A Detroit woman was dragged and injured after a passenger in a black car grabbed her French bulldog out of an east side alley and sped off while she clung to the vehicle's side. Alex Gunn-Liles says she suffered injuries to her hand and body during the Aug. 14 theft, which happened as she and her boyfriend were walking from a gas station near Harper and Gunston avenues.
According to WXYZ Channel 7, a black car pulled up in the alleyway before a passenger grabbed Gunn-Liles's dog, Bruno, threw him inside, and locked the door as she tried to intervene. “The passenger had grabbed my dog… he ran onto the passenger side, threw him in the car, they shut the door, they locked the door because I tried to open the door,” Gunn-Liles said, according to the station.
Gunn-Liles reached through an open car window trying to grab Bruno back, but the driver pulled away with her still holding on. “The driver pulled off, dragged me with them. I was holding on to the side,” she told WXYZ. The theft happened within the footprint of the Detroit Police Department's 9th Precinct, headquartered at 11187 Gratiot Avenue and responsible for the east side neighborhoods surrounding Harper and Gunston.
A Family Dog, Not Just a Commodity
For Gunn-Liles, Bruno is more than a pet. The station's report notes that Bruno responds to her depression by running to her and putting his body weight on her, a habit that has made him irreplaceable to her and her family. Detroit police are now seeking information about Bruno's whereabouts and whoever may have him, per the same account.
Gunn-Liles believes the thieves targeted Bruno specifically because of his breed. “I'm guessing they're using him for breeding because then they can sell the puppies,” she said, according to the outlet's report. Fluffy Frenchies, a variety of French bulldog, are considered an expensive breed, and Gunn-Liles's suspicion lines up with a pattern authorities and breed experts have flagged elsewhere.
Why Fluffy Frenchies Have Become a Target
The financial motive behind stealing dogs like Bruno traces back to genetics. Fluffy French Bulldogs get their longer coat from a rare recessive mutation in the FGF5 gene, and puppies carrying that trait routinely sell for $10,000 to $12,000 or more, according to Spark Paws. French Bulldogs generally cannot reproduce naturally because of their narrow hips and broad build, requiring artificial insemination and C-section surgeries that drive up breeding costs and puppy prices even further, the outlet notes.
The breed's high resale value has fueled a broader black-market crime trend. Pet theft reports submitted to AKC Reunite surged 140 percent between 2019 and 2022, with French Bulldogs consistently ranking as the most frequently stolen breed nationwide, according to Marketplace. Separately, the American Kennel Club permits Fluffy Frenchies to be registered with official pedigree papers even though their long fur is a disqualifying coat fault that bars them from AKC conformation show rings, according to LeSnort — a distinction that has done nothing to dampen their commercial and breeding value.
A Pattern of Frenchie Thefts Across Metro Detroit
This is not the first time a French bulldog has been targeted violently in the Detroit area. In July 2023, two armed suspects held up a dog owner at gunpoint on the city's west side and stole his rare Merle French bulldog, valued at over $5,000, as reported by FOX 2 Detroit. And in April 2025, a 24-year-old Detroit man was arrested and charged with felony larceny after allegedly stealing a loose French bulldog in Metro Detroit and trying to sell it back to its owner near a hospital, a case Hoodline previously covered.
Nationally, American Kennel Club data shows about 15 percent of dog thefts occur while an owner is out walking their pet, and roughly 12 percent of lost pets reported to AKC Reunite are confirmed to have been stolen, according to the Royal Examiner. Pet welfare experts cited in that report emphasize that quick public reporting and microchipping are critical to recovering stolen animals.
Possible Charges Ahead
Under Section 750.356 of the Michigan Penal Code, larceny of property valued between $1,000 and $20,000 is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and fines up to $10,000 or triple the value of the stolen property, per the Michigan Legislature. Separately, 2019 amendments to Michigan Penal Code Section 750.50b made intentional animal torture or severe physical harm a first-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, according to Attorneys for Animals — a statute that could come into play if investigators determine Bruno was harmed while in the suspects' custody.
Anyone with information about Bruno's whereabouts or the identities of those involved is asked to contact the Detroit Police Department's 9th Precinct or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-SPEAK-UP. For now, Gunn-Liles and her family are waiting for any lead that might bring Bruno home.
