Women work to get dog back after man leaves her behind in California

TULSA, Okla. — Two Tulsa women said a man arrested for harboring a teenage runaway twice left his dog behind in California.

FOX23 previously reported that Christopher Bartley was first arrested in June for harboring a teenage runaway, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and impersonating a law enforcement officer.

In late July, FOX23 first reported he was arrested on similar charges, including sex crimes with a teenage minor.

He was found with the girl.

His former neighbor said they never knew that side of Bartley, but did get to know his dog well. She explained she took care of the dog, even after his first arrest.

“We were just flabbergasted. We could not believe the stuff coming to the surface that we did not know about,” said Diana Ferguson.

Ferguson and her friend, Pat Honeycutt, said they got to know Bartley and his dog, Rayne Diana, well over the last few years.

“We used to buy pay days and Twinkies for her,” Honeycutt said.

Ferguson also said, “And any of the food we made for the day, for supper, she got a portion of it.”

The two have pictures on their phones of the dog.

“She would sit outside my door and howl to let me know she was outside my door. I would open my door, and she would walk right in like she lived there,” Ferguson said.

They said when Bartley was arrested in California in late July, the dog ended up in a shelter in Newport Beach, Calif.

“When I got off the phone, I went running across the apartment, and I was already in tears, like ‘I found Rayne,’” Ferguson said.

The two said they contacted the shelter Rayne is in and were told they would have to wait 30 days.

“I don’t know. I would love to be able to get her back here, but it is the money that is going to hold it up from getting her to California to here,” Ferguson said.

If she can be adopted the two women said the shelter won’t fly her back, and they will have to pay adoption fees and the travel expenses to drive and get her.

“They said I would have to pay the boarding fees for the 30 days, plus they are going to spade and give her shots,” Ferguson said. “What we are trying to do and would like to do is have her back here with people she knows and who knows.”

The two wait for the next steps in the case. They said all they want is the dog back and nothing to do with her owner ever again.

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