What a dog of a date

DOVER, N.J.

- No stolen hearts on this first date. Instead, a New Jersey woman says a man she met on a dating website stole her dog and her flat-screen TV.

Dover police told the Daily Record of Parsippany that the pair went out for the first time Thursday night.

After returning home, the woman said she got occupied with something in another room, leaving the man alone. When she returned, he was gone - and so were her Yorkshire terrier named Violet and her TV valued at $3,000. The woman said the dog was worth $4,000.

The woman said she knew her date only as Joel and believes he lives in Elizabeth.

But this story of bad dating has a happy ending. According to the Daily Record, the woman called the Dover Police Department at 3 a.m. Saturday to say the dog had been tied by its leash to the missing television, and both were left in her front yard. The Yorkie appeared to be in good health.

Police said Saturday they know the man's true identity, and that charges could be filed, pending his cooperation with the case.