A Northern Virginia woman's French bulldog is the latest victim in a string of D.C.-area dognappings targeting the breed.
Myah, who did not want News4 to use her last name or show her face on camera, says a burglar broke into her home on Tralee Woods Court in Springfield and stole her dog, Queen, on Monday.
“She’s very friendly, very sweet, very playful. She loves people, she loves dogs," Myah said.
The suspect tried to take all three of Myah's French bulldogs but was only able to get away with Queen, Fairfax County police said.
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Surveillance cameras captured video of the suspect before and after the crime. It shows him holding Queen over his shoulder as he leaves the house.
“You broke into my house and you took something that means very much, like, a lot to me. I guess like my child. So it’s just, like, you took her from me,” Myah said.
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“I’m worried if she’s getting any type of sleep, if they’re abusing her, if they’re doing anything to her. Like, it’s hard to not think the worst because she’s not in my care,” she said.
The D.C. area has seen a string of French bulldog thefts in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, three suspects stole three of the dogs from their owner at gunpoint in a D.C. alley.
On Saturday, another French bulldog was stolen from its owner before being reunited on Tuesday.
The American Kennel Club Reunite is a nonprofit organization that tracks stolen pets with microchips. It says French bulldogs have been the most common dog breed to be stolen since September of last year. Other breeds on the list include the Yorkshire Terrier, Labrador Retriever, German Shepard and Siberian Husky.
Money is the motivation for the dognappings, police said.
“We look at these trends, we look what we see individuals try to do with these, and these French bulldogs can go for a significant amount of money,” said Lt. James Curry, commander of public affairs for the Fairfax County Police Department.
Myah said she was preparing to sell Queen before she was stolen, and she feels violated.
“The starting price for her – $4,000, and that’s just the starting price. And she's a girl. Girls will always be worth more than males, but for me it’s not about the price, it’s not nothing like that. I just want her to have a good home,” she said.
Police described the suspect as a Black man who is 5 feet 8 inches tall. He was wearing a white T-shirt, gray shorts and blue Crocs.
The suspect got away in a four-door Nissan, possibly an Altima or Sentra. They're asking anyone who has seen the car or Queen to call 703-644-7377 or submit an anonymous tip to 1-866-411-8477.
