Burglars demand ransom after stealing dog

ATLANTA — Thieves who stole a dog while burglarizing a home are demanding the owners pay a ransom to get their pet back.

Burglars smashed through the window of a home in southwest Atlanta on Saturday, ransacked the house and snatched a toy poodle named Murphy.

"The first thing I looked for was Murphy. His whole kennel was gone, TV gone, computers, shoes, underwear. They stole everything," Alex Tyler said.

Tyler suspects the thieves are the same group of men who nearly ran over her while she was walking her dog. She said she yelled at them for speeding and they got out of their car and started harassing her.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Dog owners blame popular flea medicine for pets' deaths
• 1 dead, 1 missing after boats collide on Allatoona Lake
• Gov. Deal announces Falcons Friday ahead of Super Bowl

One of Tyler's housemates, Chelsea Brown, got a call after posting a notice of the lost dog on Craigslist.

"They said they have my dog. I need to meet them at the CVS. They don't want any trouble. They wanted to remain anonymous," she said.

Brown said the caller demanded a $500 reward. When police tried to speak with the caller, they hung up and sent a threatening text.

"(It) said, 'We told you no cops. That's the first thing you did.' I think that might have upset them," she said.

The housemates said that even though thieves stole thousands of dollars' worth of valuables, they just want their dog back.

"He was like a child to us. We just want him back. We want him back, no questions asked," Tyler said.

The housemates believe the thieves returned overnight Thursday to steal a Mercedes.

"I feel very violated. I can't even walk into my house. I loved living here, until now. My whole world is turned upside down," Justin Thomas said.

Atlanta police have opened an investigation into the burglary and theft of the dog.

Cox Media Group