Dogged persistence helps pet detectives locate missing animals

Puzzling development

In the case of M Bean, it was evident to Zhao that the dog was no longer in Li's home. Surveillance footage revealed that the little dog had run around the residential complex several times without encountering its owner and had eventually dashed out of the compound.

However, what puzzled everyone was the absence of any further sightings of the dog by the surveillance cameras 200 meters away on either side of the community's entrance.

"It couldn't just disappear into thin air, could it?" Zhao asked himself.

He had no choice but to review the surveillance footage of the last time M Bean had been seen. This time, he noticed a man who seemed fixated on the animal. When the dog disappeared from the camera's view, the man swiftly followed, walking out of the frame as well. After several seconds, the man reappeared, holding M Bean in his arms. Just as he reached the roadside, a black Ford SUV arrived. The man got into the car and it drove away.

However, the night shots made it difficult for Zhao to catch a glimpse of the license plate number. To make matters worse, the cameras that could have provided a clearer view were malfunctioning. As he watched the car approach a highway, Zhao felt a wave of despair wash over him.

Gaining access to surveillance footage is no simple task for pet detectives. Sometimes, the jurisdiction of cameras on different sides of a street falls under the responsibility of different police stations, requiring additional time for negotiation. Malfunctioning cameras and a lack of maintenance can further hinder the process.

Not everyone can grasp the lengths people will go to locate a lost pet. When Li, the pet owner, sought access to footage at the local police station, she was met with amusement as the officers jokingly questioned the value of such an endeavor for "just a dog".

Just as he was about to give up, Zhao suddenly remembered his previous searches for cats and dogs in the same area. He recalled that a large camera was installed on the road the black SUV had passed down. He hoped that it would have a powerful light-suppression feature that could potentially enhance the visibility of the license plate at night.

He went to the police station, but as often was the case, he was denied access to the surveillance footage because he was "only" looking for a dog.

However, when he shared Li's story, telling the officers about how her husband had recently died and how the dog was a genuine source of comfort, they relented.

The license plate number finally appeared. After checking the records, Zhao discovered the name and phone number of the owner of the vehicle, which was registered in Anhui province, about 1,000 kilometers from Beijing. Then, Zhao called the car owner.