Toronto puppy stolen at gunpoint the focus of police and public attention

A note for criminals: If you want to pull off the perfect heist while also evading the attention of police and the public, don't steal an adorable puppy. At gunpoint.

Toronto news and social media has been awash in images of a tiny black puppy dressed in a pink sweater ever since the image was released as part of a police investigation late Thursday night.

Police report that the darling Labrador puppy, named Onyx, was stolen from its owner in northwest Toronto on Tuesday night by two men, one of whom was armed with a gun.

An official statement says the victim and his girlfriend were near a bus station at Jane St. and Weston Road at about 10 p.m. when they were approached by two men. One held a gun to his stomach.

Det. Const. Matt Pinfold says the victim is most distressed about losing his dog.

The suspects were described as black men of average height. One was wearing a black toque, black bandana ad black pants. The second was wearing a black sweater, sweatpants, toque and a bandana with possible marijuana leaves on it.

Since the dog was reported stolen, the story has been reported on television, in newspapers and online.

This is, of course, not the first time a stolen dog has made headlines in the city. But recovering the pet isn't always simple.

Currently, another tiny canine is missing from its Toronto home. Paige, a young Pomeranian wearing a blue sweater, was reported stolen from her Scarborough home on March 12. The owners appear to have launched their own investigation for the dog and have obtained security footage that suggests a suspect and an unidentified woman were recently in possession of the dog.

A Facebook post from the couple captures some of their frustration, suggesting they have had trouble convincing police to participate a search, despite a collection of security images. An officer in 41 Division told Yahoo Canada News an investigation was ongoing.

According to a news agency in Peterborough, Ont., the couple's investigation has led them to believe their dog has been taken to that city by a woman with red streaks in her hair.

In 2008, a three-year-old Chocolate Labrador was stolen after a dog walker tied it up outside of a midtown restaurant. The distressed owner offered $15,000 for its return and later paid a man, no questions asked. Police later charged two men in the theft.

In 2012, a Toronto resident alleged his dog Bear was stolen from his porch. Police said at the time they often need more evidence of theft before investigating a missing dog. Bear was later found dumped at a humane shelter about an hour's drive northwest of the city.

What all of those cases lack, however, are allegations that the dog was stolen at gunpoint.

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