PETA stole and killed a pet dog, owner says

AN animal rights group has allegedly snatched a pet dog and killed it — and the owners are worried there is nothing they can do about it.

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AN animal rights group has inexplicably stolen a pet chihuahua and killed it, the owner says.

Wilbur Cerate said the family pet, named Maya, went missing from their home in Virginia one Saturday in October.

“[My daughter] didn’t want to go to school, she didn’t want to do jobs, she’s crying,” Mr Cerate told WAVY.

Security footage showed a van labelled “PETA” (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) pull into his driveway, the news site reports. Two women got out, snatched Maya from the porch, and put her into the back of the vehicle.

A friend said PETA had been authorised to pick up stray dogs at the trailer park where the Cerates live. But Mr Cerate said the dog was on his property and well cared for.

“I was angry,” he said. “I understand they pick up my dog, if it was in a tree or another place, but this is in my house.”

Searching for answers ... Wilbur Cerate said PETA has not explained why they killed his dog. Picture: WAVY

Three days later, he said the two PETA women came back to his house with a fruit basket and bad news: Maya had been put down.

Mr Cerate took the matter to police and the women were arrested for larceny.

However, the local commonwealth’s attorney dropped the charges because there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute. He said the video didn’t show criminal intent.

With the case stalled, Mr Cerate is concerned the family may never get closure.

“We don’t have an answer about why,” he said.