The owner of a pet store in Brooklyn is pleading for the return of a Yorkie puppy that was stolen over a week ago, saying the dog needs special care in order to survive.
David Dietz, owner of Puppy Paradise on Flatbush Avenue in Marine Park, Brooklyn, told NBC New York the 8-week-old Yorkie went missing the afternoon of Thursday, Feb. 16 while employees were busy helping other customers in the store.
Surveillance video shows a teenage boy taking the Yorkie from its cage, slipping it under his jacket and walking out of the room with another boy who appeared to be acting as a lookout.
Because the puppy is so young, Dietz said it needs special feedings and medication, care that unknowledgeable new owners cannot provide.
Puppy Paradise worker Mary Weinstein added, "They are like a baby. They need to be fed every two hours."
The puppy cost $1,500, according to Weinstein.
Police said they have identified the boys in the video, and that the teens have been arrested at least two other times for using the same methods to target the other pet stores in the area.
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The suspects, once arrested, are expected to be charged with felony grand larceny.
Dietz said he just wants the puppy back, no questions asked.
