Hey! Whatcha Got in the Suitcase?

Here is a story I have been told...and I have told it is true.

A young woman was hired to watch a house for a family while they traveled, which included checking in on the family's dog. Unfortunately, the woman found the dog dead. She called the family's vet who told her to bring him the dog. Without a car of her own (and no cab money?) the woman decided she had to take a public bus to the vet's office. But -- how could she transport the dog in a way that would not cause a disruption? The woman decided upon a suitcase. Now on the bus, the woman was approached by a man who volunteered to help her carry the suitcase once her stop arrived. The woman agreed. Much to her horror, when she stood for her stop, the man punched her in the face and ran off the bus with the suitcase. So...I've got some questions for you to consider: Is this a theft she must report? How much could you get for a dead dog at a pawn shop? Would it make everyone happier if she told the family that she buried the dog?