WINDCREST, Texas – Pet owners living in and around Windcrest are relieved after the arrest of a man accused of stealing other people’s dogs.
Cody Lee Canfield, 33, was arrested Monday and charged for the incident involving a 68-year-old woman who was gardening last Monday.
“He stopped by one of our residents’ homes at around 1:30 p.m. while she was gardening. Her dog was tied on a leash, and he walked up and tried snatching him away from her,” said Lt. Daniel Hernandez with the Windcrest Police Department.
The victim provided a license plate number and video she captured of the incident to police, leading to Canfield’s arrest.
Hernandez said Bexar County deputies who were assisting with this case discovered Canfield after he wrecked his vehicle near his home.
“He is a felon out of another state,” Hernandez said of Canfield. “He just moved to Texas. This was his first offense.”
Hernandez said deputies also made another discovery while at Canfield’s home.
“I know there are at least three different cases multiple agencies are dealing with,” Hernandez said. “While Bexar County deputies were at (Canfield’s) location, they found multiple other dogs in the backyard that did not belong to him.”
Hernandez added that there are different reasons why someone might steal another person’s pet.
“In my several years of law enforcement, this is the first time seeing something like this,” Hernandez said. “This may be a trend people are starting to try. The dogs can be used to bait other dogs for fighting and such, but in this case, I think he was trying to sell them on craigslist or something like that.”
Schuyler Woods’ is also accusing Canfield of trying to steal his Pomeranian named Cubbie.
“It was around 10:40 a.m. last Monday when I was returning from walking my puppy,” Woods said. “I was tending to our local stray cat when this man walked up to me (and told me) that I had a cute dog and asked if he was for sale. I said no. That threw up some red flags. Then, he just grabbed the dog from my hands and walked away.”
Woods said he was prepared to fight for his dog.
“At first, I was in shock because this has never happened to me before,” Woods said. “I live in a mostly safe neighborhood. “Nothing like that has ever happened in my life where someone would just walk up and snatch a leash out of your hands and walk off like, ‘Oh, it’s my dog now.’ We met up in the middle of the street, and I told him, ‘Give me my ******* dog back.’ We had a stare-down, and he left.”
Woods filed a police report with San Antonio police and alerted his other neighbors, who are also dog owners.
He said now he is grateful Canfield was caught.
“I am so glad,” Woods said. “I have had quite a few sleepless nights. Anytime my dog makes a noise at night, I think something is going on. I am glad and will sleep good tonight knowing that he is behind bars.”
Hernandez stresses the importance of being aware of your surroundings.
“Be careful, because someone might seem nice and try to see your dog, and while they are getting closer, they can rob you of your pet or anything on you. Just be safe,” Hernandez said.
Canfield is now in the Bexar County Jail on a felony theft charge.
Cody Lee Canfield on his way to to be booked into the Bexar County Jail.
Posted by Windcrest Police Department on Monday, March 1, 2021
