Horror as dognappers pretend to stroke French bulldog before grabbing pet

TWO MEN lurked behind a fence to steal a French bulldog puppy in the middle of the day - but were captured on CCTV.

French bulldog tries to stop owner from taking new bed away

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Footage shows the two dognappers approaching 60-year-old Caroline Busby, who was taking Luna for a stroll down a path in Worcestershire. The two men then stop Caroline and her one-year-old puppy, bending down to stroke the dog before making off with the helpless canine. Just prior to making contact, the men walk around outside of Caroline’s view behind the fence, but in full view of the CCTV camera.

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Distraught over her missing pooch, Caroline and her family scoured the area after Luna was taken on March 3.Kirsty Groves, Caroline’s daughter, said: “You can see on the CCTV that they are crouched down, waiting for her to come around the corner.”She described how her mother thought they were occupied tying their shoelaces before questioning Caroline on Luna’s age.Kirsty added: “Then they just unclipped her and ran.

CCTV dognapping

Footage shows the two dognappers approaching 60-year-old Caroline Busby (Image: Kirsty Groves/ SWNS)

Luna

Distraught over her missing pooch, Caroline and her family scoured the area after Luna was taken (Image: Kirsty Groves/ SWNS)

“They had been hiding in a bush, my mum didn't even see them.”

She described the horror for the family, continuing: “We've not slept. We are both still in shock.

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“My mum's dog is my mum's best friend, she's not just a dog. It is a family pet.

“They are part of your family.”

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CCTV footage

'You can see on the CCTV that they are crouched down, waiting for her to come around the corner' (Image: Kirsty Groves/ SWNS)

luna

The two men stopped Caroline as she walked Luna near her home (Image: Kirsty Groves/ SWNS)

She explained the long-term consequences for her mother, who she said had become a “nervous wreck” following the incident.

She said: “She will not go on her own ever again.

“She's a defenceless 60-year-old woman, it's so unfair.

“I live away and I am worried about my mum and if anything like this will happen again.

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West Mercia Police

Joyfully for Caroline and her family, puppy Luna was found by police (Image: SWNS)

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“'We are really angry someone has made my mum feel this way. What is wrong with people? Truly awful.”

“You don't expect anything like this to happen in Malvern.”

Joyfully for Caroline and her family, puppy Luna was found by police around eight miles from where she was taken the next day.

Kirsty said: “We are really lucky that we got her back. I think this is due to the sharing online about what had happened.

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“We are really grateful for those who took the time to help find her.

Is it a duck…or a dog? The Newfoundland breed has a water resistant coat and webbed feet. This dog was originally bred to help haul nets for fishermen and rescuing people at risk of drowning.

“We can only think that the theft was purely down to money. French bulldogs are expensive.

“We even took extra precautions when I brought her the dog because of this.”

“I got my mum a panic alarm to take on her walks with her and she was insured as much as she could be, but this still happened.”

A spokesperson for West Mercia Police said: “Two males in their early twenties seen running towards Mayfield Road carrying the dog in their arms.

“Police are continuing with their investigations and are determined to track down the offenders.”

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