Stolen dog returned to Eagles player's mom: 'I'm so thankful'

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The mother of a Philadelphia Eagles player has been reunited with her beloved dog more than two months after it vanished in Port Richmond.

Tralee Hale-Ringo, the mother of Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo, says she was separated from her 10-year-old Shih Tzu, Mali, in October when she was at the Target on Castor Avenue.

Surveillance video showed four suspects leaving the store with the dog when Hale-Ringo said she was in the restroom.

"Why would you do that? Who would steal someone else's animal?" asked Hale-Ringo.

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She says at the time, she was dealing with a medical condition.

"I had to bolt into the bathroom and literally she just didn't clear the door," Hale-Ringo recalled.

Surveillance video released by Philadelphia police in December shows four people taking Mali from the store.

"When she was taken, the AirTag that was on her was removed and was thrown, and obviously she has her pink that has been removed," she said.

As police investigated, Hale-Ringo was without the pup who has gotten her through the last decade of her life from moving around the country for her son's football career to helping her through breast cancer treatments.

"It was just hurtful to have gone through two and a half months without her," she said.

On Monday night, Hale-Ringo and Mali were reunited. She says police told her one of the people who took Mali lives in South Jersey and that a Wawa employee recognized the dog when a woman brought her into the store and called police.

Police say tips from the public were helpful in finding Mali.

No arrests have been made at this point; the investigation is ongoing.

Hale-Ringo is simply relieved to have Mali back.

"I'm so thankful to the Philadelphia community and especially Eagles fans," said Hale-Ringo. "They reached out and were so supportive. They said, 'Don't worry we're going to get her back.'"