A North Philadelphia family is pleading for the safe return of a Shih Tzu named Cody after surveillance video captured two people taking him from outside a corner store at West Berks and Van Pelt streets on Sunday. Cody belongs to Jamal, a boy with cerebral palsy who cannot walk and relies on his mother, Diane Newman, for daily care. Since Cody vanished, Newman says, her family has been struggling to cope.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, Newman's boyfriend had tied Cody to a pole outside the store while he stepped inside, a routine moment that turned into a loss the family is still reeling from. Video obtained by the station shows two people taking the dog from that spot before anyone could stop them. For Jamal, Cody is more than a pet — the station reports the dog provides him companionship, comfort and friendship that have become part of his daily life.
A Child Keeps Asking for His Dog
Newman told the outlet that Cody's disappearance has hit the household hard, especially her son. “Cody being missing is taking a toll on us,” she said, describing how Jamal continues to ask when his dog will come home: “he is asking me, did you bring my dog back yet?” The repeated question underscores just how central Cody has become to Jamal's routine and emotional well-being, given his severely limited mobility and dependence on his mother for daily care.
Newman is directly appealing to whoever has Cody, or anyone who might know his whereabouts, to bring him back. “Can you please bring my son his dog back?” she said. She added that she has no intention of stopping her search or her care for her son, saying plainly, “I refuse to give up.”
Family Holds Onto Hope
Newman says she is hopeful that Cody will eventually be returned to the family. The NBC10 report, which credited reporter Shaira Arias, noted that the story was originally produced for broadcast and converted into a digital article with the help of AI tools before being edited by an NBC Philadelphia journalist for publication. No arrests or further details about the two people seen in the surveillance footage were reported.
Residents who want to report a lost or found animal, or who witness an animal-related emergency in Philadelphia, can contact the city's animal control line at (267) 385-3800, which the City of Philadelphia says is staffed 24 hours a day. For now, Newman and Jamal are waiting, hoping someone recognizes Cody or comes forward with information that brings him home.
