Dog stolen from Boston supermarket recovered

BOSTON -- A dog taken from outside a Boston grocery store was reunited with her rightful owner on Wednesday.

Maria Zamboni, the dog’s owner, set up an email address and took to social media to inform the public of her lost dog. The Chihuahua-Yorkie mix was found Wednesday after a man, who recognized Pebbles from pictures, emailed the owner.

Four-year-old Pebbles was found in Lowell on Wednesday by Eddie Polos.

 “I had a dog years ago that I raised for years, and it got away on me and I never seen it ever again,” said Eddie Polos, who found Pebbles in Lowell.

Maria Zamboni’s boyfriend stopped at a Whole Foods in Beacon Hill on Monday to buy groceries, and left Pebbles tied up outside. When he returned, Pebbles was gone. He then called his girlfriend to inform her that Pebbles was missing.

“Of course I was just freaking out, I didn’t believe it, and we drove back here and we knew she was gone. I went right to Kinkos and started making fliers,” Zamboni said.

Polos saw a news story about the stolen dog, and spotted Pebbles as he drove along a street in Lowell on Wednesday morning.

“I said, ‘Pebbles,’ and it started wagging its tail, got really excited. It was a very friendly, nice little dog. It started licking my hand and everything,” Polos said.

Polos stopped to confront the two teenaged girls, believed to be the suspects who had been captured on surveillance video. The video shows one of the girls taking a little dog from her coat and setting it on the ground.

“They wouldn’t give me an answer so I grabbed the dog, I brought it toward my chest, and I grabbed the leash and I pulled on the leash and sure enough it came loose in their hands and the two young ladies just walked away,” Polos said.

At the police station where Pebbles and Zamboni were reunited, a mother turned her 17-year-old daughter in.

“It’s the right thing to do. And I feel terrible seeing that poor woman crying for her dog,” said Sandra Sneldern, the suspect’s mother.

“I’m sorry and I didn’t mean it. I know how it feels to lose a dog,” said the suspect.

Holding Pebbles closely, Zamboni said, “I’m ecstatic, I haven’t slept in a couple days. And I’m finally at peace. [Polos] is my hero. He is truly my hero.”

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