Tycoon pulls out all the stops for return of stolen dog
First, there was the $1.5 million (€1.06m) mastiff. Then came the “troubled” millionaire maltese. And now comes the toy terrier.
Thieves in Italy last month sneaked into the Genoa hotel room of Russian chemicals tycoon Stanislav Rybchinsky and stole the family’s Russian toy terrier, Johnny.
Dog-nappings among the rich are not uncommon. But the family’s efforts to get Johnny back have been especially aggressive, and become a talking point among Italians.
The Rybchinskys have contacted the Italian police, and urged Russian diplomats to apply pressure on the Italian authorities.
They also alerted more than 100 vets around Genoa to stay on the look out for Johnny.
Rybchinsky initially demanded that the entire hotel staff take lie detector tests, but hotel management refused the request.
The family has also offered a reward of €10,000 to anyone who recovers Johnny.
“We were very upset,” said Rybchinsky’s daughter, Yana, in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.
“For my mother, he was like a member of the family who was always kind and never barked at anyone.”
She added: “It is a small dog, it is quite expensive, and it is quite rare and very sought-after.”
The Rybchinskys suspect a hotel employee was involved, she said, since the thieves used a copy of their electronic key to get into their room.
The thieves also took two pairs of expensive shoes and a belt, but left the more expensive jewellery, she said.
Professional dog thieves typically take a few of the owner’s possessions so the dog can smell the owner and remains calm, Yana said.
However, she scoffed at suggestions that the dog may have been stolen by the mafia.
