I’m not sure if this is what happened in this case, but I just want to take this opportunity to caution everyone: dog owners should never leave their dogs unattended. It only takes a minute for your dog to get snatched.

Nobody wants their dog to became bait for training fighting dogs, and this is often what happens to dogs when they are taken in this situation.

I sure hope they find Hambone.

First I think this is a good spot to toss up a problem for someone residing here. Aaron’s comment is not the first time I’ve heard of dogs, especially those like the bull terrier mix here, snatched for bait at dog fighting.

I hope it isn’t the case. Pet theft is a problem in LA and one people need to be reminded of.

I looked at Hambones myspace page.

He ran out into the street in 2006 and was hit by a car after this guy rescued him.

Now he’s stolen from outside a 7-11.

Sounds to be like an irresponsible owner.

My dogs are always on a leash when I walk them so they never run into the street in front of cars.
I would also NEVER leave a loved dog outside a 7-11 while I went inside.

I see this happen a lot – especially at they 7-11 at Santa Monica and Las Palmas.

People shouldn’t get dogs if they don’t know how to treat them.

I agree, I question this guy’s love for his dog. If you truly care about your dog, how could you not think of what the consequences of leaving him unattended and and unprotected by you would be? In front of a 7-11 of all places?
I’m very sad to think of the fate of this dog. As a Bully guardian myself, I go to lengths to make sure my dogs are safe.
This poor dog has already been hit by a car because of this guy’s irresponsibilty and now he is probably in the hands of people who just want to use him for bait. And don’t forget that dogs are stolen and sold for research everyday. There should be no circumstance in which you leave your dog unattended like this.
Hambone deserved for you to protect him and keep him safe. I hope you will think about that in the future whether you are able to get him back or you find another dog.
Ideally I hope he is found and able to go to a better home but chances are he’s gone. He may be suffering, he may be dead. Poor Boo Boo.
Don’t ever forget how disposable Pits are in this city. Everyday, an estimated 200 Pits are put to death in shelters in Los Angeles. And anytime you want to, you can drive through the hood and see the ones which have been discarded, injured after fighting.
The plight of the Pit Bull breaks my heart and here we have another victim.

I completely agree with everyone here about not leaving dogs unattended but give the guy a break! He must be devestated because he let the dog out of his sight for five minutes. Re: getting hit by a car…I looked up Hambone’s myspace, too and it doesn’t mention *how* he got out and ran into the street. (An asshole roommate of mine left the gate open once and I almost watched my dog get hit by a car due to no fault of my own.) And I’m sure if he gets Hambone back or a new dog, he will never-ever let that dog out of his sight. I must say this has been a wake-up call to me to be even more vigilant with my babies. I’m saying a little prayer for Hambone. :(

How dare you guys pass judgement on this guy when he’s suffering? I suppose it makes you feel superior and righteous so you don’t have to confront whatever it is that this is bringing up for you.

This is a wake up call for me, too. It never occurred to me that someone would steal (in my case) a 70 lbs dog from my car. I’ve just always assumed he would bark his head off at anyone who comes near. That’s what he does. But maybe that’s not enough. I will not leave him out of my sight from now on.

My prayers to Eric.

NS – glad you learned your lesson. Lets hope Eric does too.

Leaving a dog in a car or outside a store at any time is a big risk – a good rule of thumb to keep your dog safe is to never leave him/her anywhere you wouldn’t leave a small child.

I know Eric. He is a great guy and loves Hambone more than you will ever know. He is devastated over this. He is not irresponsible. He was naive maybe, but who would have thought somebody would be daring enough to snatch a Pit Bull. Of course, we all know better now.

Eric is doing everything in his power to get his dog back. And as far as Hambone’s accident, it wasn’t Eric’s fault. Hambone darted out of the house. Eric went after him and did all he could to nurse him back to health after the accident. Shit happens. Dogs are unpredictable sometimes. I hope to God Eric gets Hambone back soon. He’s a great dog and Eric is a loving guardian. Stop judging him.

As for the person defending, “Eric”, you aren’t very convincing. I feel bad for the guy but worse for the dog. And I say “irresponsible” would include not making sure your dog is properly secured in your house or yard. A dog is a dog and as a guardian, you have to be prepared for such incidents and do what you can to prevent them. Shit happens but this was a situation in which Eric had control – common sense tells most people to look ahead when making decisions and to consider the consequences – Eric clearly did not do this or maybe worse, maybe he did think of what might happen and just didn’t care. Whan you are a dog guardian, measures have to be taken to make sure they are safe and well cared for and sometimes it is inconvenient but if you want the love of a dog, you owe it to that dog to make sure it is safe and protected. I HATE to think of where poor Hambone is now, all because of some guy’s ignorance/laziness or whatever reason he left his dog alone outside of a busy 7-11 where anyone could do anything to him.
How can you live in L.A., be a pit bull “guardian” and not know of the fighting and horrible things that happen to these dogs? This guy has to be completely oblivious. I hope he learns from this and if he gets Hambone back, he will take better care of him but I somehow feel he won’t get the pup back. I hate to think of how the pup might be suffering at this very moment. It makes me ill so I can’t even go there. It breaks my heart to see his sweet pitty face in the picture on this page.

So nice to know that there are a lot of perfect people in the world…What is it like to never ever make a mistake?

Give this guy a break. His dog and best friend is missing and you are all being too judgmental. I have as Rott that I have left outside of stores and in my car. I will never do this again because of this story and have honestly never felt that anyone would take off with my dog, or that my dog would let them. I am sure poor Hambone was in complete shock when he was grabbed. This is a tragic story and you should only be putting out positive vibes out there and help this guy find his dog instead of judge him.

I agree with ramosenan. This poor guy has been through enough. Even the very best of pet owners have dealt with a dog that bolts off once in a while.First hit by a car and now this. Who worries that someone would steal your dog in a 2min run inside, especially a pit-mix? I wouldn’t try to pet it, let alone get close enough to unhook it. Friendly or not. We take our two Rotties with us everywhere and we have left them outside a quickymart a few times, run in, run out. Not anymore. He cares about this dog that much you can tell from his video. Give him a break and keep an eye out for that Green Van. Pass the word around maybe they can be stopped from stealing someone else’s beloved pet. Let’s find Hambone!!