Monday morning seemed normal until staff at a Roseville animal shelter noticed one of their dogs running outside of her cage.

It was then that Placer Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals volunteers found that one of their special needs dogs was missing.

Dodger, a white, 6-month-old boxer, was taken from the shelter sometime after 5 p.m. Sunday and a little before 7 a.m. Monday, according to Leilani Vierra, chief executive officer of the Placer SPCA.

The first volunteer to arrive at the shelter Monday morning found Dodger’s sibling, Layla, not in her cage and running within the shelter facility. Staff found the lock to that cage and a cage next to it on the floor, Vierra said.

“That was the only thing out of place with the exception of Layla outside the facility,” Vierra said.

Vierra said all of the exterior doors are locked at night. During the day, the kennel where Dodger was kept is also secured, but it’s left unlocked in the evening in the event of an emergency evacuation.

There were no signs of visible forced entry outside of the shelter, Vierra said.

Dodger is a special-needs dog because he is deaf. Vierra said he needs certain training to work well in the average person’s household. She said she hopes whoever stole him is taking good care of him.

“We just want him back here and safe,” Vierra said. “He does already have a good home waiting for him.”

The shelter’s humane educator, Mary Terrell, was planning to take Dodger home after he was spayed and neutered this week. Terrell plans to take Dodger along with her on educational presentations throughout the community.

“This dog was perfect,” Terrell said in a news release. “I was planning on training him in sign language and using him in the classroom to teach lessons about overcoming adversity and compassion and respect for all life. Now it seems he may possibly be facing even greater adversity.”

His sibling Layla is scheduled to go home with a different family at the end of this week.

The shelter has filed a report with the Roseville Police Department.

Dee Dee Gunther, spokeswoman with the department, said it is currently considered a burglary investigation. As of Monday, there were no leads or suspects.

Vierra said she hopes anyone who has noticed a white boxer puppy in the neighborhood will call either the shelter or the police department.

The shelter is offering a $2,000 reward for Dodger’s return or information leading to his return.

Contact Vierra at (916) 782-7722 ext. 105. Call the Roseville Police Department investigation unit at (916) 774-5070 or the Roseville Crime Stoppers anonymous line at (916) 783-7867.

The Journal's Jenifer Gee can be reached at jeniferg@goldcountrymedia.com or post a comment.