Community Corner

Family: Stolen Dog 'Made to Fight'

Harmony, a deaf boxer-American bulldog puppy, is back home; however, she's traumatized from her ordeal, her family tells Patch.

A deaf puppy who had been missing for about two weeks was reunited with her family Monday, Sheyla Thomasson confirmed to Patch in an email.

Harmony, who was in Manhattan Beach on Dec. 27, was found in Lennox, Thomasson told Patch in a phone conversation Tuesday. A person called the phone number listed on one of the many "missing dog" fliers plastered all over the South Bay.

According to a news release from Manhattan Beach Police Department spokeswoman Officer Stephanie Martin, the caller said a family member discovered Harmony on Hawthorne Boulevard near 116th Street.

Find out what's happening in Redondo Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Erin Lovejoy—the director of the Lovejoy Foundation, which received the tip about Harmony's location—and Patrick Thomasson confirmed the puppy was Harmony and brought her home.

She was in bad shape, Sheyla Thomasson said. The veterinarian who examined her said it looked as though the dog had been dragged over concrete. Harmony also had cigarette burns on her body and a bloodied paw, among other injuries.

Find out what's happening in Redondo Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"We're trying to bring her back to health," Thomasson said, noting that the veterinarian said Harmony was "definitely made to fight."

Nevertheless, the prognosis is good. "It's sad. It's very, very sad, but she's doing a lot better today already," Thomasson said. "It's just going to be awhile until she's back to normal."

For the next few days, Harmony is staying with Lovejoy, who fostered the white boxer-American bulldog mix for six weeks before the Thomassons adopted her, and visiting her adopted family several times per day. On Friday, when the Thomasson's children will be out of the house, Harmony will come back for her first night at home, Thomasson said.

"We don't know what [Harmony is] capable of right now because she's been so abused," Thomasson said, noting that Lovejoy's house is a more familiar one for the dog. "Saturday, we'll see how she's doing with Bella [the Thomasson's other dog], and then Sunday, the kids will come back."

The reward, which had grown to more than $4,000 since the puppy's disappearance, will not be paid, Thomasson said.

The people who called about Harmony "didn't want a reward," she said, so all donations made to the fund will be returned.

The MBPD is still investigating, Martin said. The person who took Harmony also stole an iPad, a $25 Visa gift card and about $70 in cash.

When Harmony was stolen, the community rallied around the Thomasson family, who had adopted the dog just before Christmas, by canvassing neighborhoods, posting fliers and increasing the reward.

"The whole community came together tremendously," said Thomasson. "Everybody kept the faith."

Anyone with information on Harmony's disappearance is asked to call MBPD Detective Claudia McShane at 310-802-5130.

Editor's note: This story was originally published Jan. 9 at 11:34 p.m. The publish time has been updated since then.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here