French bulldog breeder appeals for return of puppy stolen from her Bridgewater home in August

A Hobart dog breeder who was targeted in a brazen daylight burglary in which two puppies were stolen has tragically had to put one down – while she holds on to the hope that the second is found alive.

French bulldogs Bear (chocolate) and Steel (grey) were taken from Theresa's Bridgewater living room on August 13 during a brazen daytime burglary.

A Hobart dog breeder who was targeted in a brazen daylight burglary in which two puppies were stolen has tragically had to put one down – while she holds on to the hope that the second is found alive.

The owner of Hobart French Bulldogs, Theresa, was sleeping at about 8am on August 13 when a thief broke in through the back door of her Bridgewater home.

One of her other dogs barked in alarm, and while she woke briefly to tell the dog to stop barking – she continued to doze unaware a stranger was on her property.

Less than five minutes later she got up to feed the puppies and saw two of the six in the litter were missing.

“[The thief] shut the back door when they left which made me think the puppies were lost in the house – I ripped it apart and then I saw the front gate was open …,” Theresa said.

Eight-week old female French bulldog puppy, Bear, was taken from Theresa's Bridgewater home on August 13 and has not been found.

The taken puppies, a chocolate female named Bear and a grey male named Steel were eight weeks old and had a value of $4.5-$5k.

But what the thief did not know was that the litter had been hit by a virus, and both Bear and Steel were sick.

Therese immediately made a report to police, but the next day she received a second blow.

Steel – who was microchipped – had been dropped in to a local vet by a woman who said she had bought the puppy the night before.

While he was then taken to an emergency vet, where Theresa spent $5k in fees for his care – Steel was too unwell and he had to be put to sleep 24 hours later.

Eight-week-old French bulldog puppy, Steel, had to be put to sleep after he was dropped at a vet less than 2 days after he and Bear were stolen.

Weeks later, Bear is still missing and the traumatic incident has pushed Theresa into installing $1000 worth of security cameras at her property.

“I have never suffered anxiety in my life, but I am getting a good feel for it at the moment,” she said.

“If I leave the house to go to the shops I think what will happen if they come and take my other ones?”

She has also changed the way she does business, and no longer allows potential buyers to come to her home to view the puppies and their parents.

“Whoever did it had knowledge of me and my home, and may have been here [before] so I wont let [people] come around anymore,” she said.

Anyone with information about Bear can contact Bridgewater Police on 131 444 and quote reference number OR719572.