Thief takes Smiley the dog from animal shelter in Coupeville

COUPEVILLE — Smiley the dog is still missing.

At the center of a legal battle over his fate, the dog was stolen late Friday or early Saturday from a Coupeville animal shelter. ­Detectives are continuing to search for the animal and the thief, Island County sheriff’s spokesman Ed Wallace said.

On Friday, an Island County judge denied a request by a Freeland couple to keep the shelter from humanely killing Smiley, but ordered the shelter to keep the dog alive pending an appeal.

Now, the couple suing to free Smiley are upset. Animal shelter personnel are upset. And both parties are worried that Smiley could be suffering.

The male, mixed-breed dog is on a prescription diet for urinary tract health. If he eats regular dog food, he could end up in a lot of pain, said Shari Bibich, manager of the nonprofit shelter run by Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation.

“Whoever took Smiley needs to know about his health,” Bibich said. “They also need to know that Smiley is extremely aggressive with cats and small dogs. We don’t want to see any other animals harmed.”

Barbara Moran and her husband Bob Baker were shocked by the theft of Smiley, their lawyer Adam Karp said.

“If this is a high-profile case, why not take steps to ensure his safety? The shelter is responsible for his care,” Karp said.

Whoever broke into the WAIF shelter and took Smiley committed a felony, Wallace said.

A chain-link fence was cut and it looked as if Smiley had been lured out of the kennel with a piece of salami, Bib­ich said. In the 14 years she has been at the shelter, two other dogs had been stolen, she said.

“We have no idea who did this, but so many people are passionate about Smiley,” Bibich said.

Moran and Baker, former animal shelter volunteers and donors, wanted to pay to have Smiley moved to a dog training organization in Snohomish County. WAIF officials wanted to humanely kill the dog because of aggressive behavior and the liability he might pose for the nonprofit organization.

Island County sheriff’s detectives are asking anyone with information about Smiley to call their dispatch center at 360-679-9567.

Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427, gfiege@heraldnet.com.