A dog who was stolen at gunpoint in the District over the weekend has been found.
The dog's owner, Zaleena Ahmed, says she was assaulted and had her dog, Max, taken from her Saturday night near the Fort Totten Metro station.
On Tuesday morning, Ahmed shared the good news with News4, saying she was on her way to reunite with Max, her nearly 14-year-old West Highland terrier.
Ahmed says Max is like a family member to her and was incredibly distraught after he was stolen Saturday night.
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It happened about 10 p.m., as Ahmed was walking Max near their apartment complex across the street from the Metro station. That's when they were approached by a man, she said. At first, she thought the man was asking for help. Then he tried to grab Max’s leash.
“I bend down to grab Max, and as I’m bending down to pick him up, I think that’s the first time that he hit me with the gun, and at that point we just start fighting,” Ahmed said.
After a brief struggle, the man took off with Max in a car.
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Ahmed sustained a large gash on her forehead and other bruises on her body. Losing Max was more agonizing.
“He may just be a dog, but he’s like a part of my family,” Ahmed said. “The only piece of family that I actually have out here in D.C.”
In 2018, Ahmed was in a serious car crash that killed her mother. Max was ejected from the vehicle and briefly lost until someone found and returned him. Ahmed said she couldn't imagine life without him.
“I’ve just like leaned on him maybe more than a normal person would, but he just provides that comfort whenever I’m missing my mom,” she said while Max was missing. “It hasn’t really set in that I might never get him back, but I’m hopeful with everyone looking into this it’ll actually happen.”
Ahmed said detectives told her they were reviewing nearby surveillance footage.
Luckily, on Tuesday, she found out that someone spotted Max near the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. That person took him to a police station.
Ahmed says she will bring Max to his vet to evaluate how he's doing.
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