Friday, August 27th, around 6:30 pm, Galesburg Police were dispatched to the 700 block of Liberty Street in response to a dispute. A Galesburg man told police his dog had been missing for two days. The dog owner said he was notified by a friend that someone in Peoria had attempted to sell him the dog online, and the owner reported it to Peoria PD. The dog is a purebred American Bulldog that competes in dog shows. The next day, the owner was notified by a pair of Galesburg men that 30-year old William McClendon of Galesburg tried to sell them the dog for $20,000. The men knew who the rightful owner of the dog was so they rejected the offer and called the owner. McClendon and the dog owner are neighbors. McClendon told police he saw the dog wandering around the neighborhood and took it in, but made no attempt to notify the owner or return the dog. He also admitted that he took the dog to Peoria. The dog was returned to his owner Friday while GPD was present. McClendon was arrested and transported to the Knox County Jail charged with Theft between $500 and $10,000.
