COVINGTON, Ga. — Police say a group of teenage thieves broke into a Covington home and walked out with high-priced pure bred puppies.
Police say it’s a crime they are beginning to see more and more.
“It's something that's beginning to be a trend in law enforcement. People are having pure breds stolen and then resold,” said Capt. Ken Malcom, with Covington police.
The theft was just one in a series of burglaries in the area recently.
Police arrested 24 young people in recent weeks, who are accused of breaking into homes during the day when owners were away.
They’re accused of stealing electronics, weapons and the puppies, among other things.
“I couldn’t believe someone would do something like this. It's like abducting a child, because a dog becomes like a family member,” said victim Dionna Henderson.
Henderson says her heart broke the day she arrived home and found three of her pure bred pit bull pups missing. Someone broke into the home and stole the pedigree pooches, knowing they could turn a quick profit on the street.
“Street value is like $350, and if you get papers, AKC registered, they're more like $1,500,” Henderson said.
Besides the puppies, police say the thieves grabbed electronics and weapons, including a shotgun and two rifles. Malcom says two dozen thieves were working in half dozen groups. They say what shocked them the most was the age of the thieves.
“They ranged from the age of 11 years old up to 18,” Malcom said.
Malcom said officer spotted a teenager running with one of the pit bull pups and made an arrest.
One of Henderson’s puppies was recovered but died within days, possibly because of some kind of neglect. She says she worries about the one still missing.
“I’m really concerned about her safety and her whereabouts," Henderson said.
Police say since they've made the arrests and cleared a dozen burglary cases, the burglary rate is down.