PUTNAM, Conn. — Ashlyn Kelly made a quick pit stop at the Walmart in Putnam on her way home Friday afternoon. When she walked out the store 10 minutes later, she discovered her black 2017 Kia Sportage was stolen with her dog Aspyn still inside.
Aspyn, a Dogo Argentino, is Kelly’s best friend and emotional support animal.
“I needed something to help me a little bit when I was in college for my own personal reasons and I always love dogs and I always love big dogs. I grew up with bullmastiffs,” said Kelly.
Aspyn was rescued from New Hampshire but quickly became a part of the family.
“She's completely deaf. She had mastitis all on her stomach, she had wicked bad separation anxiety…she didn't even know how to lay on a dog bed. At first I was overwhelmed, but once we kind of got used to the routine, you know, it just became a part of life and she became my best friend,” said Kelly.
When her car, along with her dog, was stolen from the parking lot, she was devastated.
“The worst part is not knowing where she is, or who has her, or how they're treating her, if she's eaten, if she's you know, if she's outside, if she's in the cold,” said Kelly.
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Shortly after her initial interview with FOX61, Kelly received the news the whole family had been waiting for: an Aspyn sighting.
15 miles south of Putnam in the town of Moosup, a good Samaritan had found Aspyn wandering through the woods and got her dog food and shelter for the night.
“It was a homeless man, and he happened to stumble across Aspyn. I don't know if it's because she ran down there or was dumped down there, but yeah he was a great Samaritan, he took great care of her,” said Kelly.
Aspyn was reunited with the Kelly family Saturday night. The family is grateful for all the support they received from the community and CT Dog Gone Recovery who assisted the family while Aspyn was missing.
Investigators are still looking for Kelly’s 2017 Black Kia Sportage with a license plate of BB35504. Anyone with information is asked to contact Connecticut State Police.
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