Family pleads for safe return of stolen French bulldog, puppies in Tulare County

A Lindsay Family is pleading for the safe return of their French bulldogs after thieves broke into their house and grabbed them on Monday morning.

They took one-and-a-half-year-old Lola and her three puppies, who were just four weeks old.

It's been a heartbreaking 48 hours for Sylvia Martinez, Lola's owner.

"Honestly, it's really sad, but it is what it is, you know what I mean? We just want to try to, hopefully, get our dog back," said Sylvia, emotional and in disbelief from Monday's break-in.

"The kids can't sleep at night. They're scared they broke into our house. They broke the window. My kids are like Mom, can you sleep with me tonight? They're grown, so it's just we feel violated, just torn between everything," Sylvia explained.

The Tulare County Sheriff's Office says French bulldogs are costly, worth between $5,000 and $10,000 each.

Lola is a Blue Murl Frenchie Bulldog and has black and gray fur.

Investigators say she is valued at $5,000.

Lola's puppies are three male Blue Murl Frenchie Bulldogs with solid gray fur, each valued between $7,000 and $10,000.

They estimate the total loss is between $27,000 and $35,000.

Sylvia's family paid out of pocket for Lola's pregnancy and c-section birth.

They planned to pay that back by selling the puppies.

The money would've also helped pay for their kid's college tuition and extracurricular expenses.

But it's not the money they're most concerned about. It's the companionship and love they grew for their furry family member.

"She's been one that I just hung onto to care for her when she had her babies. I'm not one to be close to animals, but she really did steal my heart," Sylvia described.

What's even more upsetting, Sylvia believes the thieves could be close to her because few knew her dog just had puppies.

An eyewitness told Sylvia what they saw when the dogs went missing.

"It was a Chevy avalanche. They parked in my driveway and knocked on my door. He didn't realize that they were coming for anything. He thought maybe they were somebody that we knew. They saw them put something in the car and drove off."

That something is likely Lola and her puppies.

Her family's focus right now is to bring them back home safely.

In a statement, Tulare County Sheriff's Office wrote:

"Sheriff Boudreaux is committed to finding these bulldogs and reuniting them with their rightful owner. The suspect in this investigation faces potential charges of Grand Theft of A Companion Animal."

The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Tulare County Sheriff's Office at (559) 733-6218.

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