Four show dogs stolen with van recovered

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Four show dogs stolen with the van that served as their temporary kennel at a Los Angeles-area motel have been recovered, police say.

Two Akitas turned up Wednesday afternoon in Compton along with the van, Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, said. Two Corgis were recovered Wednesday evening, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"The good news is that the dogs are fine," Whitmore said. "They are in good condition. They have been returned to their rightful owners."

Kristina Rickard and David Peek, who live in Redding, Calif., had come to Los Angeles for the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, to be held in Long Beach this weekend, and events leading up to it. They stayed in a Motel 6 in Bellflower with a Boxer puppy, a Parson Russell terrier and a Brittany, while the other four dogs remained in the van parked just outside.

They woke Tuesday morning to find the van was gone.