Surveillance video in Encinitas shows two women pulling a pair of Labradoodles out of a parked car and driving off, leaving their owner, Esma Bohannon, scrambling for answers. Bohannon says she had left 7-year-old Coco Chanel and 3-year-old Taco in her vehicle near North Coast Highway 101 and A Street while she ran quick errands, with the windows rolled down and a large bowl of water inside.
Both dogs were wearing tags with Bohannon’s phone number, but she says no one has called. She has filed a report with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, and neighbors have joined her in scouring local shelters and online marketplaces while investigators go over the footage.
Security video from a nearby business captures a car pulling up and two people getting out. One woman opens Bohannon’s unlocked passenger door, lifts both dogs from the vehicle and places them into the waiting car before it pulls away, according to KGTV. The outlet reports the incident happened just before noon two Thursdays ago and that Bohannon discovered the dogs were gone when she got back to her car.
Video Shows Two Women Take Dogs From Parked Car
"I looked inside and I was in shock," Bohannon told KGTV. "I was terrified. It was just not real to me." The footage appears to show the women loading Coco Chanel and Taco into the back of a dark vehicle and driving off within seconds.
Bohannon says the dogs had water and the car windows were rolled down when she stepped away. She is hoping that whoever took them has a change of heart and either brings them back or calls the number on their tags.
Owner Files Report, Shelters Come Up Empty
The dogs have not turned up at local humane societies or animal shelters, and Bohannon has urged anyone with information to speak up, according to reporting in the New York Post. She has filed a report with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office, where detectives are reviewing surveillance stills.
Anyone who recognizes the vehicle or the individuals in the footage is asked to contact the department’s North Coastal Station with tips.
Legal Note
Under California law, companion animals are treated as property for theft prosecutions. Following AB 1290, theft of a companion animal can be charged as grand theft if the animal’s value exceeds $950 and as petty theft if it does not, under Penal Code sections 487e and 487f. The updated language explicitly folds companion animals into the state’s larceny provisions and allows prosecutors to pursue felony or misdemeanor charges depending on the case.
For the full statutory language, see California Penal Code §487e and California Penal Code §487f.
How To Help
Anyone with information or possible sightings is asked to call the San Diego County Sheriff’s North Coastal Station at (760) 966-3500 or check the station directory page for tip options and hours.
Residents are encouraged to monitor local lost-and-found registries, such as Petco Love Lost, and contact area shelters before responding to online listings for similar dogs. Registries can speed up reunions and help confirm true ownership. Authorities are also reminding pet owners to secure their animals and avoid leaving them unattended in vehicles.
