AVENTURA, FLA. (WSVN) - - A thief was captured on surveillance video taking a puppy from a business in Northeast Miami-Dade, and the store’s owner said the thief is putting the dog’s life in danger.

Employees at Tiny Paws said they are scrambling to find the woman who, they said, tricked them into thinking she was going to buy one of their puppies.

“It’s horrifying that someone could do that,” Karen Edelsburg, the store’s owner, said. “She planned it. She asked one of the girls to go back to grab her something from the back.”

Edelsburg said the video shows the moment the stranger stole the 2-and-a-half-month-old Maltese.

“We have security in our door, but she put a bottle to leave the door open, and she walked out with the puppy,” Edelsburg said.

The puppy weighs less than a pound and a half.

“This is not just a regular puppy,” Edelsburg said. “It has special needs, so please, do the right thing.”

She is even more concerned because the puppy is on prescription food, and she said she needs to be taken care of properly, or she won’t make it.

The food the puppy eats is Hill’s Prescription Diet a/d Urgent Care with chicken.

“I would give it maybe 24 hours, not even,” Edelsburg said. “The stress of going to a new home without the proper care is even worse.”

Although they called Miami-Dade Police to look into the matter, they are begging for anyone who can help them to call immediately with any information.

“This is the first time it ever happened,” Edelsburg said. “I’m in shock because it’s not the merchandise that she stole, I don’t care about. She’s more than happy to keep it. It’s a puppy. It’s a live animal.”

Edelsburg promises she will not ask any questions to the person who brings the puppy back.

Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join our Newsletter for the latest news right to your inbox