February 23, 2000
Going to the dogs
By Jefferson Wolfe
Staff Writer
Charges are pending on a Sycamore man who, authorities say, broke into the Humane Society Animal Shelter in Tiffin last week to steal a puppy.
Tiffin Det. Michael Marquis said officers conducted a warranted search Tuesday afternoon at the home of Michael Gobs, 5096 TH 11, Sycamore. Wyandot County Sheriff Michael Hetzel was involved in the search as well.
"Nobody was arrested, but charges are pending," Marquis said. "We recovered one of the dogs that was stolen from the animal shelter. We're still missing one."
A 10-12 week old puppy missing since the break-in was recovered, but an adult Jack Russell terrier was not. Marquis said the terrier was dropped off on a county road southeast of Upper Sandusky.
The two dogs were the only ones still missing from the break-in at the Animal Shelter the evening of Feb 17. When police arrived, many dogs were loose inside the fence and some were outside. Three holes had been cut in the fence.
The investigation revealed that Gobs' family pet had to be put to sleep last week, Marquis said. On Feb. 16, Gobs told his daughter he would bring home a new dog, and went to the Tiffin animal shelter, the detective said.
Humane Society officials had to do a veterinary check because Gobs also owned a cat, Marquis said. The check is done with the prospective owner's veterinarian to ensure other animals in a home are in good health and have had all their shots. Gobs was told to come back the next day.
Instead, Gobs tried to get a friend to adopt the dog for him, Marquis said. The friend, who lives in a rented home, also was told to return the next day with a letter from his landlord saying a pet was permitted in the residence.
Marquis said these procedures are not designed to prevent people from getting a pet, but to ensure the pet will have a good home and will not have to be returned to the shelter after a few days.
"So, he got mad, went out and got the tools he used that night, and broke in," Marquis said. Police recovered a pair of bolt cutters and a fencing tool from the scene.
The words "PETA," "SPCA," and "Greenpeace" were spray-painted on the building. Marquis said Gobs' motive was to steal a puppy and the vandalism was used to throw police off the track.
Coincidentally, another Tiffin police officer, Dave Horn, arrested Gobs for DUI that night on his way home with the dogs in his van, Marquis said. Gobs was taken to the Seneca County Jail and another of his friends picked him up.
"The DUI arrest was before we got the call at the shelter," Marquis said, so, at that time, police were unaware of the break-in. The dogs in the van did not seem unusual, he said, because many people travel with their pets in their vehicles.
"We didn't put two and two together until after we got an anonymous tip," Marquis said.
Apparently, the terrier was an accidental occupant, Marquis said. Gobs intended to steal the puppy, he said, but there were a number of dogs that ran into his van. He managed to get them almost all of them out, but the terrier became a stowaway.