Car Jacking Jimmy Wetch
- Thread starter IRUNRAKS
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Dognapped dachshund back in owner's arms
http://www.twincities.com/ci_7529745
http://www.twincities.com/ci_7529745
Dognapped dachshund back in owner's arms
Minneapolis
BY DAVE ORRICK
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 11/21/2007 11:47:39 PM CST
Jimmy Wetch and his dachshund, JR, have a joyous reunion Wednesday at the Minneapolis Animal Care Center. (BEN GARVIN, Pioneer Press)
First the carjacked wiener dog was rescued from a rough-and-tumble Minneapolis neighborhood Wednesday.
Then he was reunited with his owner.
And when the owner and the rescuer met, grown men were reduced to tears. Now a man who never felt he gave his mother and sister a proper grave, can.
"They should make a movie about this," an emotionally spent Jimmy Wetch said Wednesday evening.
Wetch's dachshund, JR, was stolen - along with Wetch's car - outside a Fridley gas station early Sunday.
For days, he had been raising reward money and fearing the worst because no one had seen his car or his dog.
Meanwhile, a Minneapolis man, unaware the dogjacking had garnered media attention, spent the previous four days trying to lure the dog away from a boarded-up building - and a group of kids looking to abuse it. He succeeded Wednesday morning and called animal control.
At 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, Minneapolis Animal Control called Wetch.
"Junior!" Wetch exclaimed as an animal control officer sprung the 5-year-old pooch loose in the lobby of the Animal Care Center a little more than two hours later. "There he is!" he said, speaking in the third person but addressing the dog.
JR - the name is pronounced "Junior" - speed-loped, as only a dachshund can, toward his owner and began slapping his tongue against Wetch's cheek.
"Oh, he's mad at me," Wetch said. "I'm sorry."
Wetch's guilt is from leaving JR in his unlocked Suzuki SUV with the engine running about 1:30 a.m. Sunday as he ran into the gas station for ice cream and a dog treat.
The next thing Wetch knew, he was watching as a thief sped away with his ride, and JR was staring at Wetch out the rear window.
The mystery of who jacked JR remains unsolved, but Wetch said Wednesday he hardly cares.
To the thieves: "I would say, 'Shape up your life, quit stealing, but thanks for throwing my dog away.' "
Police suspected all along the thieves would ditch the dog, but exactly what JR went through is unclear.
The man who found JR said the dog caught his eye Sunday night when he was taking the garbage out of a North Minneapolis home he was staying at near 46th and Lyndale avenues.
"I thought it was a rabbit," said the man, who would only reveal his first name, Ray. "Kids were chasing it around with sticks. I said, 'That's not right.' I chased them off and saw it was a dog, but the dog ran away toward a vacant building."
Ray, a dog owner himself, said he kept hearing barks at night that he suspected were from the dog. Each day and evening, he tried to entice it, hoping to see if the dog's collar had any information about its owner.
On Wednesday, Ray said the dog looked hungry and cold.
"I took some bologna out, but that didn't work. So I brought out the big guns," he said. "I brought out a hot dog. And he came right over."
Ray confined JR to the garage and called animal control. He had no idea the story of JR's disappearance had made the news.
"I didn't know any of that," Ray said. "Wow."
Wetch, who owns Jimmy's Pro Billiards in Columbia Heights, is a nationally known pool player. JR, a regular at the pool hall, quickly became a cause c?legrave;bre on billiards bulletin boards on the Internet after his disappearance.
Ray knew none of this. And when Wetch thanked him face-to-face Wednesday, Wetch said, he was so moved by Ray's generosity - and his initial refusal of any sort of compensation - he insisted on giving his dog's rescuer a $1,000 reward.
Jimmy Wetch, describing how the man who rescued his dognapped dachshund reacted to a $1,000 reward:
"He just grabbed his heart, and I thought he was going to faint," Wetch said of Ray. "He said, 'My mom and sister got killed five years ago and we could never afford to buy them headstones.' And he said, 'Now I can buy both of them the headstones they wanted.' "
Dave Orrick can be reached at dorrick@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-2171.
Minneapolis
BY DAVE ORRICK
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 11/21/2007 11:47:39 PM CST
Jimmy Wetch and his dachshund, JR, have a joyous reunion Wednesday at the Minneapolis Animal Care Center. (BEN GARVIN, Pioneer Press)
First the carjacked wiener dog was rescued from a rough-and-tumble Minneapolis neighborhood Wednesday.
