Ranger the Dog Becomes Coden Convenience Store’s Repeat, Beloved Shoplifter

MOBILE, Ala. — A convenience store in Coden has a repeat shoplifting problem, and the culprit is a 7-year-old brown Labrador mix named Ranger.

Ranger’s owner, Shane Seaman, said the dog waits in the parking lot until he believes the coast is clear, then makes his move into the store. “He’s just incognito, gets what he wants with his teeth and walks out,” Seaman said. Ranger’s haul has included chicken nuggets, bread, ice cream and potato chips. “I don’t know if it’s the stuff he wants, I think it’s the thrill. One time he came back with a whole loaf of bread,” Seaman said. A viral TikTok video shows Ranger attempting to bury a bag of frozen nuggets in the dirt. “He was kind of upset that we busted him,” Seaman said.

Ranger’s shoplifting has not been without consequences — he has twice been locked inside the store, setting off the alarm both times. Seaman said the dog has also gathered stray dogs in the parking lot and brought them food from the store. “He would gather other strays in the parking lot at the store, and get them food and feed them. They were all sitting outside the door and the cops came. He was just sitting inside,” Seaman said.

Ranger was placed on probation and banned from the store for a year while Seaman worked nearby. On his first day back, he returned to his old habits, and employees said he had already made a run the morning of this report. The store said Ranger is still welcome, but employees are watching the shelves more closely.

Coden, where Ranger makes his rounds, is a small unincorporated community in south Mobile County near Bayou La Batre, along Portersville Bay on the Mississippi Sound.