Dog owner plays detective to find stolen dog

30/01/2025News

Jann Kingsley from Skeerpoort turned into an amateur detective when her beloved Border Collie Klaas disappeared just before Christmas.

A very happy Klaas is back home with his owner Jann Kinsley.

And her dogged determination paid off last week when she found her pet and the thief who stole him.
Klaas went missing from the Kingsley’s farm on 22 December. “He just disappeared. We posted on all social media platforms and put posters up, but nothing. We have dog-friendly chalets on the farm and Klaas usually visits and plays with the guests’ dogs. When we could not find Klaas after a few days, I started phoning the guests who were on the farm at the time of his disappearance,” Jann said.
Jann tracked all her guests on social media but she could not find one, a man who was a late check-in. On 1 January Jann received a message about a dog that looked like Klaas that was picked up in Randfontein and taken to the SPCA. “The SPCA said it was not my dog. However, last Saturday I drove to Randfontein and visited every SPCA in the Johannesburg area. No luck.”
In the meantime, a security company checked security camera footage near the farm to find details of the guest Jann had not been able to contact. At the same time, Jann finally found the guest’s Facebook profile. “And low and behold, there was Klaas with the guest on Durban beach!”
A frantic search for the guest’s address followed and Jann pulled out all the stops. She finally received an address… in Randfontein near where the lost dog was picked up on 1 January. “I drove there and parked in front of the locked gate. I showed the gardener a photo of Klaas and asked if there was such a dog on the premises. He said no. Just then, the front door opened and a couple of dogs ran out. Klaas was not among them. However, something made me call his name and the next moment he stormed out of the house! I cannot express my happiness, and of course, Klaas was just as happy to see me.”
While Jann was trying to figure out how she was going to get Klaas, the owners of the house stopped at the gate. “They were dumbstruck when I told them Klaas was my dog. They had obviously fallen in love with him and were very upset. He had even visited the doggy parlour. Their son had brought home the dog and they had no idea Klaas was taken. They wanted to buy him from me! I made it clear that Klaas was not for sale and I wanted him immediately. They opened the gate and Klaas was back with me. It was exactly a month, to the day, since he disappeared.”
“I want to express my sincere gratitude to all the animal welfare organisations and the security company that assisted me in my search for Klaas.”