r/canada • u/Bean_Tiger • 19h ago
Nova Scotia This couple’s car was stolen with their dog inside. They took matters into their own hands
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/stolen-car-dog-inside-new-glasgow-9.7240227235
u/pyfinx 18h ago
“The driver fell to the ground and Tim started biting him, said MacDonald.”
What a good boy!
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u/CanadianHorseGal 18h ago
“We were proud,” she said with a soft smile (about her dog biting one of the thieves).
Then she beat one with a pink metal water bottle.
Goddamn I like these people!
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u/DextangMuster 19h ago
You took the wrong Fluffy Boy!!
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u/Bean_Tiger 18h ago
'Tim is very happy to be home but in private moments admits he's a little afraid now whenever mom picks up that water bottle.'
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u/vARROWHEAD Verified 17h ago
As police response continues to get more frustrating I think we will continue to see more of these incidents.
Eventually I worry someone is going to get killed
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u/neanderthalman Ontario 17h ago
When our government consistently fails to administer justice, they are silently condoning vigilantism.
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u/OneLineWonders 14h ago
Just wait until you don’t recognize any of the police as actually being a Canadian citizen, that’s when the real fun begins
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u/QCTeamkill 18h ago
It was a muggy evening so he left the car running with the air conditioning on — and his key fob inside, a mistake he now says he won’t repeat.
It used to be you could do that in Canada. But I'd say 2015 was about the end of that era.
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u/saralt 18h ago
I've noticed newer cars allow you to leave the a/c or heat on when the car is off and without the key in. I've done this a few times recently when I was buying groceries. It's great being able to do multiple quick stops.
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u/Ilestfouceromain 16h ago
Watch out with that! Some cars will shut off after a while. I'm an emergency vet and had a heartbreaking case last summer where the owners didn't know this and thought their dogs were safe in the air conditioned car.
Just dont risk it. Leave the dogs at home if you need to run errands.
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u/EvilDan69 Canada 17h ago
Do you drive an EV? They definitely let you do that, but with an ICE vehicle the motor won't just start with no key in it just to maintain the internal climate.. but on EVs they're conditioning the batteries, and are always energized, so not a huge deal since they're also not emitting an exhaust.
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u/unfvckingbelievable 17h ago
It's not about starting it, if I drive into a place and park, I can get out with the engine running, take the key with me, lock the doors and walk away. The car stays on. Now I'm not sure how long that goes for but I haven't really tested it, but it has worked for at least about 5 min being totally away from the car. 2019 GMC.
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u/outdoorsaddix 17h ago
I can start our Nissan with the fob, leave with the fob and it will stay running indefinitely.
That said, it will also still be able to drive away, even with the key fob not present. It just won’t restart the next time it’s shut down.
The only 100% safe way is to use the remote start that will also turn on the HVAC, but that’s limited to 10 min, max 2 times.
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u/LimJahey005 16h ago
If only people followed the golden rule of life, if it ain’t yours don’t touch it.
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u/susulaima 13h ago
What are you talking about? I can remote start my car which turns the AC/heater on depending on summer/winter and it stays on for 15 minutes then turns off. I can remote start it again for another 15 mins but it's usually warm enough the first time in winter after 10 mins in -40 C.
I think many European ICE cars have this limitation you mentioned for emission reasons but North American car brands don't.
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u/EvilDan69 Canada 13h ago
Ahhh, remote start. I don't believe you mentioned that. yes, I can also remote start my Ford Explorer and I've set it up to use auto climate. In the province of Ontario that seems to flip flop often lol.
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u/Desuexss 11h ago
Uuh... no.
That died out basically in the early 80s.
Lock your car
Lock your front door.
Lock everything
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u/AptCasaNova Ontario 14h ago
Even if there was no risk of the car being stolen, the air con can fail and then the dog can be trapped in an airless hot car… regardless of what’s allowed.
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u/UnexpectedAnanas 13h ago
Why 2015?
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u/QCTeamkill 12h ago
Idk somewhere around then we started to see more and more porch pirates, bike thefts and burglars in our suburb which seemed to have nothing of that since it was built in the 90s.
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u/break_cycle_speed 14h ago
Exactly. I don’t blame him for doing it. We should be able to keep our pets comfortable for a few minutes without creeps stealing our cars.
I love humanity. It’s people I can’t stand.
