Family Dog Found Dead Inside Car Stolen from Gilroy Walmart

South Bay man has SUV stolen with dog inside. Dog found dead.

Car thieves apparently abandoned a stolen SUV with a dog inside, leaving the animal "to die."

Michael McVey had his Nissan Pathfinder stolen from the parking lot at the Walmart in Gilroy. Inside the vehicle was his beloved dog, Keiko.

"I could care less about the car," McVey said. "The dog, we've been friends for a long time."

For 15 years, McVey and his dog did everything and went everywhere together.

McVey and his friends spent days searching for Keiko, hoping whoever stole the SUV let the dog out.

The vehicle was recovered four days after it was stolen. Police found the SUV in San Jose with the dog inside, dead in the backseat.

McVey said he wept for days, wondering how someone could do this to his dog.

"It would have been best if they just let the dog go somewhere," he said. "It would have been best if they just let the dog go in the parking lot and kicked her out of the car cause she would have come and found me."

Police are now searching for two persons of interest caught on surveillance footage by a Walmart camera.

"I'd like to know what kind of people they are," McVey said. "That they could torture an animal like that."

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call 1-800-782-7436.

Gilroy police say these two men are persons of interest in a case of severe animal cruelty.

Chris Roberts contributed to this report.

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