Residents of Bellingham and Milford, Massachusetts have been rocked by a series of puppy thefts leaving both the pup's owners and local authorities searching for answers. In a disturbing event last Saturday, two micro American Bullies were snatched from a North Street home in Bellingham, captured on surveillance footage that later made its way into the hands of the police. The missing canines, a tan male with a white chest and a tan female accented with white on both her chest and head, have a hefty combined value of about $6,000, NBC Boston reports.
The grief-stricken owner of the Bellingham dogs, Jose Gudiel, in a plea filled with dismay and evident heartache, expressed his family's devastation to WHDH, "It's very sad that there's people with that kind of heart that will come to your home and violate your privacy," and followed with a direct message to the perpetrators, "Shame on you ... don't just break into somebody's home, that's not right."
Similarly, an unsettling incident occurred in Milford on Tuesday night when a one-year-old French Bulldog known affectionately as My Love, was taken from an apartment on Main Street. The unsettling part of the saga is that My Love's owners were within earshot, hearing the dog's cries before the sudden and stark realization of her absence. Milford authorities suspect an entry through a rear access door, which lends some credibility to the theory of a targeted theft, CBS Boston shared.
In a turn of events, the French Bulldog was fortuitously returned on Friday, though the details surrounding the return remain undisclosed. The search, however, continues for the micro American Bullies from Bellingham, a situation compounded by the mother, Tinkerbell, a therapy and service dog who displays unmistakable signs of distress as explained by Gudiel to CBS Boston, "She has been very jumpy. She doesn't let people touch her anymore. You were petting her she didn't let you because she feels there are two puppies missing." The Bellingham Police are corroborating with Milford officials to determine if there's a thread connecting these events. With the perpetrators still at large, the communities remain on high alert.
The authorities encourage anyone who might have relevant information to step forward and assist in the ongoing investigations. Contact the Bellingham Police Department at 508-966-1212 or the Milford Police Department at 508-473-3800. The safety and well-being of these local pets, and the peace of mind of their owners, depend highly on the vigilance of neighbors and the swift action of law enforcement.
