Police on Thursday asked for help from the public to find a French bulldog that was stolen from a 13-year-old boy while he walked the pooch in Newark.
The boy was walking his family dog, Ted “Teddy” Dibiase, around 2:40 p.m. last Friday on the 400 block of South 19th Street when four thieves pulled up in a Jeep, according to Newark Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé.
“The vehicle’s occupants exited and snatched the dog before fleeing with the dog inside the vehicle, heading eastbound on South Orange Avenue,” Fragé said in a statement.
“Detectives investigating this incident seek the public’s help in quickly locating the dog so that it can be returned to its rightful owners,” the director added.
The case was among several times French bulldogs were recently stolen around the country, including a gunpoint holdup in Washington, D.C. and similar incident in California.
In one of the most high-profile robberies, assailants last year shot Lady Gaga’s dog walker and grabbed two of the singer’s pet Frenchies.
Newark police released photos of the stolen dog and urged tipsters to come forward.
Anyone with information was urged to call Newark’s 24-hour Crime Stopper tip line at 1-877-NWK-TIPS (1-877-695-8477). Officials said tips would be kept confidential.
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Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.
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