A pair of French bulldogs owned by Oakland resident Lynne McInnes was taken from her this weekend after thieves broke into her car while she briefly stepped inside a CVS store on Redwood Road.
Local dognapping rates have been on a steady rise over the past two years. And those involving French bulldogs — one of the most in-demand canine breeds at the moment, with "regular" puppies produced by private breeders fetching more than $7K in some instances; Frenchies sporting unique coat colors can go for prices almost three-times that amount — have become increasingly common. (The past few months alone have seen at least a three of the small dogs stolen in San Francisco.)
Lynne McInnes's two French bulldogs, six-year-old Jimmy and seven-year-old Jamon, became part of that statistic Saturday when they were taken from her parked car in Oakland.
According to ABC7, McInnes and her Frenchies had just finished a "really good hike" yesterday morning when she decided to pop into a nearby CVS store. Upon returning to her car, she noticed that a window was smashed through; her two dogs were nowhere to be found.
“I’ve had them for six and seven years each. And I love them more than I can say,” said McInnes to the news outlet, visibly distraught and shaken from the whole ordeal. “Total shock, total shock. Just disbelief."
McInnes has filed a police report in Oakland, as well as having now posted flyers in the parking lot where the theft happened; she's also put the information out on social media to help find her dogs and track down the thieves who took them from her.
"It’s been the three of us for years,” McInnes added in response to Jamon and Jimmy now being forcefully pulled from her life. It's worth noting that stolen dogs often go up for sale on general online marketplaces like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, as opposed to dog-specific classifieds, like Petfinder, which are subjected to more screening practices and owner information inputs.
Should you see these two dogs — pictures of them can be found in the video above — IRL or someone posting an ad for them online, investigators have said call the Oakland Police Department at (510) 238-3455.
Related: Latest French Bulldog Theft Adds Insult to Injury, as Suspects Return to Steal Victim’s Car
[Update] French Bulldog Stolen in Marina District Saturday Is Found
Photo: Getty Images/kittimages