An Auckland family is pleading for the safe return of their dog after it was apparently stolen from inside their house while nobody was home.
Cooper the 18-month-old French bulldog disappeared on the morning of June 22 after Jeneene Smith and her son Joel Glanville went out for a couple of hours.
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They got back to their Mt Albert home to find some parcels had been delivered, but Cooper was gone.
Ms Smith told Newshub the large cat door Cooper usually used to get outside had been damaged.
Thirteen days after he first went missing the situation is becoming desperate and a crowdfund has been launched to raise a reward for Cooper's safe return.
French bulldogs are a smaller version of the regular bulldog and has risen in popularity over recent years.
In March TradeMe banned the sale of French bulldogs on the site, along with pugs and British bulldogs.
Ms Smith said she's been overwhelmed by the support from volunteers over Cooper's disappearance.
"People have gone mad with kindness because they don't want this to happen to them and dog snatching is getting too common," she told Newshub.
A police spokesperson confirmed to Newshub they were investigating the incident and said anyone with any information about Cooper's whereabouts should contact their local police station.
Newshub.