PHOENIX — A service animal and two other dogs were reportedly stolen from a north Phoenix short-term rental home last week.
Travis Hutchinson recently moved to the Valley from Florida and had been staying for two nights at an Airbnb near 12th Street and Dunlap Avenue when someone broke in and allegedly stole his beloved dogs.
“It’s really hard because it’s like someone broke in and stole my child,” Hutchinson said.
He booked to stay at the short-term rental from June 14-21, but two days into his stay, the unimaginable happened.
“I went to the airport to get a rental car,” Hutchinson said about the day of the burglary. “When I came back 40 minutes to an hour later, my animals were missing. All of our property was missing. Social security cards, debit cards, shoes, everything.”
Hutchinson found broken glass inside the townhome’s living room and kitchen, the patio door busted open, and the patio’s fencing broken.
There were no signs of his beloved service animal Dexter, a 5-year-old boxer, and his two micro bullies, Davinci and Athena.
“It’s like the first time they’ve been alone and the one time, they’re just gone,” he said.
Hutchinson said Dexter has been with him since he was 15 years old, traveling with him through 12 states, and helping him prevent epilepsy seizures.
“There was a point in time that I was homeless when I was younger and he was always there for me all the time,” Hutchinson said with a broken voice. “So, just not having him right now is hard because it’s a lot, he’s like my child… it just hurts that someone would come in and steal my animal.”
Phoenix police told 12News they have an open investigation into the residential burglary.
Hutchinson posted flyers around the community.
“I would never imagine that someone would steal my dog,” he added. “The two pedigree dogs I understand because of the value of them, but my service animal, he’s not worth money.”
Airbnb tells 12News they are in touch with Hutchinson and the host of the property.
“I just want my animals,” Hutchinson said. “I don’t really care about the money they stole or my property, I just want my dogs.”
Hutchinson is offering a $3,000 cash reward for any information that leads him to his dogs.
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