2nd stolen Mar Vista dog found, reunited with owner

MAR VISTA, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Spice, a 3-year-old Poodle mix who was believed to be stolen from a Mar Vista home, has been found and was returned to her owner Thursday.

Sue Downing, the dog's owner, said a young woman called her Thursday because a dog matching the description of Spice had been walking around her neighborhood for the past couple of weeks. The woman sent Downing a photo and it was confirmed to be her missing pet.

"My fabulous coworker Carlos made the grueling drive with me through rush hour traffic to an address in South Central," Downing said in a Facebook post. "Spice was full of kisses and I was full of relief!"

According to Downing, the woman had taken Spice in during the rain and then realized she could have been the dog from a flyer posted at a nearby train station.

Spice was one of two dogs that had gone missing from Downing's Mar Vista home in mid-November. The other dog, a 12-year-old Pomeranian named Penny, was returned to Downing on Nov. 29.

Downing said a woman in the Antelope Valley saw ABC7's story about the dogs on Nov. 28 and realized Penny was a dog her son had bought for his girlfriend.

The young man said he bought Penny in Santa Monica from a man on the street and he had no idea the dog was stolen.

Downing believes a burglar stole her precious pets from her home. She filed a police report with the Los Angeles Police Department, called local animal shelters and looked online to see if her pups may have been up for sale.

She had offered a $2,000 reward for the safe return of her dogs.

"Thank you to everyone [who] has been supportive...My little girls and I are finally back together," Downing said.