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Article Archive > Pair facing canine kidnap charge Pair facing canine kidnap charge FARMINGDALE - A 52-year-old Farmingdale man and his 21-year-old daughter have been charged with stealing a Jack Russell terrier named Scamp, State Police said. They have filed theft charges against John and Kristine Paradise of Maple Avenue while the Monmouth County SPCA charged the father and daughter with abandonment of the animal. The 6-year-old dog has been missing since Saturday, authorities said. Victor "Buddy" Amato, the chief of police for the Monmouth County SPCA, located in Eatontown, said searchers have scoured the wooded area between the homes of the dog owner and the Paradise family, but the dog is still missing. "There's been a lot of effort trying to track this dog down," he said. The dog's owner, Lisa Myer, 49, said she has had previous disagreements over the Jack Russell terrier with the Paradise family. On Saturday, Myer, of Belmar Boulevard in Howell, left a window open while she was doing yard work, and Scamp jumped out, she said. "I'm very upset," said Myer, who has four other mixed-breed dogs. "He's the love of my life." A park ranger found the dog and called the telephone number on a tag hooked to its collar, but no one answered, according to State Police at the Allenwood barracks, who are handling the investigation. As he stood outside with the dog, a truck pulled up and a woman - later identified as Kristine Paradise - got out of the passenger side of the vehicle, and called the dog's name, then took the animal, State Police said. Later that day, Myer - who realized the park ranger had called her when she saw his number on her caller ID - called him. The ranger explained that he had found the dog, but he believed he had turned the terrier over to its owner. State Police were called, and Trooper James Glass handled the investigation. Myer said Scamp had chased a feral cat into the Paradise house 2 1/2 years ago, and the dog killed the cat. She said that incident was one of several disagreements that she has had with the Paradise family over her dog. Eventually the two sides wound up in court, where a judge initially ordered Scamp be euthanized, but then allowed Myer to take her dog home under certain conditions, including paying for a vicious-dog license, she said. A message left on the Paradise's answering machine was not immediately returned. Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Glass at (732) 681-1874. |