Roots of Moorestown Dognapped

Roots of Moorestown Nipper, which has sat on the Moorestown Community House lawn for five years, was stolen between 10 p.m. Feb. 15 and 4:30 a.m. Feb. 16.

Roots of Moorestown, one of 30 Nippers decorated by local artists for a 2005 fundraiser, was designed and painted by Midge Ingersoll. It traces the history of Moorestown through its buildings.

“I got the idea of a genealogical tree, but with architecture,” Ingersoll said in an article published in The NewsWeekly in 2005.

The 5-foot-tall, 75-pound fiberglass Nipper was purchased by a group of citizens for $5,000 and donated to the Community House.

“It’s been on the lawn for five years and we have had no problems before,” Community House Executive Director Bill Newborg said.

Newborg said the dog was mounted on a concrete base by four screws. The base was secured in the ground with augers. Newborg said it appears two of the screws were unscrewed and removed. Two screws remain in the base, but there does not appear to be signs the dog was damaged.

“I don’t see any obvious damage,” Newborg said. “They took the whole thing.

“That was a rotten thing to do.”

Roots of Moorestown is the third Nipper to be stolen. The first was Tupper—Tut’s Pup, which was stolen from in front of the Lutheran Home in 2005. He was found in the woods in Pennsauken. A second was stolen during the same time period and found on the lawn of an apartment complex in Maple Shade, according to Newborg.

The dogs, which were displayed around Moorestown during the summer of 2005, were auctioned in October 2005. Several still remain as public art displays.

Police are investigating the disappearance. Anyone with information can call the Moorestown Police Department tip line at 856-914-3092 or e-mail at tips@moorestownpd.com.

Newborg is hopeful Nipper will be returned.

“He is priceless,” Newborg said.