BILLINGS — A Billings woman is still searching for answers nearlytwo months after one of her dogs was killed in an accident involving a stolen car robbery.
On June 22, Stacey Fitzgerald’s world was turned upside down. She was dropping one of her four dogs off to be groomed at Quirky K-9 Grooming, taking one inside and leaving the others in her vehicle with the air conditioner on. Within seconds, someone stole the car, along with the dogs and her cell phone still inside.
“Thirty seconds, my life changed,” said Fitzgerald. “In the wrong place at the wrong time, trying to do the right thing for my animals. The day that I will regret forever.”
One of those dogs, chihuahua Bijou, was dropped off around the block. For 16 hours, the other two, French bulldogs Posh and Tye, were still missing. She, along with her fiance Mike Reuter and friend Logan Dennison, searched endlessly. After an anonymous tip led them to Pryor, the car was recovered and eventually, the two dogs were found.
“It was about, I think, 2 o'clock in the morning, and we weren't having any luck with the dogs. We were coming out of Pryor, and out on the side of the road was Ty,” said Fitzgerald.
The dogs had likely been thrown out of the car still in their crates. Tye was standing near his sister, but she was found deceased. Her injuries included a broken pelvis, dislocated jaw, and hemorrhaging under her skull. Reuter and Dennison helped to recover the dog.
“I didn't want to look at her. I wanted to remember her the way that I always remember her,” said Fitzgerald.
The incident happened seven weeks ago, but a suspect has yet to be named. Initially, she wanted to remain unidentified but now wants others to know her story so it does not happen again. She has not stopped trying to find who was responsible for the crime and has taken to social media nearly every day, hoping to find closure.
"It was a brutal murder on an innocent dog. They were both in crates. I mean, they couldn't do anything, and plus they're not aggressive dogs. They only know how to love you and be loved. They wouldn't even know to bite anybody or defend themselves," said Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald is an animal lover and has worked for veterinary clinics for many years, treating her pets like family. This incident has left her beyond shocked and heartbroken.
"Why? That's my biggest question. They didn't know me. They didn't know anything about my dogs. My dogs are on medication. They are on urinary diets. I mean, the amount of time that has been invested with my pets. It's just heartbreaking,” said Fitzgerald.
Tye had injuries that were treated that day at Moore Lane Veterinary Hospital. One of his toes was bleeding badly, and he later lost his nail but has made a recovery, occasionally walking with a limp. However, Fitzgerald said he has not been the same without his sister.
“He's depressed in the house. He misses his sidekick, his annoying little sister. They were best friends, but he's definitely more needy. He's kind of sulks in his bed and frumps down more than he did before,” said Fitzgerald.
She quickly received support from her coworkers at Vet-To-Go veterinary clinic through a GoFundMe and has seen many others reach out to her. She is grateful for the support from others she and her family have received through the difficult time, both from those close to her and those who only knew her story.
"The community has been amazing. From the vet clinics to Vet-To-Go, Dr. Lamm, through all of my coworkers, through all of our friends," said Fitzgerald. "People have donated their time going throughout the community, searching and looking and trying to figure out the location on these criminals.”
While she is still without answers, she hopes that someone will come forward to her or the police soon with any information about the possible suspect.
"We just want to keep the community involved with this so we can bring forward the criminals and have them arrested and prosecuted the way they need to. So the community can be safe and get justice for Posh," said Fitzgerald.
She is glad she still has her pets Tye and Bijou safe, but the incident has forever changed her life.
“I'm not the same person, I will never be the same person. There's Posh missing, she was our little piece to our puzzle,” said Fitzgerald. “We just want justice so this doesn't happen to somebody else.”
