A self-proclaimed dog lover often writes about animal stories but didn't imagine she would make the headline in one.
Darcy Matheson, a former CTV News Vancouver digital content producer who now works for Daily Hive, helped reunite a stolen dog, Suzie, to its rightful owner.
"This lady walked past the wrong dog lover’s house,” she said.
She recognized the woman from surveillance video which shows Suzie being untied from outside the McDonald's at Main Street and Terminal Avenue in Vancouver Thursday.
Thousands shared the video and photos of Suzie online, including Matheson who had written a story about the theft.
"I got home around 5:45 and I was getting my baby out of the backseat of the car and I looked up the road and there was a woman walking with the dog,” she explained.
“When I looked closer, I was like, 'Oh my God, it's Suzie. It's the dog I just wrote about.'"
Matheson raced over to the woman, took Suzie from her and called police.
“I confronted the woman on the northwest corner of 10th and Fraser Street. She told me she lives a few blocks from there and had the dog with her overnight,” Matheson said.
She waited with the dog until Vancouver police arrived.
Her actions led to a tearful reunion between owner Mario Bessette and Suzie later on Friday night.
“My emotions…I’ve been a wreck. I go up and down, up down, but now I’m really, really at peace,” Bessette said, moment before getting to hold Suzie again tight.
“I think it was absolutely dumb luck, I don’t know what the odds are…but I feel very fortunate that I got to see her,” Matheson said.
Vancouver police have not said whether the woman who took Suzie will be facing any charges.
