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Why thieves are snatching French bulldogs across the US
Jefferson, a French bulldog pup, is seen at an October 2021 occasion exterior the US Senate in Washington
The 2 thieves who brutally robbed 27-year-old Marieke Bayens at gunpoint on a California road weren’t after her purse — or her. They needed the little canine on the finish of her leash: Merlyn, a French bulldog.
From New York to Los Angeles, and from Miami to Chicago, thefts of the prized breed have been on the rise.
They’ve the added draw of being a “canine of the celebrities.”
The celebrity singer supplied a $500,000 reward for his or her return and ultimately received the canine again. Police made 5 arrests within the case.
“I used to be ready for Merlyn to go about his enterprise once I noticed two folks coming,” she advised AFP. “Earlier than I knew it, one was in entrance of me pointing a gun at my face and stated, ‘Give me the canine.’
Bulldog thefts elsewhere within the nation have been carried out with comparable cold-blooded techniques.
– Tempting goal –
Two key causes: their excessive resale worth — $3,500 to $5,000 or extra — and their relative rarity, Brandi Hunter Munden, vice chairman of the American Kennel Membership, advised AFP.
“Using violence, nevertheless, is new and alarming.”
However essentially the most essential suggestion — and the one most likely least noticed — includes social media: homeowners are strongly urged to withstand the temptation of posting cute images or movies of their pets, which can enable thieves to find them.
So it’s not shocking that Hollywood has change into a hotspot of French-bulldog thievery.
Robert Marinelli was strolling Luca, his eight-year-old bulldog, when he was attacked.
He suffered intensive accidents and was hospitalized.
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Initially printed as Why thieves are snatching French bulldogs throughout the US
