By JOHNNY WEEKS jweeks.editor.mt@gmail.comFor some pet owners, a dog or a cat is more than just an animal. Some are considered to be family members. The fear of losing a pet can be unsettling to the owner. But for Katherine Fickling, the fear became very real June 4.Katherine and her husband, Gary, went out to dinner that evening. When they returned to their home on US 301 between Summerton and Manning, Millie greeted them as they pulled into the gate. As she entered their home, Katherine noticed a white van coming up their private drive towards Gary. A female got out of the van and asked Gary if the large dog belonged to him. Gary told her that the dog was in fact their pet. The van and its occupants left the residence. Soon after, Katherine noticed that Millie was not on the porch or in the yard of their home. After a thorough search of the surrounding area, Katherine came to the conclusion that her canine companion was stolen by the people in the white van.After driving in search of the white van, Katherine posted information about the theft of her pet on her personal page on Facebook. The post listed the series of events that led up to the theft of Millie. She described the dog as “our 14 year old light colored 90 pound Golden Retriever.” The plea for help stated that Millie was wearing a collar with Fickling’s name, address and a contact number on the tag. Also present on the collar was a local animal clinic’s rabies tag. Katherine also posted pictures and information in several “pet lovers” Facebook pages and groups. Katherine stated that Millie had a tail that was very short and stubby, which would be easily recognizable if spotted. Also in the description was that Millie has a huge benign fatty tumor on her left side beside her left back leg. She added that a reward was available for information leading to the safe return of her dog. Investigators obtained surveillance video from the nearby gas station. It showed a couple with several small children making purchases at the cash register before returning to their white van. The male used a Florida EBT card to pay for his items. Investigators used the credit card information to track down the couple, who were found to be in possession of Millie. Negotiations were made to have the dog brought back home. The Fickling family gives full credit to the actions of Investigator Robert Shearer of the Clarendon County Sheriffs Office, along with a tip from a woman in Orlando who made a positive identification of the couple that stole the dog. “I am eternally grateful for the messages on Facebook and calls from people all over who gave advice and information that eventually helped in the return of our Millie,” said Katherine. “I was blown away by the amount of outpouring of caring and advice that I got through social media. We are very happy to get her back safe and sound from Florida.”
