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Dognapper Swipes Puppy From California Nurse Who's On Front Lines Of Coronavirus Fight
The puppy, an 11-week-old Malinois named Max, was a birthday present for Shaila Sheikh's son.
A California nurse working on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic had enough problems to deal with. But her life was disrupted even further when a criminal snatched an irreplaceable member of her family: her beloved puppy.
Max, an 11-week-old Malinois, was taken from owner Shaila Sheikh's home in Concord, California Saturday morning, the city's police department said on Facebook. Police also included video of the thief tucking the dog under his arm while getting on a gold and white bicycle to make his escape.
The suspect is described as an adult male, wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt (red patches on elbows), dark baseball cap, blue jeans, dark shoes, and blue rubber gloves.
Sheikh, a emergency room nurse at a local hospital, was at work when it happened, she told CNN. Her family only had Max for two weeks before he was stolen.
"I was heartbroken," she told CNN. "Max was helping us start over as a family. I had just moved and it was my kids and me. We had started a new chapter, and Max was an early birthday present for my son."
"I'm still holding on to hope. My family, coworkers, and friends are super supportive and have help raised reward money," she added, but noted that there haven't been any new leads on Max's whereabouts.
"Max’s family misses him so much," police said in their Facebook posting.
"Someone knows him," Concord Police Department Lt. Carl Cruz told NBC Bay Area. "Someone’s going to recognize that dog and we're hoping that they do the right thing because nothing would be better than to have Max at home today."
If someone sees Max, knows his whereabouts, or recognizes the dognapper, they are asked to contact Concord Dispatch at (925) 671-3333 and refer to case #20-4193.
