DOG breeders are being asked for help after 14 Chihuahua and pug puppies were snatched by raiders.
Owner Tiffany Roberts believes her home was deliberately targeted by crooks who knew exactly what they were looking for.
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On the case: Detective Inspector Tony Cockerill.
The raiders killed her pug stud Sterling and stole seven pug puppies and seven Chihuahua puppies as well as her prized Chihuahua stud Tonka.
Miss Roberts, who breeds dogs at her home in Queensgate, Beverley, said: “I haven’t had a post-mortem done on Sterling, I couldn’t bring myself to do it, so I don’t know how he died.
“The dogs are like my children.
“It’s quite a volume of puppies to get rid of, so hopefully someone will spot them.”
The animals are worth more than £1,000 each and Miss Roberts, who has lived in Beverley for two months, is convinced they were stolen by someone who knew the dogs were there.
Detective Inspector Tony Cockerill said: “The theft of these animals has been very distressing for the family.
“We are currently following a number of lines of inquiry, but, at this stage, we have not been able to locate the stolen puppies.
“I would like to ask anyone who may have seen a large litter of puppies – Chihuahua or pug – for sale and feels it may be suspicious, to contact the police.
“I want to see the litter reunited with the owner as soon as possible.”
Miss Roberts, 26, said: “They took laptops as well as the dogs, but there was money and jewellery on the table and they left that.
“It’s not about what they’re worth, no money in the world could bring back Sterling or Tonka.”
The theft happened at about 10pm on Friday, January 20, while the house had been left insecure.
Acting on information from Miss Roberts, police say the puppies may have been taken to South Yorkshire.
But Miss Roberts made her own efforts to get the dogs back and did not call the authorities until Sunday.
She knows the pups, and probably Tonka, will have been sold on by now and is asking dog breeders to be aware that the animals are stolen.
She said: “Tonka is distinctive. He weighs about three pounds.
“He had a fight with another dog and lost some teeth, so now he can’t put his tongue in and it’s left hanging out.”
Anyone with information should call police on the non-emergency 101 number.
