Thank You For Helping Bring Missing Dog Kapone Home For The Holidays!
January 5th, 2012 | 
Author: 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.
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Posted in Animal Rescue, Animals in Disasters, Featured News, Guardian, Hope Animal Sanctuary, Puppy Mills | 
Tags: abuse, Dogs, Guardian, Mississippi
38 Responses to “Thank You For Helping Bring Missing Dog Kapone Home For The Holidays!”
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Glad he was found. I hope they neuter him now. That may be the sole reason he “disappeared” without paperwork. As for the reward money, I hope the rest was used to help animals or donated to a shelter.
That a wonderful City like Memphis would not make every effort to make the fate of homeless or lost animals an important issue is sickening. The same salary is paid to a kind, decent person who respects the proper care of animals as that of someone who is cruel and improper. It is up to the powers that be to make the correct choice. The time has come where citizens must be the ones to demand professional but more importantly kind treatment of stray and unwanted creatures. Just because these creatures can’t talk does not mean that they don’t feel fear, pain and suffering. We, as human beings, should be better than allowing cruelty to happen to our voiceless friends.
Wondering why Kapone isn’t neutered?
Why was the tipster only given $3000 when the reward was for $8000?
They only wanted $3,000 but I hope the $5,000 went to IDA to help others.
Good ending I hope. Why wasn’t this dog fixed by its owners? And is any of the reward $ being used to neuter him now? Pet overpopulation and euthanasia in shelters is the NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATH OF COMPANION ANIMALS with over 4 MILLION killed each and every year. Support Spay/Neuter.
I totally agree with you. Spay and neuter is a big part of the solution to euthanizing companion animals. When will people learn that these animals suffer for their stupidity.
Thanks to all the donors for allowing a reward to be posted for Kapon. Without it, unfortunately, this story would NOT have had a happy ending. Kapone looks so sweet and I am grateful he was able to br reunited with his family. Memphis Animal Shelter has had a long history of shady dealings with pitbulls in particular, and this story has brought that horror to light. All citizens of Shelby County should help be a part of the answer to overcrowded “shelters”. Do NOT buy or breed while shelter dogs die! Adopt – there are plenty of fullblooded dogs in all rescues and shelters, and females do NOT need to have one litter for any health reasons. Spay or neuter your pets so someday thousands of unwanted animals won’t have to suffer and die unloved.
MAS nightmare (for the unfortunate animals who end up there). Take action for the animals!
HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HEAR HAPPY ENDINGS LIKE THIS? I TRUELY THOUGHT KAPONE WOULD NEVER BE SEEN AGAIN GIVEN THAT SO MUCH TIME HAS GONE BY. GLAD HE IS SAFE WITH HIS FAMILY AGAIN ALONG, APPARENTLY WITH HIS BUDDY JERSEY. THANKS FOR THE WONDERFUL UPDATE.
Why was she given a position in MAS in the first place…shouldnt her background
have been checked beforehand? Do they think that little of the care and well being
of the citys animals to put an abuser in a care position? Speechless…
Often aggressive pursuit of justice for an individual case will yield dividends for many as a very cruel animal abuser has been found and stopped and, hopefully, Memphis Animal Services and Tennessee will initiate much needed controls.
Thank goodness for all the good people who care about our animal companions. It is imperative we start teaching our babies, how important animals are to us and NEVER to mistreat them. Children aren’t born haters, they have to be taught. Wouldn’t it be easier to teach love than hate?
I would like to see a follow up telling what if anything has been done to punish this horrendous woman and the city officials that backed up and covered up the cold and heartless manner in which she treated living sentient beings that happen to be dogs unfortunate enough to have crossed her path. At the minimum she needs to be removed immediately from her position—there had better be fines, jail time and classes in learning about canines, and the fact that they too feel pain, fear and sadness. Cold and heartless—and this doesn’t say much about the people above her that allowed her to remain in this position.
Some people should not only lose their job but be prosecuted – HOW DARE a person bring such pain & misery to both animals and their families!!
I wonder how many other dogs have disappeared because of MAS? Great news to hear about Kapone but sad to wonder about Jersey’s fate. Hopefully someone out there with the know how will investigate this further.
The family picked up Jersey at the shelter, expecting Kapone to be there as well. Jersey wasn’t the dog that perished in the truck.
Where was Kapone found — in a private home, in a dogfighting operation, stray on the street, or what? And yes, like everyone else, I want to know what happened to Jersey, and whether Kapone showed signs of any type of injury or abuse. I am absolutely horrified by this story, and can only be glad that Ms. Hogan has permanently destroyed her chances of ever participating in that program again, which is designed only for first-time offenders.
Jersey was retrieved by her guardian the day Kapone was found to be missing. The guardians expected to pick up both dogs from the shelter when they went to reclaim them. The dog found dead in the animal control truck was another animal. Jersey is fine.
Wonderful for Kapone!We need an update on Jersey. What happened to Jersey?
Some people are not good enough for Kapone to poop on.
I am having a crappy day and you made me laugh out loud. You’re absolutely right, and thanks for the laugh.
I read in another article online that she found the other dog at the shelter and picket it up but this one was missing.
Wow, they sure had a horrible creep working at that place. How do they give these people jobs like that when other people are out of jobs.
Happy that Kapone is back home with his family, but I, too, want to know what happened to the other dog, Jersey. Please let us know what her story is!
So glad Kapone found his family again…hate to imagine what happened to Jersey!
So happy that Kapone has come home, but as all others are asking—-What did happen to Jersey?
Great story, but more details are needed.
This never should have happened. It is good that it turned out well for one dog, but what about Jersey? The dog warden should lose her job and be prosecuted for animal cruelty.
And what are the details of the story? What’s the cloth around Kapone’s neck? The brevity of this story is extremely frustrating.
I agree there are too many unanswered questions in this story, but want you to know the cloth you question around Kapone’s neck is likely a kerchief or bandana type collar that some dogs wear. It’s not likely a concern as far as a medical issue.
Glad poor Kapone has been rescued, but what happened to Jersey?
What happened to the second dog,JERSEY,who was taken with Kapone? Like the other two bloggers, I am also very concerned about what happened to her.
What happened to Jersey, Kapones buddy?
Where’s Jersey?!
Wonderful news! But yes, what happened to Jersey? Was she/he found as well and if not, is the search still on?
I am asking, too, what happened to the other dog that was taken, name of Jersey??? Was that the dog that was left to die in the back of the city truck?
Yes, any news on the other dog. I am very happy about Kapone.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER DOG THAT WAS TAKEN, NAMED JERSEY????
I went online and found the answer at several sites….Jersey was found the next day by their owner!! Here is one of the websites; they all said the same thing..Jersey was retrieved the next day by her/his? owner!!
http://www.ohmidog.com/2011/12/26/kapone-a-pit-bull-gets-home-for-christmas/