We are thrilled to report a very happy ending to a tragic story. Do you remember Kapone, the missing Memphis dog we first told you about in our July 21, 2011 eNews? IDA had just added $3,000 to the reward fund for info about Kapone, a family’s adored pit bull, who had been missing since he was picked up by a Memphis Animal Services (MAS) animal control officer. 

Kapone disappeared on June 24, when he and the family’s other dog, Jersey, got out of their fenced yard. Neighbors witnessed both dogs being loaded onto an MAS truck. Over 3,000 IDA members sent emails complaining about MAS to Memphis city officials and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. Click here to read our news release about this from July 2011.

Well, Kapone is now back home for the holidays!
Kapone reunited with his family!

Our dear friend and animal advocate Beverly King learned that yet another dog had simply vanished without a trace of paperwork or documentation after being picked up by Memphis Animal Control. Beverly and associates alerted the media, and helped Kapone’s family push the city to prosecute Animal Control Officer Demetria Hogan for Kapone’s disappearance and the death of another dog Hogan left confined in the back of her city truck. Beverly alerted IDA and we offered a reward. PETA joined us, as did a private source, and the reward grew to $8,000. A banner with the reward information and a photo of Kapone has hung prominently since his disappearance. Just days before Christmas, a tip that Kapone might have been seen in Senatobia, Mississippi broke the case, and, after investigation, Kapone was reunited with his family.

The case is not closed, but is solved, and very satisfying. Kapone is relishing his playtime with his family, while Hogan’s animal cruelty charges are surely to be added to a felony animal abduction charge. We refuse to use the word theft – “theft” is what happens to property, and Kapone is nobody’s property. He is, however, back with his guardians. How awesome this is! Oh, by the way, the tipster has asked for and received only $3,000 of the $8,000 reward.

Additional notes:

Jersey was reunited the day after she was picked up. She was at MAS.

The cloth on Kapone’s neck is his bandana.

Hogan is charged with cruelty. Theft, we don’t know yet.

As far as we can assume, Kapone could have been used for breeding, even at his age. He was unneutered. He was unharmed when found so he hadn’t fought.