“It was heartbreaking,” Mason, who’s had Beast for two weeks, said this morning. “I could care less that my house was broken into and things were missing, all I wanted was this dog back.” Around 3:00 p.m. on Friday, a Des Moines man, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, was approached by two men he did not know who were selling a puppy at a car wash near 23rd Street and University Avenue. The man purchased Beast for $200, not knowing that the dog was stolen.

After seeing media coverage of the theft this morning, the man realized he had purchased the stolen dog and called police to have it returned to Mason, who says she will pay him back for the $200 he spent. Driving to the police station, Mason says she was prepared for the worst. “I was prepared for it not to be him, I just didn’t want to get my hopes up,” she said. “It was amazing, I just could not believe it.”

In addition to the puppy, a flat screen TV and laptop computer, valued at $1,600, also were stolen. A neighbor reported seeing a man get out of a green vehicle, possibly a Toyota Camry, that was parked in Mason’s driveway, according to the report. The neighbor said the man walked to the back of the house. No suspects have been arrested, however police are looking for the two men who sold Beast. Police believe the men may have been driving a green 90s model Chevy Blazer with tinted windows in the back.