A town of Windsor woman could face up to six years in prison for allegedly stealing a family's dog.

Little Swiper, a Chihuahua and Maltese mix, is the seventh member of the Reed family. "He's a nice little addition to the family," said Rachel Reed.

The Reed family took off on a walk with their dog, Swiper, and stopped at the store to get some items for a family barbecue. "We tied him up next to the newspaper stand next to the stroller, while we went inside to get things for our barbecue we were having," Rachel explained.

When they came out, Swiper was gone. "My kids are crying and it was just heartbreaking," explained Rachel.

They called the police and searched the neighborhood "Then we came home to get some lost posters made up on our computer and when we were getting ready to print them out the next morning, that's when we got a call from a local vet that said they had our Swiper," explained Rachel.

Police did find the woman they think is responsible for taking the Reed family's dog. Trista Bickel appeared in the Dane county court Thursday. If convicted of taking Swiper, she faces up to $10,000 in fines and up to six years in prison. "I didn't ever think my little Swiper would get stolen," smiled Rachel.

For now, the Reed family has their beloved pet back and they're enjoying the time together. "Swiper's his same old self again, didn't miss a beat," laughed Rachel.

Trista Bickel was released on a signature bond.