KPHO and other news outlets reported that Rags, a deaf English Sheepdog stolen from his Alabama home in December 2023, was found in Maricopa, Arizona, just after Christmas 2024. The recovery followed an anonymous tip to Silverhill Police in Alabama, who coordinated with Maricopa Police to locate the dog.

Surveillance footage had captured a masked individual taking Rags from his home in Silverhill, sparking a yearlong search. Authorities discovered that the individuals in Arizona with Rags were connected to his original owners, who had reportedly put him up for adoption before filing a custody lawsuit.

The motive for the theft remains under investigation, but Rags was successfully reunited with his owner, Olivia Gardner after she flew to Arizona. Gardner plans to return Rags to Alabama to reunite him with her family. Authorities have described the reunion as a heartwarming conclusion to a complex case.