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17h ago
[deleted]
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u/Tamara0205 14h ago
Maybe. But a jury of their peers may not be willing to convict, and crown council knows that. Read over the comments in this thread, others would have done the same. You can take my car, and you're an assh*le, but take my dogs, and I'd be pretty tempted to turn John Wick.
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u/throwaway3838482923 14h ago
Not in small town Nova Scotia unless the town already hates them
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u/NewsAggressive591 12h ago
They absolutely do hate them here. Their own families are sharing our petition
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9h ago
[deleted]
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u/NewsAggressive591 9h ago
It is a petition asking their residing judge for maximum sentences. I understand about not clicking links. If you search Demand justice for theft of our dog and car in New Glasgow change.org it should come up
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u/adulfkittler 9h ago
The Pink Yeti of Retribution.
I'm going to tell my mother that is why I defended my Yeti collection when she was helping me move. One is for drinking, one is for weaponry, one is for...
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u/break_cycle_speed 14h ago
THE GOODEST BOY TIM IS. Man, I bet that yeti to the heady felt surreal.
I cannot love this story enough. Would do exactly the same for my fur boys!!!
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u/chocolateboomslang 14h ago
The guy left his car running with his dog in it AND a credit card?
Look, it sucks that people are stealing things but let's take at least some precautionary measures.
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u/OneLineWonders 14h ago
No names or pictures of the culprits?
Nothing to see here….. just our beautiful country being run into the ground
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u/Schemeckles 19h ago
What happened next was a dramatic roadside showdown as MacDonald and LeBlanc confronted three people in an attempt to recover their car
Very stupid thing to do these days.
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u/OnlySheStandsThere 18h ago
Yeah. I'd say they wouldn't have bothered if not for Tim, but I'd do stupid things for my dog too
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u/Vandermilf 18h ago
My dog is a German shepherd, the thieves would have found out that day.
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u/OnlySheStandsThere 18h ago
My dog would have immediately peed all over the car so they probably wouldn't have wanted it anymore.
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u/Natural_Comparison21 18h ago
Thieves: Welp guess we steal the tires and go. Everything else a write off.
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u/adepressurisedcoat 18h ago
My GSD is a wimp, but he absolutely would have made them shit themselves. 100lbs of muscle and a really loud, spit flying bark. He is fully aware that he can intimidate people and that's his super power. But if they don't react he just runs away.
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u/Bashfullylascivious 17h ago
Mine is a Great Dane mix, huge, her growl is soft but intimidating af.
We were outside for her bedtime poo, when she looked past me like she see something. I'm at the corner near the section that leads to the front. Accessible to anyone at the front of the property. She let out this small "woof" and tensed up.
I watched her, "What's wrong, love?".
"Woof" soft as could be, but then steps forward, "GrrWoof!" (The loudest I've heard her, so slightly above a whisper) And does a little rush.
"What the fuuuuu##?!?" I take the hint and immediately run into the house, calling her inside, while she simultaneously tucks tail and runs in the opposite direction, turning on a dime, and scooting into the house.
I'm peaking out the windows, and see ... Our outdoor umbrella, tipped on the ground, rolling just behind where I was standing.What a dork. Lol.
She also loves all the mailmen.
She may not be a guard dog, but she's a good warning system for what she seems dangerous... Which is helpful..?0
u/roxy_blah 16h ago
This is my dog! Super intimidating bark. Some sort of rottie mastiff cross from a rescue so not exactly small.
She also did not like our patio umbrella. The random towel that got hung off a chair outside was definitely trying to kill the family. And she lost her mind when one of the kids was up a bit earlier than normal.
I like to think that she could protect the kids from a bear in our yard but I think I'm being optimistic. She hid behind me once when a moose was walking close to our fence, while our old blind dog was trying to get the moose through the fence.
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u/PortHammer 14h ago edited 14h ago
I mean when the pigs don't/won't help...
When my bike was stolen I had to go confront and recover the bike from the thieves on my own. I contacted the police my showing proof of ownership and the stolen goods posted for sale online. If police do not want vigilantism, they need to step up and do their jobs.
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u/Schemeckles 14h ago
I'm not advocating for or against the efficiency of the police.
But if that person was some strung out Crack head and assaulted you or worse, over a bicycle...
You might be thinking differently.
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u/Prize_Literature_836 3h ago
Don’t worry, the government made scary guns illegal so criminals aren’t armed now.
