Levi Pislea ordered to carry out 150 hours’ unpaid work
An Amazon driver who stole a dog when he was making a delivery in Buckinghamshire has been given a 12-month community order.
According to BBC News, Levi Pislea, 22, was found guilty of theft by magistrates at High Wycombe and has been ordered to carry out 150 hours’ unpaid work.
Pislea was delivering dog food when he snatched miniature schnauzer Wilma in April 2018. Wilma's owner Richard Guttfield spent four hours and nights searching for her, before emailing the founder of Amazon in desperation.
Amazon tracked down the driver and found that he was employed by FastUK, who are contracted to deliver Amazon parcels.
When questioned by FastUK, Pislea denied going anywhere near the owner’s garden or seeing a dog. An app that tracked the driver’s steps, however, showed Pislea wandering around Mr Guttfield’s home.
When FastUK later visited Pislea’s property he handed over the dog.
In court, Pislea said that he “did not notice any dog” and that he had found the dog wandering on the road. He added that he was worried about the dog’s safety so he took it home and had intended to hand it to the police.
Irvin Thobourne, chairman of the magistrates' bench, said: "You took no steps to make inquiries about the owner of dog. You knew a family were looking for the dog.
"This was very distressing for the owner and his family. We have heard the dog was also distressed. It was a very serious offence.”
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
