By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
After nearly a month of being gone, Golden Retrievers Henry and Anna are back home.
“I want to thank the whole Ortonville community for all of the support and caring that they have shown over the past month,” said Sally Culp, owner of Anna. “I didn’t realize how passionate people are about their dogs. Just how much we appreciate this community. I think living in a small town like this really has it’s advantages in that so many people are willing to help each other out.”
Culp and her daughter Sarah discovered on May 22 that their two goldens were missing from the back porch. They called the police the following day to report that their dogs were missing following a report of someone in a pickup truck taking two goldens.
According to the police report, deputies did a follow up after someone reached out to Culp to say they were the ones who picked up the dogs. One of the dogs had a tag that had a phone number to contact an area breeder who was Anna’s breeder.

The boy also explained that he and a friend had called the breeder and met with her to turn over the dogs. She said that she had recovered those two several times and planned on keeping them. His friend stated that the breeder had told them she was going to adopt out the male dog and send the female out for training. He called the breeder a week later and asked if he could adopt the male dog, but the breeder told him she already adopted him out.
Deputies called the breeder on June 9, and she stated she had not seen the dogs since they got loose the first time. She stated she had returned them six or seven times, and became agitated when deputies questioned her answers. She told them they could come look for the dogs on her property. Deputies continued to question her answers, and she became agitated and hung up. Shortly after, dispatch received a call from the breeder to request a check for someone impersonating police and harassing her about the dogs. Deputies explained to her that they were, in fact, police.
Culp stated she had reached out to the breeder and notified her the dogs were missing, and had received tests from the breeder saying she had not seen the dogs or heard anything. Culp also admitted that the dogs had gotten loose before, and the breeder returned them, but only one time. She also said that after deputies spoke with the breeder, she began getting text messages from the breeder about not seeing her dogs.
On June 11, deputies went to the breeder’s home for a follow up. She explained that she never met with the boys but frequently does business in the area so it might be why the boys recognized her van. She also explained she had returned the dogs once before. When asked why two witnesses would say that she met with them, she said people were upset with her about refusing to adopt dogs out. She said she had been trying to help Culp find the dogs. She stated that according to her contracts she has with buyers, dogs must be trained by a certain age or it violates the contract.

She was advised that the male golden was not bought from her so she could not just take the dog. She continued to say she hadn’t seen them, but did say she adopted out a male dog to a family. She was given the opportunity to turn the dogs over, but she stated she had no involvement. After confirming with the witnesses that the breeder was who they turned the dogs over to, deputies issued her a citation for larceny, given to a woman who said that she was her daughter and had no clue where her mother was. Deputies advised her to have her mother call them, and followed up with a phone call to the breeder. She said she did not receive her citation and that she had already spoken with her attorney. She never said she didn’t take the dogs, but continued to say she didn’t have them. She was advised to contact the people that have the dogs and return them and she refused.
However, on June 15, Culp and her family returned home after visiting her son. Her back door was open, and while she was inside, she heard animal footsteps and saw her golden, Anna, walking around in the house.
“She was covered with wet, black dirt, which made me think she had found her way home, but then I got a good look at her and she was dry underneath and on her paws,” said Culp. “We figured someone had just dropped her off in the driveway and she pushed the unlocked back door open and got in.”
Though Anna had been shaved, she had been bathed and fed while away.
On June 19, a woman and her children saw a male golden running down Hadley Road, and recognized him. They called him by name, and Henry jumped in their car. He was returned that morning to Sarah, his owner.
“It was a very happy reunion,” said Culp. “They have been inseparable, haven’t left each other’s sight.”
She said Henry had been badly clipped, she said like a child used scissors to cut his fur.
A court date has not been set for the breeder, but Culp plans to continue with pressing charges.