CA Crime Wave: Woman’s French Bulldog, Car Stolen on Same Day

A French bulldog lies on the ground at the 10th Thailand international Pet Variety Exhibit
MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP via Getty
Penny Starr

A mother and daughter in Castro Valley, California, were robbed of a purse and French bulldog in broad daylight before the alleged robbers later returned to steal a car out of their driveway using the keys found in the daughter’s purse.

The San Francisco Chronicle provided details on the report from the Alameda County Sheriff’s office and including a picture of Tito provided by the victim: 

A black sport utility vehicle pulled over in front of them and four or five young men, three armed with handguns, exited the vehicle to confront the women, [Sheriff’s Lt. Ray] Kelly said.

One man demanded the younger woman’s purse while another grabbed the dog, he said. They then fled in a 2019 KIA Nir, which was later identified as having been reported stolen in Oakland and is alleged to have been involved in several armed robberies, authorities said.

The problem has been ongoing in the Bay Area and California, with several high-profile incidents reported last spring. More recently, a French bulldog puppy violently stolen from her owner on New Year’s Day in San Francisco’s Marina district was found safe several days later, police said.

“We’ve got some leads and some robbery detectives came in on their day off to do some follow up,” Kelly said on Sunday morning about the Frenchie that is still missing. “Our main goal is to locate the dog. We want to get the dog back. Imagine your pet being dognapped. You don’t know if you will ever see your pet again. There is a lot of anxiety related to that.”

Kelly said the high cost of French bulldogs — as much as $5,000 — could be fueling the dognapping, Kelly said.

“They have a lot of market value because they are cute and small and they are difficult to purchase,” Kelly said. “It is a supply and demand issue for French bulldogs. They are being targeted for their market value in the criminal underworld.”

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