AHOSKIE – Kimberly Jones is happy to have three of her puppies back home, but that didn’t stop her from continuing to grieve over the loss of three others.

Jones was a victim of a “dog-napping” last month where three of her six Pit Bull puppies were stolen from her Hall Siding Road residence. Thanks to the work of Hertford County Sheriff’s Investigator Dexter Hayes, three of the stolen pups have been recovered and a Murfreesboro man charged in the case.

Hertford County Sheriff Juan Vaughan said that 22-year-old Antonio Lorenzo Holley of 130 Mapleton Road was arrested late last month on the charges of larceny of dogs and possession of stolen property. Holley was placed under a $10,000 secured bond and has made his first court appearance.

Jones praised the work of the local sheriff’s office.

“I can’t thank Deputy Hayes enough for what he did. He stayed in contact with me throughout this and he was a great help to me,” she said.

Jones said her puppies went missing in early January while she and her husband were out walking the couple’s adult dogs.

“We had a brief break in the cold weather that day and I took the puppies from out of the house and put them outside in the kennel so they could enjoy some sunshine for a change,” Jones recalled. “When we got home from our walk, we saw the (kennel’s) cage door wide open and the puppies were gone. I fell to my knees crying. I felt so betrayed and violated; you can’t even enjoy a walk down the road without someone coming into your yard and stealing your belongings.”

Jones said she was a dog lover and her animals were part of the family.

“Sure, we sell some of the puppies once they’re old enough, but we’re very particular about who we sell them to,” she stressed. “Pit Bulls have gotten such a bad rap because everyone believes they’re so mean and aggressive. Any dog can be that way if you raise them that way. Our dogs are loving animals and we’ll only sell them to people who will love and care for them.”

Jones added that this wasn’t the first time she has been the victim of stolen dogs.

“When we lived in Bertie County we had 13 stolen at one time, the puppies plus the mother and father,” she recalled. “We never got those dogs back. Pit Bull thefts are very common and it’s very sad that society has progressed to this point.”