Cops say apparent pet lover shoplifted puppy and hamster

Police in Florida have busted 33-year-old Niccole Rae Ruston for an all-day, $3,000 shoplifting spree in which she and a 13-year-old accomplice allegedly stole, among other items, a Chihuahua puppy and a hamster. According to authorities, Ruston, whose sticky-fingered activities spanned Walgreen's, Macy's, Pier 1 Imports and a pet store, slipped first the pooch, valued at $540, into her purse, and then tucked the hamster, presumably a bargain by comparison, into her bag, before hightailing it out of the store. She has been charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and child abuse, as well as theft both grand and petit. Or in the case of the animals, very petite.