Last 2 Stolen Puppies Found Safe, Back with Owners

KENDALL COUNTY, IL — A Newark couple got the happy ending they were hoping for Monday, when the final two of six puppies stolen from their barn were handed back to them, safe and sound.

The search started last week, when the puppies were plucked from their pen Thursday. Owner Cindy Benson turned to Facebook to spread the word about her beloved babies, pleading with everyone to keep an eye out for the Black Mouth Cur pups. The hunt took a tragic turn Friday, when three of the puppies were found dead outside a Target store in Warrenville. A fourth was found alive.

Onlookers continued to share the family's post, with updates from the Kendall County Sheriff's Office. The story appealed to far corners of the social media realm as dog lovers rooted for the pups to be found.

Word reached Chicago, where a good samaritan spotted the puppies in a park. That man contacted his vet at Duke Animal Hospital for an exam for the 7-week-old dogs. One of the vet techs recognized the puppies from the pictures of those that were stolen, and called police. The puppies were found to be in good health. The man's identity is not currently known.

Benson identified them as hers, and home they went. The Kendall County Sheriff's Office via social media thanked the public for its help.

"We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to the public, who thankfully flooded our inbox with tips that proved invaluable in this case."