By Brett Callwood
Authorities are investigating a robbery at the Top Dog Pet Store on Rosecrans Avenue which resulted in the theft of 12 French Bulldog puppies which the owner said were worth over $100,000.
According to a report on USA Today, “Security cameras at Top Dog Pet Store in Gardena, California, captured the break-in early Tuesday showing four masked men as they break through a metal gate and remove cages with the dogs inside. Other dogs and puppies were carried out and thrown into a large white Chevy van after 1 a.m. PT.”
“They literally grabbed them and tossed them in the van like they were stuffed animals,” the shop’s owner Andres Avalos told KTLA. “It’s horrible.”
The thieves also stole approximately $2000 in cash from the register, but the owner said that the dogs are far more important.
“It’s a big financial loss,” Avalos told KTLA. “The dogs were (worth) over $100,000. We use those dogs for breeding purposes and that’s how we make a living. With the dogs being gone, it’ll be tougher to get by now.”
The Gardena Police Department is investigating, and Avalos said that he just wants the dogs to be returned, no questions asked.
The welfare of the dogs is extremely concerning; the security camera footage shows the puppies being thrown into the back of a van extremely roughly.
According to the Daily Mail, “Many concerned community members have taken to social media to help locate the stolen puppies. Avalos said: ‘We appreciate that they came together to help us out at a time like this.’”
