A young woman, apparently enamored with a 9-week-old pug, was caught on the store owner's surveillance tape running off with the $1,200 puppy in Lone Tree.
Just Pets store owner Lisa Stone said that the woman appeared very interested in the pug and was playing with it in a small petting area when another woman came in to inquire about some kittens. Stone told KDVR that she believes the other woman was an accomplice meant to distract her from the puppy theft.
UPDATE:
After a little less than 24 hours, the pug has been found by detectives and returned safely to Just Pets store owner Lisa Stone, according to a report by 9News. The pug was returned last night just before 9 p.m. and Stone is taking her for a vet checkup today, since police told her that the pug may have been in the hands of more than one person.
Police told 7News that they have one unidentified person in custody in connection with the pug-napping.
EARLIER:
While the owner was answering the inquiries of the second woman, the other can be seen running out the door with the yelping pug in her arms.
"I was shocked, it was just disbelief. I couldn’t believe that someone would actually run out the door with a puppy, a live little puppy," Stone told KDVR. "You know, it’s not like stealing a toy."
Stone has said that she is mostly concerned that the 9-week-old puppy gets the care she needs, including special puppy food.
According to the American Kennel Club, pugs were the 24th most popular dog breed in the U.S. last year and is described as a dog that "excels in the show ring."
In August, the Huffington Post reported that dog theft has gone up by at least 32 percent this year, and that the reason is mostly financial. Expensive purebred dogs can be resold at a lower price on the internet or another venue in deals sometimes called puppy trafficking.
"She is 9 weeks old and should not be in the care of a criminal," Stone told 7News. "This person needs to know that not only did she just commit a felony, but she has a very precious young life that she needs to care for."