ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — A quick stop at a Diamond Shamrock gas station off 70th Avenue and Federal Boulevard ended in heartbreak for two Adams County roommates battling terminal illness.
Bob Grieve said he was cleaning his car windows Sunday around 4 p.m. at the Diamond Shamrock gas station, when someone jumped into his white 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe and drove off, almost running over his foot while both of his and his roommates’ small Chihuahuas were still inside.
“All of a sudden, he just punched it and squealed the tires and tore out,” said Bob. “This guy stole my car. I tried running after them, but I’m sick and I can’t run.”
One dog, Poopy, belongs to Bob, who’s living with liver failure.
The other, Peanut, belongs to his roommate Philip Jacobi, a stage four cancer patient.
Bob said he’s had Poopy for 15 years, while Philip has had Peanut for 10.
“He’s my best friend. He helps me stay alive. I just want him home,” Bob told FOX31.
Both men said the dogs are their emotional support and constant companions through illness and treatment. Since Sunday, they’ve been checking shelters, calling animal control, and posting nonstop on social media, hoping someone spots their dogs or the stolen SUV.
It’s described as a white 2005 Hyundai Santa Fe with hail damage and a dented front fender.
A spokesperson with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office confirmed they’re investigating. When FOX31 went to the station on Tuesday, the clerk at the front register said the mouse for the store’s surveillance system wasn’t working, meaning they couldn’t access the footage.
For Philip, the last few days have been worrisome.
“They have the mentality of like a three or four-year-old. So, for their, you know, their whole reality to be ripped apart like this, and then not knowing whether, you know, it could have been somebody who threw the dogs out the window and laughed about it, or somebody who’s going to regret it for the rest of their lives, and have no way of knowing. It’s just that uncertainty,” said Philip. “Think about the fact that you’ve got somebody else’s pet, something that’s very important to them, and just ask that you get the dog to a safe place, get him to animal control, get him to a shelter. I just want our dogs back home.”
Deputies ask anyone who sees the vehicle or the missing dogs to call the Adams County Sheriff’s Office at (303) 654-1850.
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