UPDATE: The French bulldog puppy has been recovered and returned to its owners, Linwood police announced Tuesday afternoon. The investigation into the theft is ongoing.
A French bulldog puppy was stolen from an Atlantic County home over the weekend, according to police.
Early Sunday morning, Linwood and "numerous other neighboring communities" had several cars broken into and stolen, the Linwood Police Department wrote on Facebook. At one residence, suspected thieves allegedly gained access to the house using a vehicle's garage door opener and left with the dog.
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A neighbor’s dashcam captured footage of three men entering the house through the garage and leaving in the residents' vehicles, according to Breaking AC.
"We must stress the importance of locking not only your vehicles but also your exterior doors to your home and removing the garage door openers if possible," Linwood police wrote. "All interior doors between your garage and home should be locked as well."
In a Facebook post shared to the "Atlantic County Lost and Found Pets" Facebook group, the puppy was described as female and merle-colored. The post also says a Range Rover, Dodge Durango, purse and phone were stolen from the residence on West Vernon Avenue.
The puppy's owner said some of her belongings, including her license and two of her children's insurance cards, were found in parking lots outside the Wawa on Delilah Road and the Walmart in Mays Landing. The puppy has not yet been found.
Anyone with information can call Linwood police at (609) 927-7979 or email tips@linwoodpd.org.
