Family photo Two vandals stole this wire-frame dog and dog house from the Yaglenski's annual Christmas display on Tuesday, but both were recovered by Wednesday.

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Family photo Two vandals stole this wire-frame dog and dog house from the Yaglenski's annual Christmas display on Tuesday, but both were recovered by Wednesday.

Family photo Two vandals stole this wire-frame dog and dog house from the Yaglenski's annual Christmas display on Tuesday, but both were recovered by Wednesday.

 

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The dog always returns home in time for Christmas, at least in the cliched made-for-TV specials.

But the Yaglenski family in Urbana is living that storyline, albeit with a four-foot-tall, wire-frame dog that is part of an annual light display that has lit up the neighborhood for a decade.

After going missing for a few days, the dog is back home and wagging its tail in the Yaglenskis’ Christmas display in the Villages of Urbana.

Yaglenski said today that after the dog was captured on video being taken from the his front yard by two unidentified males early Tuesday morning, he found it next door in the bushes outside the Villages of Urbana Community Center today.

“I think what happened is they [the suspects] were in the yard all of about two minutes and I scared them off,” he said. “They must have taken off and dropped it in the bushes.”

Yaglenski said that at 1:11 a.m. Tuesday, a late-model Honda Civic was seen driving by his house. At 2:12 a.m., the same car again drove past the house, this time parking just across the street. He said his home security video cameras captured the images.

Two youths, one wearing a gray sweatshirt and another wearing a darker sweatshirt and light colored cap, walked onto his front yard; pulled out candy canes and peppermints; and took his wire frame dog house and the dog. The dog house was quickly recovered in a neighbor’s yard, but the dog remained missing until today.

Yaglenski said as a result, he has purchased $1,000 in security equipment to keep better tabs on his display. “It’s not only the security of the display, but the security of my house,” he said.

The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office said it is investigating the theft.

“It does look like the victim did have some decorations, Christmas decorations stolen, from his yard and it looks like it is a dog that is wagging its tail,” said Cpl. Jennifer Bailey, spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office. “It’s something he had in his yard.”

She said anyone with information can call the sheriff’s office tip line, at 301-600-4131.

“I’m still looking for who did this,” Yaglenski said

The wire frame dog with the wagging tail is part of a choreographed light show at the Yaglenski home on Clendenin Way, next door to the Villages of Urbana Community Center.

The Yaglenski family has been putting up its Christmas lights choreographed to music since 2002, and has won several awards from the Villages of Urbana homeowners association.

A steady stream of visitors comes to the light show daily during the Christmas season, with traffic picking up as the holiday nears.

The display, known as the Dancing Holiday Light Spectacular, features light shows choreographed to music, with thousands of lights, animated wire frame figures, a light pond, a mailbox for Santa, and more.

Yaglenski said since writing about the vandalism on his website, www.yaglenski.com, neighbors have flooded him with offers to help monitor the display. “People have said ‘put your camera link on the Internet and we’ll watch it,’” he said.

Meanwhile, the show will go on. Yaglenski said the dog is back in place and will be wagging his tail for visitors until Dec. 31.

sgreenfield@gazette.net