s when Maggi fought back the only way she could.

“I happened to be holding my metal water bottle and his window was down… so I started whacking him on the head with my water bottle,” she said.

The suspects eventually fled on foot, while Tim was safely reunited with his family, unharmed.

Police continue to investigate the incident and have since arrested one person in connection with a property crime related to the case. Authorities also reminded the public not to put themselves in danger by confronting suspects.

But for Maggi, there was never any hesitation. “Our pets are like our children,” she said. “I would take a bullet for my dogs… I wasn’t thinking of that. All I was thinking about was getting our baby back.”