WASHINGTON — A woman in D.C. has been reunited with her 6-month-old French bulldog puppy after he was stolen from her over the weekend.
WUSA9 confirmed with Teffiney Worthy that her dog, Hendrix, was found Tuesday, and was on scene when the duo were reunited.
According to Worthy, she was contacted by a woman on Instagram who said she had bought Hendrix from someone else, saw the news reports that he was stolen and wanted to return him. Worthy said the woman asked her to pay $900 to get her dog back, since she said she had to pay to buy the dog from the third party. Worthy had already paid $2,500 to hire a private investigator to help find the puppy.
In a press conference Tuesday, Commander Jeffrey Kopp from the Violent Crimes Suppression Division said Worthy immediately contacted investigators who took over communication with the person who reportedly had Hendrix. He said Worthy was not with officers when they took the pup and she was never in any danger.
As for the money, Kopp added that he could not go into details regarding what happened with the tipster, citing the ongoing investigation but did confirm that the person who reached out is not currently under arrest but also hasn't been completely cleared.
Worthy previously told WUSA9 she was getting back from walking her six-month-old puppy Hendrix around 4 p.m. on Saturday, when two black cars with paper tags pulled up in front of her home on Monroe Street, Northeast.
"When he got out of the car and started running, I panicked and couldn't put my pin in time to get me and Hendrix in safely," Worthy told WUSA9.
Worthy says the man was carrying what looked like a taser and said, "Give me your dog or I'll kill you."
She believes the theft was a targeted attack because she had seen both cars prior to the robbery at a gas station near her home at the intersection of 18th and Monroe Streets, Northeast.
"It was heartbreaking," Worthy said. "It was heartbreaking looking in his eyes. He just didn't want to go, and you know, he was very shook."
Hendrix was gifted to her after she lost her first dog Memphis back in August when floodwaters overcame the former District Dogs Northeast location.
This is just one of a handful of stolen dog cases in the District over the past six months. It's a growing problem in the region.
Police say the dogs being stolen are either expensive breeds, like poodles, bulldogs and westies, or ones that can be used for dog fighting.
Breeders say there is a demand for Frenchies.
A local French bulldog breeder told WUSA9 she sees an uptick in stolen Frenchies during the holiday season because they are a breed that is often gifted.
French bulldogs are the most popular dog breed in the U.S. according to the American Kennel Club.
A search on Puppies.com shows that some Frenchies are sold locally for up to $50,000.
The D.C. Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA) says robbers are looking for dogs that are easy to carry and can be resold for thousands of dollars.
"It's a quick buck that someone is able to make and it's easy to snatch from someone that is unsuspecting," Dan D'Eramo with the HRA told WUSA9.
D'Eramo says these robberies are not an indication that dogs are in a crisis in the District, but simply a crime of opportunity.