Members of a Dallas family are offering a reward in hopes of being reunited with their dog after a burglar broke into their home and stole him.
The unknown thief broke into the Alvarado family’s home sometime Friday and stole Smokey, its American pocket bully, Diana Alvarado told local media. While other items, like jewelry, cash and Christmas gifts were also taken, Alvarado said the family wants Smokey back the most.
"Presents can be replaced, material things can be replaced," Alvarado told WBAP-TV. "They also stole our piggy bank that we'd been saving for a long time. It was a water jug filled with coins and dollar bills, but we want our dog back. That's the most important thing for us, is our dog."
A $1,500 reward is now being offered for Smokey's safe return. The Alvarado family put up $500, and neighbors and friends contributed the rest.
Alvarado returned home from work Friday evening to find it unusually quiet, she said. She and her daughters found the house had been ransacked and Smokey was gone. They checked the backyard, but Smokey was nowhere to be found.
Alvarado found that a window in her bedroom had been forced open. She said she believes the thief or thieves parked in the alley behind the home.
A neighbor's surveillance camera captured an unknown, maroon Chevy Equinox parked outside the home and an unknown man approaching their door Friday afternoon, but it's unclear if the man is also the burglar.
"I just hope that they (burglar) can find it in their heart to return Smokey," Alvarado told WFAA-TV.
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