Police investigate brazen dog thefts in Milford, Bellingham

Police in two Massachusetts communities are investigating recent dog thefts targeting pricey pups. 

The first incident happened in Bellingham, where police said someone stole two micro American bully puppies from a home on North Street last Saturday evening. The resident learned from a neighboring business that two men had been spotted on their property and later realized the two puppies were gone, Bellingham Police Lt. Stephen Daigle said in a press release.

According to the release, one puppy is a tan male with a white patch on his chest, while the other is a tan female with white on her chest and head. Each dog is valued at about $3,000, police said.

Officers responded to the same property again on Sunday after receiving a call about a suspicious person. According to Daigle, police located a person of interest nearby but could not confirm whether that individual was involved in the theft.

A similar incident played out on Tuesday in Milford, where police said a 1.5-year-old female French bulldog named MyLove went missing from a home on Main Street. According to MarketWatch, French bulldogs can cost between $1,500 to $3,000 on average in the U.S. 

The Milford theft happened at about 11 p.m., police said in a news release. Investigators believe the alleged dognapper entered the home through a rear door; the owner reportedly told officers they heard MyLove cry out and went to check on the dog, only to find her missing. 

“She let out a small shriek like she was scared,” MyLove’s owner, Karen Zhanay, told WCVB. “I didn’t find anything, and she was just gone.”

On Friday, however, Milford police announced that MyLove had been reunited with her family. No further information was immediately available, though police said the incident remains under investigation. 

Milford police acknowledged the earlier incident in Bellingham but said authorities have not confirmed whether the two dog thefts are connected.