MIAMI – A dog owner is asking the public for help after two litters of puppies were stolen from his Miami home on Northwest 47th Terrace on New Year's Eve.
"The dog is my son," said Marcelo Cicuta.
The dogs' father was also taken during the theft, but their mother was left behind. If not found soon, the puppies could be in danger.
"She has all this milk that is being produced and no puppies to take it away, so she is going to be very uncomfortable not to mention the psychological impact of it, " said Dr. James Dee of Hollywood Animal Hospital.
The puppies are so young - one litter is two weeks old, the other three weeks old -- they are living off their mother's milk which provides them with the nutrition and antibodies they need to survive. A total of 15 puppies were stolen, stuffed into a pillow case and stolen from the home in the dark of night.
The dogs that were taken are French bull dogs. Their father is a prizewinning dog -- El Che -- who has won several awards in the United States and Mexico. The owner says he is devastated and that the mother of the younger puppies cries because she misses them.
"When you get to an age where the puppies are 2 to 4 weeks of age there is still a lot of work that has to go on because they're not quite ready to come and jump into a bowl of chow," said Dr. Dee.
The dogs, worth an estimated $30,000, are not only beloved pets, but also the family's livelihood.
El Che, a prizewinning French bull dog is missing, along with 15 puppies he fathered.