JENSEN BEACH — A Jensen Beach woman got put in the pokey after accusations of pilfered prairie dogs, according to a Martin County Sheriff’s Office report.

Maggie Lacroix, 21, was arrested after the prairie dog owner on Aug. 12 spoke to investigators.

The prairie dog owner, a 30-year-old Jensen Beach man, said he invited Lacroix to his home the day before.

He said when he woke he discovered his three prairie dogs were missing.

Prairie dogs, which live on prairies and grasslands, are rabbit-sized herbivores that typically live 3 to 4 years in the wild, according to the National Geographic website. They inhabit underground burrows, which have specified nurseries, toilets and sleeping areas.

The black-tailed prairie dog is the best known of the five prairie dog species.

A permit is not required by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for personal possession of a prairie dog.

Meanwhile, the Jensen Beach prairie dog owner said he contacted Lacroix and she told him she thought the creatures were in bad condition. He told investigators that Lacroix said she was going to take them to a shelter.

Deputies went to Lacroix’s home in the 2400 block of Northeast Sharp Street, and she said the four-footed mammals were in a box inside.

The prairie dogs were put in a patrol car to be returned to the owner, who said he paid $250 per prairie dog.

Lacroix was jailed on a grand theft charge.