French bulldog stolen from Richmond backyard found in Fairfield

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - A dog stolen from a Richmond backyard two months ago was found in Fairfield and reunited with his family on Thursday. 

Richmond police say a good Samaritan recognized Mac, a 18-month-old French bulldog, roughly 30 miles away from his owners. Photos that circulated online helped the unnamed good Samaritan identify Mac. 

“This is a great example of community policing at its finest and the power of social media,” Richmond police wrote in a Facebook post. “Because of your efforts, Mac’s face was thrust into cyber world and turned this negative incident into a story with a positive outcome.” 

In March, police released surveillance video of the dognapping in Richmond. The video shows a man in a backyard opening the dog kennel that housed Mac and four other dogs. The thief ran off carrying Mac and left the back gate open, allowing the other dogs to leave the property. With help from neighbors, all but Mac returned to the kennel. 

Police are said they are looking for 20-year-old Joseph Bagshaw of Richmond. Detectives suspect Bagshaw is responsible for the theft. They’re asking anyone with information to contact Detective Odegaard at 510-965-4966.