Then he was reunited with his owner.
And when the owner and the rescuer met, grown men were reduced to tears. Now a man who never felt he gave his mother and sister a proper grave, can.
"They should make a movie about this," an emotionally spent Jimmy Wetch said Wednesday evening.
Wetch's dachshund, JR, was stolen - along with Wetch's car - outside a Fridley gas station early Sunday.
For days, he had been raising reward money and fearing the worst because no one had seen his car or his dog.
Meanwhile, a Minneapolis man, unaware the dogjacking had garnered media attention, spent the previous four days trying to lure the dog away from a boarded-up building - and a group of kids looking to abuse it. He succeeded Wednesday morning and called animal control.
At 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, Minneapolis Animal Control called Wetch.
"Junior!" Wetch exclaimed as an animal control officer sprung the 5-year-old pooch loose in the lobby of the Animal Care Center a little more than two hours later. "There he is!" he said, speaking in the third person but addressing the dog.
JR - the name is pronounced "Junior" - speed-loped, as only a dachshund can, toward his owner and began slapping his tongue against Wetch's cheek.
"Oh, he's mad at me," Wetch said. "I'm sorry."
Wetch's guilt is from leaving JR in his unlocked Suzuki SUV with the engine running about 1:30 a.m. Sunday as he ran into the gas station for ice cream and a dog treat.
The next thing Wetch knew, he was watching as a thief sped away with his ride, and JR was staring at Wetch out the rear window.
The mystery of who jacked JR remains unsolved, but Wetch said Wednesday he hardly cares.
To the thieves: "I would say, 'Shape up your life, quit stealing, but thanks for throwing my dog away.' "
Police suspected all along the thieves would ditch the dog, but exactly what JR went through is unclear.
The man who found JR said the dog caught his eye Sunday night when he was taking the garbage out of a North Minneapolis home he was staying at near 46th and Lyndale avenues.
"I thought it was a rabbit," said the man, who would only reveal his first name, Ray. "Kids were chasing it around with sticks. I said, 'That's not right.' I chased them off and saw it was a dog, but the dog ran away toward a vacant building."
Ray, a dog owner himself, said he kept hearing barks at night that he suspected were from the dog. Each day and evening, he tried to entice it, hoping to see if the dog's collar had any information about its owner.
On Wednesday, Ray said the dog looked hungry and cold.
"I took some bologna out, but that didn't work. So I brought out the big guns," he said. "I brought out a hot dog. And he came right over."
Ray confined JR to the garage and called animal control. He had no idea the story of JR's disappearance had made the news.
"I didn't know any of that," Ray said. "Wow."
Wetch, who owns Jimmy's Pro Billiards in Columbia Heights, is a nationally known pool player. JR, a regular at the pool hall, quickly became a cause c?legrave;bre on billiards bulletin boards on the Internet after his disappearance.
Ray knew none of this. And when Wetch thanked him face-to-face Wednesday, Wetch said, he was so moved by Ray's generosity - and his initial refusal of any sort of compensation - he insisted on giving his dog's rescuer a $1,000 reward.
Jimmy Wetch, describing how the man who rescued his dognapped dachshund reacted to a $1,000 reward:
"He just grabbed his heart, and I thought he was going to faint," Wetch said of Ray. "He said, 'My mom and sister got killed five years ago and we could never afford to buy them headstones.' And he said, 'Now I can buy both of them the headstones they wanted.' "
Dave Orrick can be reached at dorrick@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-2171.
thanks JAM
Well the good news is that he got the dog back safe and sound. The bad new is I had him about 30-years too old. One of my Dachshunds looks exactly like Jr., they are really incredible dogs, and I can't imagine how he felt after the dog napping. I haven't read his post yet.
JAM said:I am sure Jimmy and his family of friends are very appreciative of all the support he has received from kindred souls of this forum, some of whom he has never even met before.
BTW, I agree so much with your thoughts, Cuesblues. You couldn't have expressed them any better than I, with one small exception. Jimmy is not 70 years old quite yet. LOL!
