Imagine coming home from ringing in the New Year at a party and finding out that your dog has been stolen. Also gone are more than a dozen puppies. To make matters worse, these beloved animals happen to be worth thousands of dollars. This is the real-life nightmare being experienced by owner Marcelo Cicuta. Police believe that while Cicuta and his mother were at a friend’s kennel on New Year’s Eve, thieves snuck in and carried the animals away in pillow cases.

Among the missing are El Che, a five-year-old prized French bulldog who won awards at both the French Bulldog Club of America National Specialty Show and Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. But according to Cicuta, El Che wasn’t just for show; he was a beloved companion.

The animal kidnappers also grabbed fifteen French bulldog puppies, ranging in age from sixteen to twenty-seven days old. This is especially worrying to the dog owner as the puppies are so very young. “They need their mothers. They need milk from their mother, or any mother for survival.” Without the necessary care, the puppies could die.

#FRENCH #BULLDOGS #STOLEN FROM 78 NW 47 TERR. CALL MIAMI-DADE CRIMESTOPPERS WITH INFORMATION AT 305-471-8477 (TIPS). pic.twitter.com/yvxLe4fHfZ

— Miami PD (@MiamiPD) January 2, 2014

Officer Kenia Reyes, spokeswoman for the Miami police, has not ruled out the possibility that the person or persons responsible knew very well that El Che was a champion show dog and that all the dogs were very valuable. According to the police report, El Che is valued at $50,000 and the young French bulldog puppies at $30,000. It seems hard to fathom that animals can be worth so much, but certain breeds, especially show dogs, are highly valued. In fact, French bulldogs are reportedly the third most stolen of all dogs. They can then be sold for a couple thousand dollars.

Cicuta hopes that his French bulldog and puppies can be recovered before this is their unfortunate fate. In the meantime, Miami law enforcement are said to be aggressively seeking leads that can determine who is responsible for this crime.

Image via Wikimedia Commons