Pet advocate Beverly King has worked behind the scenes to help find Kapone ever since he was apparently stolen in June by someone employed at Memphis Animal Services. She remained dedicated to bringing him home for 6 months, often having to perform difficult tasks. She sent me a brief note about her experience which I am sharing here with her permission. Thank you Beverly for your inspiring devotion and hard work.
Gee, what a week. CrimeStoppers always passed on the tips about Kapone to me for investigation. In the beginning, there were dead dogs thrown out into fields, on sides of roads, etc. that the tipsters said may be Kapone. There was even one dog that was decapitated. So, off I would go with my little CSI kit (photos of Kapone, flip video, digital camera, etc) . . Even the live “sightings” turned out to be dogs that looked nothing liked Kapone. When I got the tip Monday from CrimeStoppers and investigated, I was so excited that I went numb for awhile. After I quit shaking, I called Buddy Chapman, Director of Crimestoppers, and he didn’t believe me. I kept saying, “It’s Kapone, it’s Kapone”. It really was unbelievable, and it was 1 in a million chance that Kapone would be found alive. Even though I kept saying. “It’s Kapone”, Director Chapman held out some reservation, but the decision was made to move on it the next day and take the owner to the location for positive identification. I called Cindy, and we caravaned down to Senatobia. The owner did not know where we were taking him until we left for Senatobia. Dir. Chapman coordinated with the Senatobia police to move in once the owner gave the thumbs up. The rest is history.
Additional photos of Kapone, reunited with his family, can be found here.
I love this good news of Kapone! Nothing could be better for Kapone’s family for Christmas, or anytime, than his safe return.
I’ve had a prized dog to be kidnapped, so I fully understand the heartbreak, devistation & the total loss feeling from suddenly your best friend… gone! You suspect all the worst things, never knowing, wondering where, who, why, and what he’s thinking about not being home. I don’t know how bad it is losing a child to a kidnap, but it’s hard to understand it could be any worse. Chopper was my child.
Kapone has returned to where he belongs & it makes MY Christmas brighter. Thank you Beverly King & everyone for everything done to make it happen.
It must be noted that many of the posters on Yes Biscuit donated money to place a billboard regarding Kapone on I-240.
Beverly did the fundraising for the large reward, placed a huge banner in heavily trafficed locations around town and clocked many hours checking on tips. I was happy to have helped on several of these and have a true understanding of what she went through and her faith in the return of Kapone.
Many people in Memphis and across the country helped to keep the pressure on the city regarding the reason Kapone was gone.
Beverly lead this charge and is the primary reason Kapone is home. But this also was a group effort, from the publicity on Yes Biscuit, to the posters who went to the Mayor’s facebook page daily and asked “where is Kapone”, to those who donated the money for the reward, the billboard and the banner.
We all share a piece in this happy ending.
Thank you Cindy for your efforts. I know that you devote a large amount of time to following up on court cases and no doubt you will be seeing this one through to the end. I hope that in addition to being able to report that Kapone was returned home, we’ll one day be able to say that the legal system brought justice for him. It’s tragic that there seems to be no other type of deterrent in place for the crime of selling dogs out the back door at MAS.
I absolutely agree 100% with Cindy that if if had not been for the people donating money for billboards and banners, as well as postings on Yes Biscuit, Facebooks, and emails, and articles in various publications and news media, Kapone would not have been rescued because the tipster would not have known anything about his disappearence! Thanks also to Director Buddy Chapman who gave Kapone tipsters a designated phone number to call with their tips.
Merry Christmas to everyone that helped out even a little bit … and ven if you didn’t. I’m so happy for Kapone and Kapone’s family that they get to spend another Christmas together.
Jackie and I will continue to attend the court cases of former ACO Hogan. However many there are.
There is no need to thank me for anything, that is what we do. We don’t need any thanks, just seeing former ACO Hogan in court, forced to look at the Shoups and Max’s owners and then for her to receive the maximum if she is found guilty is our thanks.
We are all overjoyed to have Kapone home but as you pointed out we have to have a greater objective than just the return of Kapone and that is to prevent this from ever happening again and to force reform at Memphis Animal Services.
And my goodness, look at the joy on Adian’s face…there is no better holiday gift.
Look at Kapone… if THAT isn’t joy….
awesome! huge kudo’s to you and the others who persisted till Kapone was found. I for one was sure there was no chance that he was still alive and I am so very very very glad I was wrong.
Now I just can’t wait to hear the “rest of the story”… how he ended up at that location and who the tipster was (and is it really true he/she turned down the reward?)
Love that photo! So surprised and happy he is back home. Wish all missing dogs could be found.
Really would love to know the full story behind why/how and for what he was taken.
I didn’t spell it out enough, but I surely mean EVERYONE, who was even a tiny bit involved, getting Kapone home has my heartfelt Thank You.
Don’t think I/we/us/everyone isn’t totally grateful for EVERYTHING done throughout the year to help each & every canine, feline, equine, bird, rodent, mammal or fish. I can’t thank everyone enough. My gratitude is shown in how I will always treat & help every animal the best I possibly can. I think you all will too.
Where’s Kapone? HOME!
Happy Holidays!
I wanted to add..”Princess” the dog that has been missing in Sanford, NC was found today.. this was truly a miracle also. For those of you on FB It’s posted on my wall.
I wonder if ACO Hogan really sold the dog or did somebody else inside the shelter do it?
The investigation reportedly revealed that the ACO never brought Kapone into MAS. So that would leave the finger of blame pointing solely at her and thus, the criminal charges.
so has the people that had Kapone explained how they got the dog?
I never let go of the idea that Kapone was alive. That he is so handsome and intact [ :-(( ] made him a prime target for backyard breeders. I am overjoyed that he made it home. Thank you to EVERYONE who was involved in finding him. I knew you would.
Many thanks to Beverly King and Cindy Sanders for finding and retrieving Kapone. I hope he will be better soon and receive better treatment than he did in the past.
Wow! Im so glad that is back home alive, safe, happy and healthy!! What a wonderful thing to hear, especially around the holidays!
I look forward to hearing what Ms Hogan has to say for herself, what/if charges are pressed against her and all of that stuff, in the future.
So it seems the story about Kapone’s whereabouts in Senatobia and his journey there is considered a cold case.
http://www.topix.com/city/senatobia-ms/2012/01/kapones-case-goes-cold
The person living at the house where Kapone was found didn’t show up at the police station to make his statement – why am I not surprised? He even disappeared – no kiddin’. I wonder has the police even made an effort to find that person? So now it’s up to the anonymous tipper.
This stinks, stinks, stinks.
I have forgotten.. did anyone ever claim the reward?
The last I remember reading in the media was the the tipster was offered the reward and initially declined. The tipster was then asked to accept a portion of the reward but I don’t remember seeing any further news reports mentioning the subject.
The guy is a suspect in a crime – the cops in Senatobia obviously have his NAME, so why are they not searching for him? I’d be happy to volunteer my time to find him, just as long as I don’t have to vouch for his safety once I do find him. And if THAT happens, I might move on to bigger and better targets, like AC and Hooks….hmmm, maybe I should consider a new line of work, huh?