PLANTATION, FLA. (WSVN) - A family in Plantation is pleading for the safe return of their dog.
Surveillance video from Tuesday morning shows someone driving up to Louie, a 12-year-old Chihuahua-poodle mix, in a gray Lexus sedan with a paper tag, pulling him into the car and driving off from the area of Northwest 120th Avenue and 11th Street, at around 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday.
Louie’s owner, who did not wish to identify herself, said he’s been in her family since he was a puppy.
“Louie is a beautiful chihuahua-toy poodle mix; He’s 12 years old and he’s very friendly. He loves just cuddling, he’s a true lap dog, loves cuddling with anybody who will come to him, our children, family, friends,” she said.
She believes he squeezed under the fence surrounding their home while the family was outside with their children.
“And we brought Louie outside like every other morning, he went to sniff the grass,” the owner said.
But Louie never came back.
When the family searched through their surveillance system, that’s when they found out what happened.
After initially hoping the driver of the gray Lexus was a good Samaritan trying to help a lost dog, the reality set in on what they just saw.
“My husband checked the cameras that we have and we realized that he was stolen,” the owner said.
Now, they’re just hoping their beloved dog is OK.
“Our family is really destroyed over it,” Louie’s owner said.
With no sign of Louie since then, authorities are currently treating this incident as a case of theft as they search for the driver of that Lexus.
The family fears whoever stole him won’t be able to take care of him properly.
“They don’t know how to treat him, what food he eats, they don’t know his routines, he would go up to anybody and wants to be pet and loved, so he doesn’t know danger, he probably didn’t think anything of it,” the owner said.
Louie’s disappearance has hit the family’s children the hardest as they pray for his safe return.
“They ask every night ‘Where’s Louie? Why is he not back?’ They’re destroyed and so that’s what makes us feel even more upset,” Louie’s owner said. “We hope that we can have him back in our family. He’s truly a part of our family.”
The family is hoping that by coming forward, whoever took Louie would be willing to drop him off somewhere safe so he can be returned to his rightful home.
The 12-year old Louie is a Chihuahua-poodle mix with a gray and white coat.
Officials urge anyone who has seen this dog, recognizes the car in the video or has any information to call Plantation Police at 954-797-2100.
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