7 bulldog puppies found after owner's car stolen in DC; 1 still missing, police say

Seven puppies that went missing in Washington D.C. were found Sunday after their owner's car was stolen over the weekend, police said.

A community member found the seven puppies from a litter of eight American bulldogs a day after they went missing, the D.C. police department posted Sunday night on X, formerly known as Twitter.

They are still looking for the last missing puppy and are asking for anyone with information to come forward.

The missing puppy is "dark in color is dark in color with white markings," said a press release from the department. Police are asking anyone with information on the location of the puppy to call (202) 727-9099.

Police are offering an $1,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to an arrest and conviction for the person or people responsible.

Family reunite with their service dog Watch this family reunite with their service dog who went missing right before Christmas

Owner left puppies for a just a few minutes

According to the release, at around 1 p.m. Saturday, the dog's owner turned her car on and loaded the 5-week-old puppies into her Mazda CX-3. When she stepped back into her house for no more than a couple of minutes to grab her bag and coat, her car and the puppies were stolen.

She "went to go back outside, and the car was gone," read the police report.

Sunday morning, police found her car, but the puppies were missing. The victim, a breeder and veterinary technician, dreaded the the possible outcome of the puppies, NBC Washington reported .

"They’re still too young to care for themselves or do anything," the owner said to the news outlet.

Her and other breeders used social media to spread information regarding the missing bullies and she soon got the call saying someone found seven of the pups and turned them in to police.

She told NBC Washington that she's thankful the seven are healthy, but it's hard not knowing where the eighth missing puppy could be.

“I’m hoping to get him back, but if not, I at least hope that he’s being taken care of properly," said the victim.

Missing dogs in DC

In the last few weeks, 10 dogs, including the eight puppies, were reported stolen. Here are the other cases of stolen dogs:

• Lola: A 7-month-old pit bull was stolen in a burglary that occurred on New Year's Eve around 7:25 p.m. Two people forced their way into the home, assaulted the owner and took off with the puppy. Lola was later brought into police by a concerned citizen, and was reunited with her owner. No arrests were made, but the case is still under investigation according to the police statement.

• Mocha: On Dec. 22, the french bull dog was stolen from its owner when she brought the dog to a location after arranging to sell it for $3,500, according to the Washington Post. Two robbers approached the owner. One grabbed the dog, and when the owner tried to get her back, the other robber showed her a gun and threatened to shoot. Mocha was recovered five days later. A 24-year-old suspect was arrested for armed-robbery on Friday, January 6th in relation to the dognapping, according to police. The case is under investigation.

• Dak: Sunday, January 7 at almost 8 p.m., a 10-week-old French Bulldog was stolen out of the victim's car. When Dak's owner returned "a short time later" the passenger window was shattered and the Frenchie was missing according to police.

AKC Reunite, a pet microchip company, reported French bulldogs have been the most stolen breed since 2020.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bulldog puppies missing in DC reunited with owner, police say