Shocking moment puppy stolen in front of staff at Sydney pet store
The devastating moment at the pet shop was captured on CCTV.
A pet shop is urging people with information to help bring their "baby" home, after a French bulldog puppy was stolen right in front of staff.
The incident on Monday — which "happened very quickly" — was captured on CCTV at The Pet Shop in Sydney's Eastgardens shopping centre.
Footage shared by the store shows a group of men coming in and expressing interest in the 12-week-old Frenchie, who had only been in the store for a few days.
As one of them is handed the puppy by a staff member, he is seen to turn his back to the woman and rush out of the store. The alarmed staff member then immediately runs out after him, to no avail.
"They were asking lots of questions about the dogs, and I got out the puppy for them," Samara Baker from The Pet Shop told 7 News. "They said they had a Frenchie at home, seemed very interested and then it all happened very quickly."
The owner of The Pet Shop Peta Baker said all the staff were "traumatised" from the incident. She said she's "never seen anything like this happen", in all 18 years of managing the store, 7 News reports.
"Please help identify these individuals and bring our baby home safe," the business posted on their social media pages.
Man charged with shoplifting
Police officers from the Eastern Beaches Area Command arrested a 31-year-old man in Albury on Wednesday, a NSW Police spokesman told Yahoo News Australia.
He was taken to Albury Police Station, where he was charged with shoplifting, granted strict conditional bail and appeared at Waverley Local Court on Wednesday. The 12-week-old pup has still not been found and investigations are ongoing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a form online.
French bulldogs known to be a 'valuable commodity'
Most French Bulldogs cost between $3,500 and $5,000 in Australia, but depending on their colour, can cost much more.
The surging demand for French Bulldogs and the fact that they could "sell for pricey sums," is something thieves would be aware of, PETA spokesperson Laura Weyman-Jones recently told Yahoo News Australia.
Pamela Campbell, the president at Dogs West, also believed the breed is often sold at prices "most often very well above the price asked by reputable Dogs Australia registered breeders".
"A stolen french bulldog puppy could then become a valuable commodity, either for on-selling or to be kept for breeding, likely at the earliest opportunity," she told Yahoo News.
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