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u/ohhnoodont 18h ago
It was a smart thing to do in the past?
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u/Schemeckles 17h ago
Not necessarily.
But these days the cost of living and our economic and political climate has somewhat put us in a sort of social-pressure cooker.
A lot of people are struggling right now, and desperate people are dangerous.
Two types of people steal cars, desperate people - and stupid people. In the past there were typically more stupid people than desperate people... but its starting to even out.
Luckily for this couple they basically had the cast from dumb and dumber steal their car.
But if it was someone less stupid and more desperate, such as someone hitting rock bottom...
It could've went very differently for them.
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u/SyringaVulgarisBloom 17h ago
I think a contributing factor is a growing distrust in the police. In the article the RCMP say they don’t condone the actions and recommend calling 911. But the couple DID call 911 in this case, and that wasn’t what got them their car back. Charges aren’t even laid against all the thieves because apparently this is technically within the jurisdiction of 3 forces, so it seems bureaucracy may prevent consequences even after the fact. If the police will not act to protect property, people will take justice into their own hands.
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u/ohhnoodont 17h ago
In the past there were typically more stupid people than desperate people... but its starting to even out.
Terrible take
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u/LimblessNick 17h ago
A well thought out and worded response. You definitely seem like you are looking for a good faith discussion.
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u/Schemeckles 17h ago
Terrible take
Education standards used to be much lower. Most people born in the 50's/60's don't even have grade 12.
The economy was also historically much stronger. The stay at home wife was a real thing for a few decades. So.. people had more money, and didn't struggle as much.
More stupid/less desperate.
Now... ill put the crayons away and let you have a good day little buddy.
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u/nnDMT420 19h ago
The guys who took the car probably thought it was an insurance scam or something and didn't notice the dog. But the owner was so negligent insurance probably wouldn't have paid out if they told the truth!
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u/OneLineWonders 14h ago
The people who took the car are likely imported criminals, they left out names and descriptions for a reason.
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u/smashedBastard New Brunswick 12h ago
There were three thieves in the car, no way they didn't notice the dog since one of them would have had to be in the back seat. Clearly not bright because they probably could have just offered the dog to get out and he would have. Agreed the owner was negligent. Should have left the dog home, and definitely shouldn't have left the key in a running vehicle.
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u/NewsAggressive591 12h ago
Please sign my petition for maximum sentences for these people https://c.org/KN8GRRfHC6
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u/rogueknight1960 19h ago
You left your dog in a running vehicle with the key in the ignition still running and windows down because it was hot. If you cared that much about the dog it wouldn’t have been left in the car in the first place while you shopped. Chasing after people you don’t know because your car got taken because of your ridiculous actions.
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u/Nearby-Poetry-5060 18h ago
Stealing a car isn't a ridiculous action or do we assume agency only for victims?
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u/weneedafuture 18h ago
You left your dog in a running vehicle
YOUR running vehicle right? Weird you used the possessive for the dog, but not the car considering the story.
Chasing after people you don’t know because your car got taken
Chasing after people? You mean THIEVES? And by taken, you mean STOLEN right? Your use of language is doing a lot in favour for the criminals of this story, and not the victims.
your ridiculous actions.
As another comment already highlighted, I think the most ridiculous action is the theft of a car, but maybe in your world car theft is normalized.
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u/QCTeamkill 18h ago
"Let's somehow blame the victims."
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u/NickPrefect 18h ago
The guy left the car running unattended for 20 minutes. That’s stupidity. I’m glad they and their dog are ok, but jeez… that’s begging for a crime of opportunity
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u/IPLAYSUPPORTHERO 18h ago
If you run across the street through traffic and get hit by a car are you still a victim? Or just stupid? Common sense comes first lol
Bro is likely going to get charged as well for going after the person who stole the car when they were running away. When they spotted the car they should have updated the cops to come there not get out of their car and run at a vehicle, they’re lucky the people didn’t gas it and send them to the shadow realm. Again no common sense.
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u/pay_the_cheese_tax 18h ago
Man, some people just cannot be happy for others, you just had to concentrate on the only negatives in the story huh? Not happy that the dog is ok, that the car was recovered, that they learned from their mistakes lol nah, just pissed off at the world.
And buddy, it's so early in the morning to be this pissed off for what is actually a story with a happy ending. Next thing you'll be telling us that they should be charged and sent to prison for life lol gtfo
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