Jimmy Wetch (born on April 23, 1968 in St. Paul, Minnesota) is an American professional pool player nicknamed "The Kid". He was at one time a feared road player, later becoming an accomplished tournament pro, having won or placed in numerous competitions. He was ranked fifth in the world by the Pro Billiards Tour (PBT) in 1996.
A little more about Jimmy Wetch: In his first pro event, the 1994 Super Billiards Expo in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, he finished third, knocked out by the ultimate winner, dominant pro Mike Sigel with a score of 9 to 8. Later that year he took first place at the McDermott Masters and was ranked sixteenth in the world by the PBT and named their rookie of the year. In 1995 he won the Huebler Cup and in 1996 a major tour stop at Great Gorge, New Jersey, as well as three second-place finishes at tour events, including a tense 8-6 loss in the finals of the 1996 Camel World 9-ball Championship at the hand of the Magician, Efren Reyes. His PBT rank increased that year to fifth in the world.
Despite his success on the pro tour, Wetch couldn't make enough money on tournament purses alone. He said in a 1999 interview: "Back in 1996, I thought this game was going somewhere. We were on TV, we were making pretty good money. I was proud to be a pool player back then ... [but now] I'm just going to put more effort and time into my room.... The bottom line is, you gotta make money to survive. I don't want to be another statistic." Today Wetch lives in Eagan, Minnesota, not far from his pool room.
Picture of Jimmy Wetch taken a year ago at the IPT event in Vegas.
WELCOME HOME, JUNIOR!
JAM
Well the good news is that he got the dog back safe and sound. The bad new is I had him about 30-years too old. One of my Dachshunds looks exactly like Jr., they are really incredible dogs, and I can't imagine how he felt after the dog napping. I haven't read his post yet.
What an incredible story, with a happy ending. 
The thought of Junior and Jimmy being separated truly broke my heart, and I had trouble keeping my mind on my work. I kept checking this thread almost on an hourly basis, hoping to read some good news.
Thanksgiving has a brand-new meaning for me today.
JAM
The thought of Junior and Jimmy being separated truly broke my heart, and I had trouble keeping my mind on my work. I kept checking this thread almost on an hourly basis, hoping to read some good news.
Thanksgiving has a brand-new meaning for me today.
JAM
Here is the video link of the news story about Jimmy and Junior:
http://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?aid=58036&bw=
JAM
http://www.kare11.com/video/player.aspx?aid=58036&bw=
JAM
BPG24 said:
There is truly a lessons learned from this story. One thing for sure, I am positive Jimmy will never do it again.
It was 1:30 a.m. in the morning when Jimmy went inside the convenience store. He was on his way home and stopped off to pick up some ice cream and a dog treat.
When I was looking at the news websites about this story, I noticed that it was 29 degrees where Jimmy lives.
I am thinking he had just gotten off work and his car was still cold. So he probably left the engine running for the heater, so that Junior wouldn't get cold.
Today, I am so happy to see this tragedy have a very happy ending.
JAM
I'm glad for Jimmy that he got JR back, safe and sound. I feel sorry for the next guy he plays. He will be on a high for a month.
Yesterday this thread made me so angry I didn't even want to reply.
I had my car stolen a while back, it's no fun (espescially if the insurance doesn't pay)
but had my dog been in there..............who friggin' cares about the car, that's my best friend...
I'm so happy Jimmy got his friend back. Must have been torture.
gr. Dave
I had my car stolen a while back, it's no fun (espescially if the insurance doesn't pay)
but had my dog been in there..............who friggin' cares about the car, that's my best friend...
I'm so happy Jimmy got his friend back. Must have been torture.
gr. Dave
Was a Happy Thanksgiving surprise for jimmy to get his Dog back.
What a great outcome to a sad story...this made my day. Have a nice Thanksgiving Jimmy as if there is any chance you won't....
WOW...this is great news for Jimmy. I am an animal lover and was sick to my stomach when I first read this thread. I have been watching it and praying that Jimmy would get Jr. back. Jimmy is very fortunate, but he is a good guy and deserves a silver lining around a dark cloud. Not sure if everyone here knows or remembers, but Jimmy and his wife were victims in a terrible robbery years ago. Congrats again Jimmy, hope you and your family have a happy holiday season.
Southpaw
Southpaw
I'm Glad It Had A Happy Ending
Now, where's the CAR ?
Doug
Now, where's the CAR ?
Doug
