By Daily Mail Reporter


Dognapped: Tia, a Dogue de Bordeaux, and her nine puppies before they were stolen


Nine puppies and their mother, said to be worth a total of £10,000, have been stolen in a heartbreaking case of dognapping.

The Dogue de Bordeauxs were taken from an unlocked shed in a back garden.

Owner Maria Smallman, 52, said she and her 16-year-old daughter Donna had been left ‘absolutely devastated’.


She added: ‘They have taken the mother knowing the puppies are still feeding off her.’

The family bought the mother, called Tia, eight months ago and she gave birth to her litter last month. Each dog is said to be worth about £1,000.

The raiders, who had to break two padlocks on a back gate to gain access to the garden in Tipton, West Midlands, also stole a dog lead that had been left on the fence.

Last month the Daily Mail told how a 16-week-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel called Alfie was snatched under the noses of his owners by thieves who sped off with him on a motorbike in West Bromwich.

Pauline and Ian Parsons, from Brierley Hill, were ‘heartbroken’ by the loss of their beloved pet.

But there was a happy ending when a couple who had bought the puppy for £150 from a man hours after he was snatched returned him to his rightful owners after seeing publicity about the case.

Mrs Parsons said: ‘He was a bit timid at first, but he’s settling back in now.’


source:dailymail