Cold-blooded thieves targeted Perfect Pets in Colorado, making off with two bulldog puppies after pulling off a dramatic and bizarre heist.
One suspect pretended to have a seizure, drawing the attention of employees, while another managed to grab the defenseless pups from their enclosures.
Two bulldog puppies stolen from Perfect Pets
The incident occurred on Sunday at about 1:30 pm when three suspects arrived separately at Perfect Pets in Centennial, according to the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO).
The group had inquired about the pricey bulldogs, which retail for over $4,000 each, before executing their scheme.
Chaos unfolded when one man suddenly collapsed to the floor, shaking in what appeared to be a medical emergency.
“It was obviously a decoy to distract employees and people towards that guy on the floor,” said store manager Bianca Rose Larsen in an interview with ABC.
Staff and customers rushed to assist him, thinking it was a health crisis. “He was right here and then he just backed up and threw himself to the ground,” recalled employee Nicole LaRosa, who immediately called 911 and tried to help him.
Meanwhile, one of the culprits dressed in all black was caught on security cameras heading to the back of the store, where the expensive puppies were kept.
When he lifted the puppy cage lid, a worker noticed the suspicious activity and shouted, “Hey! What are you doing?” in sheer panic.
Accomplice grabbed puppies and ran
But it was too late—he had already snatched the pups, one in each hand, and bolted for the exit.
Witnesses, including LaRosa, chased after the thief, yelling “stop!” as he made his getaway.
“I immediately get up. I run towards the front of the store. I got towards him to try and get the puppies. He elbows me to the ground. I grab his leg, that’s why we tripped,” LaRosa recounted.
The thief stumbled in the scuffle, causing one of the puppies to fall and hit the ground before being roughly picked up again and carried off.
“He’s throwing them around like pieces of meat and just grabs them and like scrambles out of here,” Larsen said.
Describing the scene as “disturbing” and “brutal,” she added, “They’re screaming, wailing, crying. Horrifying. It’s one of the sickest things I’ve ever seen. My stomach just went in knots. My heart wrenched up.”
The apparent accomplice ran off prior to this, and both fled in a gold Cadillac Escalade.
However, one suspect, identified as Timothy Davis, 37, and accused of faking the seizure, was arrested after refusing to leave the scene. He was charged with theft, conspiracy to commit a felony, and drug possession.
“I was on the phone with the cops. I was basically telling them that I was not sure if this man was having a seizure. I suspected that he was faking it,” said LaRosa, who noted that the man even got up and walked to the bathroom during the act before lying back down to continue faking.
One bulldog puppy returned to Perfect Pets
By Monday night, at lease some relief came when a good Samaritan returned one of the missing pups to Perfect Pets.
She had unknowingly bought the dog for $1,500 from a street vendor in Denver.
According to the ACSO, “She immediately called the store when she recognized her puppy matched the photos in the story.”
The store was overjoyed and promised the buyer a reward for doing the right thing.
Larsen confirmed that before the puppy’s rescue, the shop had announced a $4,000 reward for information leading to the return of both pets and the arrest of the perpetrators.
She shared her frustration with repeated thefts targeting Perfect Pets in recent weeks.
“It should be a warm, happy, loving environment with all these puppies. Instead you’re just working and in fear that someone is going to steal one,” she said.
Two other puppies, stolen in a prior incident, remain missing.
“It’s just heartbreaking ’cause we don’t know what they’re doing with our puppies,” LaRosa said. “I really hope that we can get our puppies back. That’s the main thing.”
