SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - There was canine trouble at a South Florida pet store after, police said, a man, dressed similarly to store employees walked out of a store carrying a puppy he did not pay for.
The thief knew exactly what he wanted and was sneaking by pretending to be an employee. He then made his way to the back of the store towards the kennel area that used to house French bulldogs.
The man then made a mad dash with a high-dollar dog. The pet thief was caught on camera racing out of a store with a French bulldog tucked under his right arm.
“It’s honestly pretty sad,” said Damian Tejeda, the manager at Petland.
Tejeda told 7News he has no doubt that the dog is in distress now that it is in the hands of a criminal.
“They’re just trying to do it off purely profit, and that’s what a lot of people don’t understand about dogs, is that they have a lot of emotional connection to us and stuff like that, so it’s very difficult for a puppy to go from one situation to another,” Tejeda said.
The theft happened Monday night at Petland Kendall, located in a shopping center in the 8200 block of Mills Road.
A man dressed in all black, like the employees, walked into the store at around 8 p.m.
“He went all the way to the end of the store, and then walked all the way back and forth, kind of surveying the area,” Tejeda said.
Then at some point, he slipped into an employees-only area.
“He pretended to be a worker, asking where the French bulldogs were just to grab him out and stuff like that, and then by the time he grabbed the puppy out, he bolted out the door and kind of just took off,” Tejeda said.
Petland staff chased after him but it was too late. He hopped into a car and took off.
An employee grabbed a quick shot of the car’s license plate before the vehicle pulled away with 2-month-old Botitas inside.
The folks with Petland are worried about the pup’s safety with a stranger.
“He doesn’t really know what the puppy’s eating, he doesn’t know anything, so he’s not going to be able to properly take care of a dog so young,” Tejeda said.
Petland shared the video in hopes someone recognizes the man in the video.
It is someone they suspect is just out to sell him the puppy on the street and make a quick buck, with little or no concern for what’s best for Botitas.
“Those puppies are very sought after right now and obviously, he took advantage, and he knew that, so that’s why he came and specifically targeted the French bulldog,” Tejeda said.
If you have any information on this crime, call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
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