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Texas Police Search For Crooks Caught On Camera Snatching Fireman's Puppy
Matt Ivy has since celebrated the return of his puppy, named Chipper, but authorities are still looking for the two thieves that abducted him from Ivy's front yard.
Authorities in Texas are on the lookout for two dirty dogs who were caught on camera abducting a French Mastiff puppy from its owner’s gated yard.
The 10-week old puppy, named Chipper, was snatched up by two men on Saturday, according to the Mesquite Police Department.
In the clip, two men pull up to the yard in a black Cadillac SUV. One of them grabs the puppy by the scruff of the neck, causing the dog to let out a yelp. The suspects then drive off with the dog.
Footage of the incident was shared both by police and by the dog’s owner, a Dallas firefighter and dog breeder named Matt Ivy. The video quickly went viral — racking up more than 14 million views as of Thursday afternoon on Facebook alone.
After discovering his dog was missing, Ivy created an online fundraiser to offer an award for Chipper's safe return.
By Wednesday, the dog was returned home to Ivy, who was thrilled.
“Somebody sold Chipper to a good man that called me and returned him," Ivy wrote on his Facebook page, adding that he couldn't write much more about how the situation played out since police requested he "keep details minimal."
Ivy did, however, take the opportunity to praise the man who helped bring his dog home.
“He's the hero and absolutely getting half the reward money,” he posted on Facebook.
When asked about his fascination with French Mastiffs, Ivy said he fell in love with the breed formally known as the Dogue de Bordeaux after watching the movie “Turner & Hooch” when he was younger.
"It's life outside the fire department," he said of his breeding operation, known as Ivy Bordeaux, according to KDFW-TV in Dallas Fort-Worth.
Thankfully, Ivy’s story had a happier ending than the 1989 film that sparked his passion for these particular pooches.
Police have not provided detailed descriptions or sketches of the suspects.
"In regards to the suspects involved, the investigation is still ongoing at this time," Mesquite police tweeted Thursday.
[Photo: Mesquite Police Department]
