Police find stolen death-row dogs

Three Vancouver Island women face charges of theftin an apparent case of dog-napping from a doggie death row.

Police were called after someone broke intothe Parksville-Qualicum SPCA Thursday night, then cut the locks off kennels containing two dogs.

Missing were a shepherd cross and Labrador retriever cross that had been seized by authorities more than a year ago from a home in Errington, B.C., near Parksville, as part of a dangerous dog investigation.

After they were seized, the dogs were declared dangerous and sentenced to death. Their owners were awaiting an appeal of that decision.

Following an investigation, the dogs were found and three women from Oceanside, also near Parksville, were arrested, RCMP said in a release Monday. The animals were being cared for at an undisclosed location.

RCMP said they would recommend charges against the women of break and enter, theft under$5,000 and possession of stolen property. They were released on a promise to appear in court May 12.

Parksville is about 125 kilometres northwest of Victoria.