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Brockton dog missing for three months found after traffic stop, arrest
Speedy, as she’s called, was found in the backseat of a car that was pulled over. The driver was arrested for assault and battery, among other charges.
A dog that went missing in November was found in the car of a person who was arrested after a traffic stop last week, officials said.
Speedy, as the dog is called, was reported missing to Brockton’s Animal Control Department (BACD) in November of 2023, a post on the department’s Facebook page said. The owner called the department “frequently” to see if Speedy had been found, but there were no updates on her location until this past week.
“…it seemed like Speedy may never get back home,” BACD wrote in the post.
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On Feb. 5, a Brockton police sergeant conducted a traffic stop and arrested a 32-year-old for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, trespassing, operating to endanger, and driving without a license, Brockton Police Department’s Director of Communications Darren Duarte said in a statement.
A dog was found in the backseat of the car, and police called animal control to get the dog rehomed. It is not clear how Speedy ended up in the person’s possession.
“After picking up the dog, our Officers had scanned it for a microchip (as is protocol for every animal that comes into our shelter) [and] the chip came back as Speedy!” BACD’s post read.
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Speedy’s family was “excited,” “relieved,” in “disbelief,” and “beyond happy,” BACD and Duarte wrote in their posts.
“I’m shocked and grateful,” Ralph Tilghman, Speedy’s owner, told Duarte. “My five-year-old daughter questioned me last week whether we would ever see Speedy again.”
A video posted by Duarte showed the heartwarming reunion as Speedy excitedly jumped on Tilghman and enthusiastically wagged her tail. Tilghman was equally happy to see Speedy, who picked her up at the shelter earlier than planned, Duarte said.
BACD used the unexpected reunion to remind the community about the importance of microchipping pets and contacting animal control or the police department if an animal goes missing.
For now, the animal shelter said it hopes Speedy will be “spoiled with all the pets and treats she deserves.”
“Tilghman told us he planned to keep the exciting news a secret from his children,” Duarte wrote. “He wanted to experience the priceless expression of surprise on their faces when they returned home and realized their precious dog had finally returned safe and sound.”
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